Telegraph – Bloodless President Barack Obama makes Americans wistful for George W Bush<br/> Barack Obama’s reaction to bad news is to play it so cool that Americans yearn for a bit more drama – and some even for his predecessor, writes Toby Harnden in Washington

When the television networks cut to the President, viewers listened to him spend more than two surreal minutes talking to a gathering of Native Americans about their “extraordinary” and “extremely productive” conference, pausing to give a cheery “shout out” to a man named Dr Joe Medicine Crow. Only then did he briefly and mechanically address what had happened in Texas.

On Friday, when most of the basic facts were available, Mr Obama tried again. It was scarcely any better. He began by offering “an update on the tragedy that took place” – as if it was an earthquake and not a terrorist attack from an enemy within – and ended with a promise for more “updates in the coming days and weeks”.

Completely missing was the eloquence that Mr Obama employs when talking about himself. Absent too was any sense that the President empathised with the families and comrades of those murdered.

It was a reminder that for the past 16 years Americans have had two Presidents who would often extemporise and express emotion. President Bill Clinton could certainly “feel your pain” while Mr Bush sometimes struggled to hold back tears.

RC2 thinks it’s his sophomore speech writers, but I think he really thinks the press ARE stenographers. He stepped out to the podium to issue his statement on the “tragedy” to the assembled journalists, which he did. First he did a little joshing and shout outs, then he issued his statement like a PR flak pausing to crack some jokes at the water cooler on the way to filing his release on the wire. The guy’s just totally unaware of how he looks to the people (not journalists through their selective reporting) actually watching him.

Date: Nov 8th, 2009 · Comments RSS · Tags: Politics