Ron Fournier on Obama

HT to Captain Ed

Take it with a grain of salt as this reads more like a political opinion than a solid diagnosis. While Mr. Fournier makes a good argument for his opinion his point remains to be seen:

Arrogance is a common vice in presidential politics. A person must be more than a little self-important to wake up one day and say, "I belong in the Oval Office."

But there's a line smart politicians don't cross — somewhere between "I'm qualified to be president" and "I'm born to be president." Wherever it lies, Barack Obama better watch his step.
He's bordering on arrogance.

The dictionary defines the word as an "offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride." Obama may not be offensive or overbearing, but he can be a bit too cocky for his own good.

The freshman senator told reporters in July that he would overcome Hillary Rodham Clinton's lead in the polls because "to know me is to love me."

A few months later, he said, "Every place is Barack Obama country once Barack Obama's been there."

True, there's a certain amount of tongue-in-cheekiness to such remarks — almost as if Obama doesn't want to take his adoring crowds and political ascent too seriously. He was surely kidding when he told supporters in January that by the time he was done speaking "a light will shine down from somewhere."

"It will light upon you," he continued. "You will experience an epiphany. And you will say to yourself, I have to vote for Barack. I have to do it."

But both Obama and his wife, Michelle, ooze a sense of entitlement.

"Barack is one of the smartest people you will ever encounter who will deign to enter this messy thing called politics," his wife said a few weeks ago, adding that Americans will get only one chance to elect him.

Both of them seem to have that sort of arrogance about them, and Obama has been condescending at times. But, as Mr. Fournier points out, a little arrogance is healthy with regard to politics. You have to have that to show voters you're better than the other guy (or in Obama's case, the girl). But he exudes a level of arrogance that isn't healthy. It's almost as though he's buying his own hype.

Even if he is, the damage has been done to him. Rasmussen has him slipping since the Wright affair went down last week. While he's not in free fall yet, it's not good that he slipped. John Derbyshire over at NRO's The Corner pretty much says he's toast. Even if he gets the nomination, he's done. Be it because of his arrogance, or of other mitigating factors, Obama's chances are over. Michelle Obama can now go on a nutter rant and state that this nation is damned to Hell because we didn't buy into the hype that he's the only man who can fix our broken souls.

Publius II