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

[rayboston]

Remember that we, too, are still being hypervigilant.

There will be much BIGGER problems very soon.

I just hope someone in his administration doesn't get them tangled up in something off-topic like Clinton did with the gays-in-the-military issue. I'd love to know who thought that was critical for Clinton to address immediately.

[Querent]

Very humorous, Paul. I think this last campaign was just fine.
Especially the ending.

[Shieldmaiden]

This made me laugh. Obama needs to read this and then take a month long nap. The poor man looks tired.

[kayatarms]

What he needs is a serious vacation! I noted he had bags under his eyes. I mean it's time to chill, sit back relax and realize campaign mode is over. He appears to be experiencing a latent reaction to being ON and needs to turn it OFF. Hecks, he can take this piece of advice from watching Bush do nothing lately and when he does oh boy. Good post I totally agree!

[votingthistime]

It's good to be back posting comments at the good-old Huffington Post. I was illegally evicted and lost my Internet connection for a while. But enough about my personal problems, however fascinating and of universal interest. I had previously seen Mr. Reiser's stand-up comedy as well as his sitcom (Mad About You with Helen Hunt, wasn't it?), but I had never read any of his writings. I was quite impressed. It was very enlightening as well as entertaining to read his "take" on Obama's first press conference as President-elect. It was so different from the usual political commentary, and as someone who saw the press conference, I can attest to the accuracy of his observations. The right wing media is attempting to take Obama to task for what he said about Nancy Reagan's seances? If that's the best they can come up with, President-elect Obama will be just fine. They obviously wish to distract our attention and awareness from the aura of intelligence and competence that simply exudes from the man. I trust they will not be successful, and I look forward to further writings from Mr. Reiser.

[LoRiseAntlers]

What I took away from it is he's not very worried about pissing off Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh.Heck,he might even go out of his way now and then to piss off the wingnuts .

Don't know about you,but I,for one,would find that hilarious.

[Shazzbot]

Very interesting analysis! Not how I would have thought of it, but now that you say it, I realise it's a very apt analogy.

[pgurlatl]

OMG I was thinking the same thing!

I was like "Why did he go there?"

But then I thought about the night of his win and he seemed a bit tired and somber.

I'm sure he was just trying to lighten the mood. It failed but not miserably and if this is the worst he can do, I'm all for it.

[lizr]

I still thought he was funnier than GWB on any day of the wk

[GingersPawPaws]

Very good Paul, Yes i seen it and I didn't think he was ever in hot water. Back tracking. from a simple case of oops..lol..then it became funny! I thought he at least had a sense of Humor about him self and I enjoyed it! And Yes everyone should cut some slack he still really has not had any down time to Chill out! I agree! His nerves have got to be on overtime from that Election ! its been 5 days and Im just coming down from it! Geezers I am glad it is over with!!

[harriscrl3]

I didnt think it was offensive but I also didnt thin it was funny. I didnt mind the mutt comment he has to be able to laugh at himself but the Nancy Reagan comment remind me of when he mixed up his sitcomes Sanford and Son and the Jefferson.

I do agree we need shorter campaign period he must be exhausted. A long primary right into the general election lost his grandmother didnt really have time to mourn and then wins the election and now has to hit the ground running because of Duby'as Disaster.

Yea we need to cut him some slack. As Valerie Jarret said on CNN they might get to rest in about a year or so.

Carol

[toypiano]

Well put, Mr. Reiser! Thanks for that.

I think part of the problem is that some of us are also still in election mode and it's made us a little nuts. That, and the fact that we're not accustomed to seeing Obama in funny-man mode. So, what was an imperfect off-the-cuff comment triggered a hypervigilant UH OH reaction. For me it did.

He was obviously nervous and gauging his every word -- with the whole world watching. There was bound to be a banana peel in that scenario.

He did the honorable thing by calling Nancy Reagan. The rest seems so inconsequential and doesn't detract from the high regard I have for him. Maybe we need to give each other some slack too and allow each other time to decompress.

Yeah, shorter elections would be helpful.

[TRYKER]

In a way I think he was trying to be a little playful and human seeming after having run that spectacular campaign..."where sometimes he is too awesome". He was giving us a taste of his dry sense of humor...he's cool.
I think his "mutt" statement was a message that we are all mixed races in some fashion or other and we might as well get over this idea of elite special breed Americans, we are all mutts. And half of us are nuts. Like, get over yourself, we are all in this together. He reminded me of my Native American step father that only had to say one word, or give us one look and we knew just what he meant. He was wise and gentle and correct.
He has heavy duty work to do and we had better respect this man and give him his head. He is on the right track, send him strength.
We have not one speck of a reason to show him any intolerance or disrespect, we are lucky he has agreed to lead this mess.
We got used to dissing Bush, he deserved it, Obama doesn't.
I'm just saying....

[lizr]

Many if not most of us are mutts (me too)

and by 2035 whites will be a minority in this country (in my view that day can't come too soon) and mixed race will be the rule, not the exception, then we can all start getting over racism.

[AntonBursch]

Perfectly stated. Thank you. I was thinking the same thing watching. Then I laughed my ass off at the joke. It was pretty funny. Just not to the half of the country that just got it's ass kicked.

[Georgiamitch]

Paul that was exactly what I was thinking....well put. You made me laugh and I'm sure Obama too.

[AZ4thatone]

I feel bad that he can't make a little joke without everyone pouncing on him. It was like he could finally make a small, silly comment after all those long months of having to worry about every word, only to have this insignificant little remark blow up on him. After all, Nancy Reagan did have a seance. It was the truth. I'm sure Mr. Obama regretted it the minute it rolled off his tongue but my goodness, it wasn't that big of a deal. MSNBC reported it by prefixing with, "Nancy Reagan who is now 86 years old and frail" - can we get a life? Please?

[lizr]

exactly, give the guy a BREAK!!!

[eggman]

The first thing that came to my mind was Richard Nixon talking to the Presidential portrait gallery in the White House.