The increasingly odd political optics of Barack Obama

In politics, what you're really doing is often much less important than what it looks like you're really doing.

And with only 560 days left until the voters' next verdict, President Obama is rapidly painting himself into a public-relations corner with an ongoing series of possibly accidental gaffes that are accumulating in the public mind.

And the biting humor repertoire of late-night comics: "Donald Trump says he's President Obama's worst nightmare," Jay Leno said last night. "No. Having to make a decision is President Obama's worst nightmare."

The former state senator may, in fact, be slaving away on 18-hour policy days. But much of that is closed out of sight. So the public is left to focus on Obama's frequent vacations, golf outings, celebrity gatherings and proclivity to give a speech at the first whiff of trouble.

With no real opposition, Chicago's Democrat pols care little about how insensitive things look.

Any one of these apparent missteps is inconsequential. However, accumulated over his 118 weeks in office, they create the impression of carelessness at best or, worse, arrogance.

What the White House issues are photos of a tieless, laughing Obama, feet up on the historic Oval Office desk, chatting on the phone system that he complains is so decrepit.

What the public sees, while it frets over stubborn unemployment and soaring gas prices, is a diffident Democrat who takes a 17-vehicle motorcade of SUVs and limos to be seen looking at clean-energy cars.

A pontificating president who suggests that one worried commuter buy a new car instead of complaining.

A guy who spent 745 million donated dollars to get into the White House complaining to visiting editors about losing his anonymity and being locked in the presidential bubble that provides service, luxury, power and security unimaginable to most.

To be sure, other presidents have played golf. Maybe not during three simultaneous wars with the awful accompanying human tolls.

Not likely working the putter the day after a colossal combined earthquake/tsunami natural disaster hit as close an ally as Japan. Or canceling a trip to the funeral of Poland's president and hitting the links.  

It's one thing to urge Americans to vacation on the troubled Gulf coast last summer, while your wife flies off to Spain with a planeload of pals.

It's another to spend much of Earth Day in a 747 jumbo jet flying 2,300 miles cross-country back from a slew of multimillion-dollar West Coast fundraisers, as Obama did last week.

It's one thing to launch a war against Libya while packing up your wife, daughters, mother-in-law and her friend to tour South America.

It's another to wait nine whole days to bother explaining the unexpected combat to a puzzled nation. Or nearly two months to arrange an Oval Office address on the country's worst environmental disaster ever.

It's one thing to laugh off the uninformed belief of millions of countrymen that Obama is a Muslim.

It's another to issue meticulous presidential messages and proclamations on what strike many Americans as the most obscure holidays of various religions around the world, then skip official notice of Easter in the predominantly Christian country they elected you to lead.

It's one thing to attend church with your family on that Easter holiday and nod in agreement during the sermon. It's another to leave that service a half-hour early, purportedly to avoid disrupting the service by waiting until the end.

Every president stages grand White House events like state dinners and the traditional Easter Egg Roll. Some 30,000 enjoyed themselves on the South Lawn Monday, even if few ever know precisely why they're rolling chicken eggs through the grass with spoons.

When George W. Bush staged his annual Tee-Ball tournament on that same grass, his staff ensured ample opportunity for the first father to be photographed, not demonstrating his own prowess at the plate, but teeing up the plastic ball for a little person to take a wild but earnest swing that drew applause all around.

On Monday President Obama held his monthly secret strategy meeting on the Afghanistan/Pakistan fighting. But what did we get about his day?

A photo of Obama appearing to laugh at one egg-rolling youngster. Photos of what could be a showoff Obama dribbling a basketball by himself while the crowd watches. And a shot of him shooting by himself.

Today, Obama will do four TV interviews on debt reduction to targeted markets in Ohio, Georgia, Virginia and Michigan. He'll then have meetings with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates. All are closed.

But here's a selection of other Obama activities scheduled this week: Wednesday he and wife Michelle fly to Chicago on Air Force One. They will be there for three hours. The sole purpose: to tape an Oprah show. Obama will then fly to New York City. The sole purpose: a fundraiser, three, in fact.

Air Force One costs the government $181,000 an hour to operate.

