REALITY BITES BARACK

During the powder puff interview portion of Christmas at the White House on Sunday, December 13th, Chicago friend and 2008 campaign supporter Oprah Winfrey asked the president to grade his first year performance. This was a moment the president could have brilliantly exploited to portray himself as a humble statesman diligently working to fix America's problems, instead he once again revealed himself to be as detached from reality as possible. “A good solid B-plus ...If I get health care signed, we tip into A-minus,” Obama said. This quick almost off handed statement is frighting in it's disconnection with reality.

With disappointment and doubt growing among progressives over Afghanistan. With liberal advocates of universal health care disaffected over compromises stripping the “public option” from health care reform. With unemployment rising to 10% and climate change legislation taking a back seat, even ultra-liberal Democrats would be hard pressed to give Obama “A good solid B-plus”. It goes without saying conservatives and libertarians think he's failing big time. So how can he give himself a passing grade? Extreme narcissism and stunning detachment. Every president lives in the Victorian bubble of the White House, the aristocratic George H.W. Bush was famously detached from average Americans. During a Florida campaign stop in 1992, he marveled at the technology of a supermarket checkout scanner. George Bush was a man from a wealthy family that spent most of his adult life in public service. Barack Obama was a community organizer on the poverty filled streets of Chicago, how could he be detached from everyday life? Class and privilege don't separate Obama, in his case it's intellectual liberal arrogance. Former Massachusetts Governor and 1988 Democratic Presidential Nominee Mike Dukakis had it despite being from a working class immigrant family. Intellectually superior liberal elitists don't inhabit the same reality as their persevered enemies.

During a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill, President Obama asked a group of Democratic lawmakers, “Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care?” Hardworking, patriotic Americans from across the nation gather to protest unconstitutional spending and massive deficits and the president dismisses them as “teabag, anti-government people”. In August, Obama dismissed his Republican critics in Congress in much the same way, “But -- but I don't want the folks who created the mess -- I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to just get out of the way so we can clean up the mess. ... I don't mind cleaning up after them, but don't do a lot of talking” If you don't support his radical agenda, sit down and shut up. The work of government should be performed by intellectual liberal elites like Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama.

The isolated intellectual liberal world of academia, which Barack Obama inhabited with ease is far different for the daily reality of governing. Theories about economic justice are just that theories. Radical college professors like infamous Obama friend William Ayers can be wrong every day and never face the reality of their ideology. Anti-establishment anarchists like Van Jones can theoretically advocate wealth redistribution without having to face the citizens that had their wealth redistributed. Given his record it makes sense for Barack Obama to give himself, “A good solid B-plus” , his grade is a result of ivory tower isolation. His liberal pals and progressive advisors tell him he's doing great, the mainstream media praises him non-stop, in his world everything is fine. Except for the stuff George Bush messed up. With sinking poll numbers and high unemployment, it's very likely that 2010 will be a reality check for the ivory tower president.