Another Reason We Need Shorter Campaigns

As a comic, I know that on stage, your mind goes a thousand times faster than normal. The brain gets hyper-vigilante, constantly sizing up the audience; "What's working, what's not working... Why was there an errant snicker right there? Did I mispronounce something? Is my fly open? Is there a thing in my nose? Did someone do that joke before me? Why didn't they laugh at that? And that other line that wasn't supposed to be funny - how come they laughed at that? What's happening?!" It's exhausting - the constant scanning and calculating, assessing and re-grouping.

Now. Magnify that by a gazillion, and imagine what it's like to run for President. With a bazillion eyes and ears zeroed in on your face, watching every breath, syllable, blink and cough, perversely hoping you'll do or say something that - they will argue - makes you come off as too elite, too street, insensitive, too sensitive, too black, not black enough, too confident, too weak, too different, too terrorist-y...
It's no way to live.

So my heart sank a bit yesterday watching our brave new leader in his first post-victory public address. I think we all can agree that if nothing else, Barack Obama is certainly intelligent, disciplined, thoughtful, and courteous. So it was odd to see him stumble through the "Nancy Reagan séance" moment. It wasn't a big deal, really. But I swear, I could see the gears in his brains grinding. Like watching a fellow-comic on stage panic about something that you - sitting in the comfort of the audience - know is nothing to panic about.

They asked him if he plans to confer with any former presidents.

He says, "Yes, I've conferred with all of them."

And in that half a nano-second, the vigilant candidate mind-set triggered an alert. "Oh, no! I just said I spoke to all the presidents. Like all 43 of them! Watch - that's going to be the friggin' headline: 'Exhausted Obama Delusional. Claims to Chat with Jefferson, Madison and Lincoln. Lunch with Garfield, McKinley and Roosevelt Set For Early Next Week!' I better explain."

"I mean, y' know... All the living ones."

Now to me, it didn't seem like he needed to go there at all. I didn't think anyone misunderstood "I spoke to all of them." Obviously that means "all the living ones." Duh.

But I'm not him. I haven't just done eleven shows a night for 22 months. Having just stepped off the longest, most brutal campaign ever, with verbal minefields and political death looming at every turn, you can forgive the man for still being a little tightly wound. (Having the weight of the world's expectations on your shoulders can do that, I would imagine.)

So, when someone in the room snickered at "You know, I mean, the living ones," President Elect Obama, the comic-who-was-doing-fine-but-thought-he-was-losing-them had to now explain that one too. "You know, I didn't want to get all Nancy Reagan-y séance on you." ("Oh, no - now they're going to jump on that! 'Wet-Behind-The Ears Democrat Ridicules Republican Icon! Pictures at Eleven!')

Then it just keeps snowballing. Like the comic who accidentally swears on stage and then can't stop. ("Oh fuck, I just said shit.")

Somewhere in his brilliant performer mind, Obama must've known it was time to go to a new bit. ("C'mon, someone give me another question. Something easy. Oh good... something about the dog.")

Of course, two seconds later, the mind was back in red alert. ("Oh, shit... I just called myself a 'mutt.' Oh, fuck, I just said shit again!")

He was trying to put out a fire that wasn't really there, and in the process, made a silly joke. Clearly, there's some sort of transition time needed between campaigning (" I really want to convince you why I'd be good at this job.") and having won. ("Wow - I actually have the job?") I'm not sure how long it takes to make that adjustment, but knowing what we know of Barack Obama, I'm pretty sure he's already made it. Let's cut the guy some slack. And don't forget folks: please - tip your waitress.

Comments

[Lion24]

In other news, where is (was) Helen Thomas?

Bring her back!

[Agentlady007]

I love you Paul. You always come out of the woodwork at the right time.

[Agentlady007]

Here's the song:
Rock&Roll by Eric Hutchinson;
Cool. For Paul today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr7zl0jwDZA'

[meleon]

I had no problem with the length as I believe it helped remove much of what would certaintly bogged us down had they waited until post election to rear their ugly heads.

What we got out of the way:

1. The collapse of Wall Street

2. William Ayers

3. Reverend Wright

4. Tony Rezko


What time helped to develop:

Obama's experience

1. Obama's voice

2. The voters clear picture of who he is and where he stands.

3. The voters clear picture of how he reacts under pressure

If anyone has anything else to add, feel free. Yeah, I was ready for it to be done, but I'm also of the belief that the longevity was not in vain, and in fact it was a blessing. It was an opportunity to shutdown now what would have surely become time wasters. So funny that while typing the names of Wright and Ayers, I realized I haven't heard or read one thing mentioning either or Rezko since election day. It's as if they never were so completely they have suddenly vanished.

[LeftRight]

Thanks for the laugh Paul. I'm sure that he IS exhausted!!

[MariaHopeful]

President-Elect Obama did just fine. He was just fabulous! I have no idea why we have to go out of our way to CREATE problems where none exist.

[Pulemerci]

I agree on shorter campaigns. Then he would't have had to raise $700 million during this economic crisis.

[murly]

I'm not sure that a woman who tried to use astrology to control her husband's decisions is due an apology over a quick joke about seances, but I'm glad Obama called her because it shows what a class act he is.

[Lellie]

Oh for gawd's sakes America!!! This Canadian found his humour...the self-deprecating "mutt" one as well...charming. Give your public figures the right to be human!!!

[Poldolino]

'Exhausted Obama Delusional. Claims to Chat with Jefferson, Madison and Lincoln. Lunch with Garfield, McKinley and Roosevelt Set For Early Next Week!'

He maybe got into that because as a professor of constitutional law, he actually HAS spent more time communing with dead presidents that a lot of people. He felt another Peggy Noonan moment coming on: you know, the quote about him being like Lincoln, only sorta better. And then his stream of consciousness kind of went sideways from Peggy Noonan to Nancy Reagan.

[segsig]

Well done Mr. Reiser!

[Poldolino]

I think they shoulda kept flying him around for a couple of weeks and having some fake rallies, you know, just to bring him down gently. Should be possible to have him back to living and working in one place, more or less, by about Christmas.

Seriously, he oughta let Rahm and Joe manage the think tank for a week and just go wind down.

If he keeps doing press conferences to explain that he hasn't made any decisions yet because he isn't the president yet, he won't be in a fit state to make decisions by the time he is.

[Stud99]

The campaigns should be longer so the MSM can think of a serious question to ask Obama.

[bluebook262]

although you are completely right that campaigns should be shorter, I would like to point out that the question from the reporter was- Mr. President-Elect, have you spoken to any of the living presidents...?(i'm paraphrasing). In response to a question implying that it is possible to speak to dead presidents, President-Elect Obama was trying to be funny and pointing out the awkward sentence from the reporter.

[ebanks84]

Great article. It puts us in his shoes for a change and I wouldn't want that job. But I'm glad he's got it and will be glad to cut him as much slack as he needs :)

[lizr]

I laughed at the seance moment and also at the mutt joke.

think it's great to have a Pres w an intelligent sense of humor, heck, intelligence I'd settle for.

He's funny and the media is too much in gotcha mode all the time.

the media needs to back off.