Leadership, Averting Disasters

We watched President Obama on 60 Minutes last night. Always a delight to see a leader speak succinctly. Although, I was suspicious of the editing. You just never know exactly what you're getting from a previously filmed interview in relation to the actual conversation.

Also, I would ask that next time another make-up artist be used. I noticed some cake-iness (sp?) in the close-ups that did not befit a president. He's probably dang tired, though, and they needed to conceal that. I hope his sojourn to India provides some R&R.

Its funny, when I began typing this entry, I started to type "Professor Obama". Rather fitting, though. He does sometimes seem to be patiently leading us towards an understanding of something. And I think its usually something he's just recently learned himself during these last 2 years of financial and health care ick. ("Ick" being the Beltway term, I'm told.) And we're all learning that he's learning that there are no clear fixes.

I know I'm not alone in hoping he would be a sort of FDR - coming in with a paradigm shift and confident, if not heroic, actions straight away. But how does anybody compete with FDR's first 100 days? I think fondly of the Civilian Conservation Corps, for one, but I'm a history DORK. And FDR was such an insider, part of Washington his whole career and stuff. And the world was different. I know that sounds sort of pat and simple, but whatever.

I am definitely of the camp that thinks Obama's Administration averted a potentially greater banking and economic mess. We just don't have any way of knowing what didn't happen, so we can't hold that up as testament. I like to think of him as having his finger in the proverbial dike, protecting the weary countryside, but now the weary countryside still has to find a new and better day. That's my overwrought metaphor. I do like my metaphors.

For instance, right now my son is sitting in his proverbial poopy diaper, unaware of its potential long-term effects on his delicate derriere. And I am going to sweep him up like the Coast Guard saves a flailing seaman, and I shall dredge that diaper of waste matter like the domestic engineer I've become. And then we're going to Ross for some afternoon shopping. But we don't have any money because, you know, the economy, so we'll just work on our Christmas Wish List.

Yours in Public Service,
Nellie