Esquire’s Tom Junod wrote this about President Obama’s early eloquence?

President Obama, after all, was elected by virtue of his personality, which provided not only contrast but novelty, and was grounded in his near-perfect pitch when addressing audiences large and small… Though many Americans didn’t know very much about him, there was one thing that was never in doubt when we saw and heard Obama on the stump: his ownership of his gift… How could we resist a man who simply by opening his mouth could move mountains — and who had ascended all the way to the presidency by staking his political life on his own eloquence? How could we resist a man who seemed so sure that we could not resist him? [Read more: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/barack-obama-rhetoric-110410#ixzz14dzv5o8E]

After first double checking that, yes, the author is a man, I had to ask “Was he watching the same guy?” All this gushing over the man’s speeches didn’t seem merely over the top. It seemed literally to make no sense. If you’re reading this blog odds are that you too have been hard-pressed to understand why seemingly intelligent people praise so highly an empty suit who rode nearly unchallenged into the oval office on the back of white guilt and cocktail party progressive fascination with the exotic.

With the help of a progressive blogger I think I understand now what’s going on. Walter Russell Mead writes:

If you already agree with Barack Obama, you will be inspired and uplifted by his ability to express your common convictions in dignified and patriotic terms.  If you don’t agree with him, you are unlikely to be convinced.

I would have ended that last sentence with “you’d think he’s an arrogant ass” but Mead puts his finger on exactly the right explanation. There is no reasoning going on here. He’s a wishbringer. A blank slate upon which you can throw up your fondest dreams of an America that is great and yet has none of those oh-so disappointing realities: armies to keep us safe; borders to preserve public safety and the domestic economy; poverty for those who can’t or won’t succeed in the job market.

Is there a reciprocal wishbringer in conservative circles? And are we making the same childish mistake of vouchsafing with that leader all of our wants and dreams for a renewed America? I believe there are several. (In the spirit of full disclosure I should add that I dragged my family from Phoenix to Albquerque to see one of them 3 days after John McCain added her to the 2008 Republican ticket.)  Thank God that the Sarah Palins and Chris Christies who inspire us have accomplishments that actually merit the hope they inspire. How sad for progressives that their standard bearer has turned out to be a man whose disappointing personality and amateurish management skills are becoming more obvious to the world daily.

p.s. The “you see what you want to see” behavior was demonstrated when the video below was posted a few weeks before the 2 NOV 10 midterm.  I took it down after after the webmaster at Big Geek Daddy wisely suggested that the last thing to do before the midterms is get progressives stirred with a video comparing the Bushes to the Obamas. But in the short time it was online, conservative vented their spleens at Barack and Michelle and progressives spat bile at George and Laura. Polarizing figures, I love the idea of juxtaposing them so closely for all to see the differences. A red state, blue state Rorschach test (as if one is needed).

Add a comment on YouTube and it will be added to the video.

If you view this on YouTube (choose right click > “Watch on YouTube”) and add a short comment with a timestamp, I’ll add it to the video for all to see.

p.s. The more I look at this video, like Michael Faraday observing a candle, I can find more to observe and comment on.