Amusing citizen annoyed

Very little in politics surprises me. It doesn't surprise me that President Obama finds the concerns of many of his fellow citizens entertaining. It doesn't shock me that he finds them lacking in gratitude. But it really surprises me that he would cruelly and publicly ridicule them for a laugh.

Chris Wallace, at best a member of the vast Blue Dog conspiracy, called it the height of condescension. We are now lead by a man whose respect for his fellow citizens is conditioned on their gratitude. When voters have to purchase respect with silent assent or with a dollar or a vote, you can be pretty sure the respect that they are being shown is transient and insincere.

President Obama mocked, a not insignificant, sliver of the electorate. In so doing, he crossed a line that politicians occasionally stumble over but almost never step across intentionally. Some weave across the line with the assistance of alcohol or the encouragement of flattery, but only rarely do they cross the line simply to prove that they can.

Mr. Obama has traveled to the political black hole that traps politicians who come to regard their self-preoccupation as a virtue. In the recent past, the president has treated Representative Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain dismissively and was pointlessly rude to Brent Baier in a White House interview. Now, he has needlessly insulted voters for his own amusement. In politics, confrontational can sometimes be a virtue, but rude trumps confrontational.

It was clear early in the 2008 campaign that I wasn't going to vote for Barack Obama on policy grounds. However, I did perceive in him a sense of civility, a respectful and sincere demeanor. I've seen it in other politicians, Paul Tsongas, Ronald Reagan, Donald Dellums and John Kasich. Sadly, I saw something that either wasn't there or later disappeared. I would prefer to think it was the latter.

Years ago, I read an article about astronomical black holes. It said that if you were to travel to a black hole and return, when you got back you would be younger than you were when you left.
(Wrap your head around that idea.) Should the president return from this political black hole, let's hope he returns as the 2007 campaign version of the man we see today.

I don't know which Barack Obama is the real Obama. The 2007 candidate looked like a class act. The 2010 president is a testy, insecure and unkind chess master. The first guy would be a more effective leader today and would be more kindly remembered in the legacy years.