Confident politicians enduring the ubiquitous criticism of American politics often remind themselves that much of what they do goes unseen and therefore unappreciated by the often inattentive people who employ them.

But in the end at the next election these elected officials assume that, even without deigning to carefully choreograph events, their work will speak for itself to voters passing judgment.

That may be true.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photos: Charles Dharapak / Associated Press; Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images;  Pete Souza / White House (Obama feet on Oval Office desk and awaiting his entrance cue at a White House event).

Comments

[BG]

Obama can thank George Bush and Bill Clinton for his presidency. He is all talk and no leadership. He is a great debater but it adds up to zilch. He foisted a health care bill on us that gives away more money to the insurance companies who wrote the bill instead of a single payer system. He has got three wars going with no end in sight. He lets the republicans set the agenda and then hands them the keys to the ranch. It seems we are being dug a bigger and bigger hole every year that we can never climb out of by the two of the worse Presidents in our history. And the next election won't make much difference because the whole system is corrupt and we the people have to suffer for it. Thank God I never voted for the guy or I really would have had buyers remorse. Ralph Nader is the only person who spoke the truth but he was too old and looked like he just rolled out of bed.

[ThomasFredette]

Where are all the hypocrites? Andrew, aren't you afraid you'll be let go? How dare you question the arrogance of this President? He needs that very arrogance to control the world! It ain't arrogance if you can back it up! The Man walks on water, dude- what is your problem? Can't you see he's trying his best to erase those eight years of George Bush idiocy? Come on, Andrew- get with the program! Be patriotic! Have some skin in the game! After all, this is the country we all have the audacity to hope for! And, after all, this is the country who could elect a Man by the name of Barack Obama! Can't you see that? Can't you see that the people who voted for him still think he can pull it out at the end? Just you wait! When 2014 comes around and he's in the middle of his second term, the taxes for Obamacare, and God knows what else, are going to kick in- and then you'll see NIRVANA! Those people are not going to apologize either- AND WHY SHOULD THEY? Obama is the greatest President any country has ever seen! Why, we've never been so respected around the world! We got our respect back, Andrew!

[Aldo Bender]

I couldn't have said it better myself, nice one Andrew!

[Museisluse]

Ouch and on target.

[Denroy3]

Hey, the campaign for re-election has already started for Obama. So you can look for a long list of these events showcasing his persona instead of actually governing. His foreign policy is a mess and his domestic policy is a joke as debt mounts. So he won't be focusing on his "achievements" while campaigning, but his supposed "coolness". In other words, more yucking it up and basketball pics.

[babs]

Very interesting article. Well written and informative. The way papers should be. I often wonder when the President says we should all have electric cars, who will pay for mine, and why am I paying for his jumbo jet to see Oprah. Or why SUV are so scorned by him while he uses so many to drive around town.

[J]

Evidently the Presidents opponents expect him to take Greyhound , because there always seems to be media flap when "this" President takes AF-1. Its amazing to see how fiscally "concerned" "real americans" are with this Presidents spending habits. While this may be the worst recession it is not the first recession, and the President using Air Force One a few times a week will not add to the National debt anymore than his predecessors usage did. We've all seen Obama wear a tie; to somehow suggest that a wearing a tie in the oval office will fix the U.S economy is upsurd. To think that the President would somehow allow the media to tape secret white house meetings is even more ridiculous.

[Abraham Leib]

This has got to be the most absurd column ever written.

[Tom]

The most honest Times article on this President to date.

[Susie Madrak]

It's pretty much a rule of thumb that anyone who uses the word "Democrat" as an adjective instead of "Democratic" (as in, "Democrat pols") is a right-wing foot soldier. Well, Andrew, you passed that test with flying colors. Congratulations! Karl Rove will be in touch about your membership fees.

While I certainly do have strong policy disagreements with President Obama, they do not consist of cherry-picking his private moments as if he were the first president to play golf, attend political fundraisers or hold closed-door meetings. Ooo, "choreographing moments"! No other president has ever considered such a thing -- you know, like buying a ranch just because you're running for president, and it allows many photo ops of "manly man clearing brush"?

