An Outsider's View of Barack Obama

There seems to be an Obama mania sweeping across the United States at the moment. He is being variously portrayed as the new Messiah, the new broom that is going to sweep away the sorry legacy of George Bush; and the brand ambassador of a vibrant, young America.

I am not so sure that all this euphoria is justified. In Obama's case, obvious and predictable comparisons are being made with John F. Kennedy. Was Kennedy really as great a president as he is often made out to be? Personally, I believe that his untimely assassination added to the halo of greatness that surrounds him. If he had been allowed to serve out his full two terms, he probably has had his fair shares of political blunders. Even during his brief tenure, the Bay of Pigs fiasco was not his shining moment. Some admirers would rebut this by pointing out the steely resolve he displayed during the Cuban missile crisis. Here again, I believe that main reason he stared down the Soviets was that they accepted the inevitable. For all his bluster, Khrushchev was realistic - and experienced - enough to realize that the much-touted Soviet military might was more a myth than reality. The Soviets would stand no chance if it came to a military confrontation with the United States.

There is a lot of buzz going around right now about that 3 a.m. phone call. It sounds like a corny cliché, but there may be some substance in it. Substance, in a word, is what bothers me about Obama. There is no denying that the man has style. In addition, he is awesome on the message. Listening to his speeches, one is sometimes tempted to sing hosannas, like it was a revivalist meeting, complete with gospel singers. But is the message enough? Obama is like the general who plans brilliant strategies, on paper, but fumbles when it comes to putting boots on the ground.