Whatever your real issue with the president is, perhaps you should blurt it out.

[Kathy]

what took you so long to notice President Obama is not doing what is good for the country?

[sam LoCicero]

Someone pinch me. Is this the LA Times? Someone over there is finally coming off the ether. You've noticed what this unqualified, egotistical, and mooching President has been doing throughout his entire school and political life. He is a pretender. He is he greatest scam artist ever since P.T. Barnum and we bought it hook-line-and sinker.

[7th planet from the Sun]

Be careful Mr Malcolm. Truth talk like this will result in Liberals calling you mean names, or worse the LAT might pull a Juan Williams on you.

[carl]

"He is working hard but not presenting himself to the public to the satisfaction of this writer?"

[deBeer]

The bottom photo is typical Barry O looking down his nose at "his " minions. Never lead with your chin Barry.......

[c moon]

One of the worst president of this nation, totally disconnected from reality with just a lip service. People were fooled once but not twice if it happens this country will be finished and we deserve it.

[ycartneerg]

"The former state senator"? Former Senator.

[ycartneerg]

I realize Obama was an Illinois state senator. It's just not the appropriate reference, in my opinion.

[alp]

wow, kinda snarky this morning, aren't we?

[Mudu]

All you need to know about how the bias in this column is contained in the phrase "former state senator." This is just an exercise in distortion, sarcasm, spin and pandering to the tea party.

[brianguy]

this guy is all about 5 second soundbytes and no actual content or solutions. doesn't anyone get that by now??

[Michael A Gurbada]

More whining from the Envious Right. Waaaa, he's flying around in an air plane, waaa, he plays golf, waaa, he rides in a limo. Waaa, he's making faces at me. Waaa, only Republicans should ever be president...

Jeez...

[Gavin R.]

Good piece Mr. Malcom.

[Baruch]

To say Obama is a disappointment is a massive understatement. He is a complete sellout. He is also a great con artist. Perhaps in his next life he can sell used cars. Certainly by the end of his term that will be all most Americans can even consider buying.

[JDubya]

For a media and newspaper that carried so much water for the man, it sounds as though you are losing steam?

[Andy K]

One of the few articles to show the true Obama. The pictures are priceless, his shoes spread over an historic desk, laughing, tieless. His chin pushed up to the sky, with an arrogant look, dribbling through a group of children, acting like an basketball star without the ability. The arrogant showman for sure, without a clue on how to lead.

[Julie Amos]

Wow , a Liberal state with a newspaper who actually tells the truth ? Obama is a national disgrace and anyone who supports him are woefully incompetent to understand his very words are the exact opposite of what he does or should I say they are fraught with unintended consequences or rather intended consequence ? Hmmm. OR , those that stand by him are cut from the same cloth, Marxist-Lenest , Communist or Socialist ,no matter which , you hate your country and your fellow countryman.One things for sure we are watching an intentionally managed decline of the U.S. ! Instead of letting our economy rebound as it has in other bust, he has used our economy in an experiment of SOCIALISM ,Capitalism under him will never happen.Need evidence ? Look at his policies , look at the EPA , look at the tax hikes he has lied about in the Healthcare Law , look at the massive land grabs,look at the way he has used the Endangered Species Act to lock up land already benefitting communities with economic activity, look at the oil moratorium ,look at coal mining being shut down. Why don't people see these things , is it the news channels they watch ???? One things for sure he is all for the big bad fat cats on Wall Street and the big bad fat companies like GE who pay $ 00 in Federal taxes. As he rails these fat cats who do you think support him and the Democrats ? Hmmm. You see , THEY played a huge con game on the sheeple who trust THEM .They are the ones that created the housing bubble ,they are the ones who helped the stock market collapse by taking out the uptick rule in 2007 . They are the ones giving our tax dollars to whimsical green projects that hit the people in the wallet AND YET people like to say Republicans lie in bed with the rich,THE OPPOSITE IS THE TRUTH .Wake up people we are in the fight of our life to save our freedom !

[Native Angeleno]

This is just so much fantasybabble by a confirmed extreme rightwinger. What he pretends is not so, or doesn't understand, is that Obama's re-election was assured the minute he was chosen by the system to continue Bush's people-hating agenda of wars, Deeperession and insurance company-written "health care" laws with more bailouts and more "compromising" with the Republicans who CLEARLY set his economic agenda. The Republicans are following the script, with buffoons and nobodies itching to lose to him, for their sickening unattractiveness to all but the robots who vote Republican no matter how hideous their candidate is.

The black Herbert Hoover is loved by Wall Street, who he fronts for with his Fed-led economic team of pirates, and the defense industry, who he is making even richer than Bush did. The latter owns, programs and operates the electronic voting machines used in this former Republic, so if necessary they will rig the outcome for him over the Ugly Republican, whoever s/he is, no differently than how they did it for Bush in 2004. Why Obama? Because his presence in the office protects them and this rightwing government from liberal outrage, giving him solid support from wimpy liberals for anything he does, any new war, any new injustice, out of fear of the Ugly Opposition, and liberal guilt for even thinking they could go against a black man, no matter how his Republicanesque policies shove black Americans deeper into an economic black hole than where even Bush left them. Obama does not look worried, nor should he, no matter how terrible things continue to get for the lower 99%. He, or actually his backers, have this thing in the bag.

[Michelle Bolen]

Andrew Malcolm is this the best you could come up with? Given everything that is going on in the world? This column is embarrassing!!

[Mark]

Mr. Malcom are you a republican?
How would you suggest the President travel?
Do you think you are entitled to sit in on closed door meetings?

I don't believe that someone sitting on the sidelines is informed of what the President's itinerary will be. Your bias does not come from a position of understanding but from one of ignorance.

[Bob]

God I hope he has taken the Resolute Desk out of the Oval Office. I would hate to think of his shoes being on that 130 year old gift from Queen Victoria.

[Jim Townes]

Obama isn't doing a great job yet but this is another criticize anything and everything relating to Obama.

If we went back 8 years would this guy have written the same article about Bush? Of course not - because bush didn't take month long vacations on his ranch and bush never played golf. In fact Obama is the first president to play golf.

If Obama was breaking the mold and the first president to take a vacation, the first president to play golf then this article would be completely credible but he is not and the article is not.

[Theodros]

An article, somewhat meticulously put together, that no one really cares about.

[Bob]

Somebody mentioned re-election. Why does a sitting president need $1 Billion to run a RE-ELECTION campaign? How many TV ads does it take to distort your real record?

[Theodros]

Irony, anyone? This article is absurd. It suggests that the President needs to be more substantive, and yet criticizes him mainly for how he presents himself.

[landon]

Gosh no other president took the plane for fund raising????

[Richard Ivey]

Andrew Malcolm should begin his essay honestly by saying something like: "As Laura Bush's former spokesman, ...." Malcolm starts from a partisan point of view, and honesty requires him to be candid about it. Why is he so afraid to be honest?

[Jerry o'Brien]

CNN's Gary Tuchmann says " The U.S. Constitution says only "natural born" citizens can become president -- a vague clause that some members of the birther movement contend disqualifies Obama because, they insist, he was born outside the United States." First of all Gary and all you Obama heads: THE CONSTATUTION IS THE LAW OF THE LAND AND YOU CLAIM OF A VAGUE CLAUSE IS JUST A MASK YOU HIDE BEHIND. IF OBAMA WAS BORN IN THE US. LETS SEE THE ORGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE, PERIOD. SHOW IT TUCHMANN, COOPER AND THE REST OF YOU COMMUNIST OBAMA HEADS

[Jerry o'Brien]

Great job Andrew, eat you heart out you communists who voted this Manchurian candidate in.

[Windfall]

So the LA Times has finally taken notice of the narcissistic arrogance of Comrade Barry. Perhaps they are finally ready to look past the color of his skin and see what a totally unqualified and unaccomplished man-child they helped elect to the office of President of the United States.

In the third line of his Inaugural Address, Clueless Comrade Barry stated,

“Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.”

Actually, 43 Americans have taken the presidential oath. The reason why Comrade Barry is considered president number 44 is because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms and is thus counted as presidents numbered 22 and 24.

You can maybe, sort of, make the excuse that Comrade Barry was tired and misspoke with his "we’ve now campaigned in all 57 states" remark but his statement: “Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath" is still posted at Whitehouse.gov.

We're 27 months post hoc and he still doesn't know who Grover Cleveland is!

There can be no doubt. Clueless Comrade Barry has less than a schoolboy’s understanding of American history.

And the Useful Idiots think Governor Palin is stupid?

Addressing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, The Clueless One said, "Long before America was even an idea, this land of plenty was home to many peoples. The British and French, the Dutch and Spanish, to Mexicans, to countless Indian tribes. We all shared the same land."

Actually, the United States of America declared its independence on 4 July 1776.

Mexico didn’t exist until 34 years later (16 September 1810).

Now how is it that Mexicans shared the same land before there was even such a country as Mexico?

Don’t you have to exist before you can share?

What we have in the White House today is nothing more or less than an ignorant, incompetent, narcissistic Marxist miscreant - the living embodiment of The Peter Principal in (Affirmative) Action – who the media refuse to hold accountable for anything.

By the way, they speak German in Austria (not “Austrian”), the automobile was invented in Germany (not the U.S.) and Abraham Lincoln was a Republican.

The Ruling Class must perpetuate the myth that they are the “best and brightest” in order to give them license to organize and legislate against the interest of those whom they are supposed to serve.

They are neither and their Beloved Dear Leader Clueless Comrade Barry is, in fact, nothing more - or less – than a complete dullard.

Only those whose personal experience has left them somewhat amazed to encounter a black American male who can pronounce the words “ask” and “bath” would be able to conclude that Clueless Comrade Barry is anything like or approaching “the best and brightest in the room.”

“The white liberal vision holds one set of standards to which white people are obliged and another that's lower for blacks. I don't believe that white liberals are racists in the sense that Klansmen and neo-Nazis are; however, their paternalistic and demeaning attitudes toward blacks are far more debilitating.

“More blacks need to be bold and challenge the demeaning attitudes of white liberals. During the early years of the Reagan administration, I had a number of press conferences in response to a book or article that I had written. At several of them, I invited the reporters to treat me like a white person -- just ask hard questions.”

– Walter Williams (professor of economics, George Mason University)

http://econfaculty.gmu.edu/wew/articles/10/LiberalsConfuseMe.htm

[Tom M.]

When the ultra-liberal LA Times can't ignore the truth any longer you know president is in trouble...

[Howard Hill]

You new to covering the presidency?

[eric]

this article is totally bogus. He canceled the trip to Poland because of the volcano that erupted. And what does that line about the tee ball game vs. egg roll have to do about anything? And leaving an easter service early? Really, we're going to nitpick him THAT bad? Sheesh. Not to mention that every president takes one day trips on AF One constantly. Its the only way to safely get them anywhere. Bush took it to his ranch for vacation... is that any better or worse?

[Holden]

I deeply regret voting for Obama the first go round, I doubt I'll make the same mistake again.

[Alec Leamas]

"cherry-picking his private moments as if he were the first president to play golf,"

Perhaps not the first President to play golf, but the President who plays the most golf - over sixty rounds in his first two years in office.

[fredCPA]

dude, look up "malignant narcissist", ok?? you'll have your answers. and once you start peeling the onion, it gets ways worse my friend. start looking ok? be the one. to tell the truth.

[Jonestown Barry]

He's a fraud? What?! Where was the watchdog media?

[JR]

Obama is the emperor and people are finally realizing that he has no clothes (I hope). Too bad it took the past two years and Donald Trump for people to notice. Never elect someone who promises hope and change without making define what change they hope for.

[Yeswecan]

THANKS MALCOLM:
Your commentary about Barack Obama couldn't have been said better. You told the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

[smfic]

How are his optics odd? They seem perfectly in line with the modern no-substance-at-all, do as I say, not as I do liberal.
17 vehicle motorcade? Hey, the Prez has to be safe and present an air of success to the other heads of states.
You and I paying $4.50/gal for gas? Bah humbug, buy a Chevy Volt.

There's just too many bitter-clingers for our citizen of the world to be understood properly.