I, Obama

Terry Jeffrey, writing at the conservative “Townhall” website, disclosed that in announcing Monday the federal take-over of General Motors via bankruptcy, Barack Obama used the word “I” 34 times, the word “Congress” once, and failed to mention “law” even a single time. Obama: “I decided . . . that if GM and their stakeholders were willing to sacrifice for their companies' survival ... then the United States government would stand behind them." To stand behind GM, Obama stands above Congress; he stands above the law.

Obama is above us all as no previous president has been. He stood on the shoulders of his race and education to reach Illinois. He stood on Illinois to reach the Democratic Party, then on the shoulders of his party to reach all America. And now, speaking to 1.4 billion Muslims in Cairo, Obama stands on the shoulders of his country to reach the world.

Talking to Tom Friedman before his historic Cairo address, Obama said,

there is a Kabuki dance going on constantly [in the Middle East]. That is what I would like to see broken down. I am going to be holding up a mirror and saying: "Here is the situation, and the U.S. is prepared to work with all of you to deal with these problems. But [y]ou are all going to have to make some tough decisions." Leaders have to lead, and, hopefully, they will get supported by their people.

Comment: Roosevelt and Reagan effectively governed America by going over the heads of the opinion makers and talking by radio or TV directly to the people. Obama is the first U.S. president with the audacity to attempt going over the heads of Muslim national leaders to speak directly to their subjects.

If you go right into peoples’ living rooms, don’t be afraid to hold up a mirror to everything they are doing, but also engage them in a way that says "I know and respect who you are." . . . if we are engaged in speaking directly to the Arab street, and they are persuaded that we are operating in a straightforward manner, then. . . they and their leadership are more inclined and able to work with us.

Comment: Obama is saying to Muslim leaders, “I’m talking to the street. Listen to me, work with me, or I will help overthrow you!”

the president said that if he is asking German or French leaders to help more in Afghanistan or Pakistan, “it doesn’t hurt if I have credibility with the German and French people.”

Translation: “Are you reading me loud and clear? I’m leader of the world because I relate to the world’s people. Not just 1.4 billion Muslims. Watch out European leaders, because I reach Germans, French, and other non-Muslims too.”

America’s “battle against terrorist extremists involves changing the hearts and minds of the people they recruit from. And if there are a bunch of 22- and 25-year-old men and women in Cairo or in Lahore who listen to a speech by me . . . and say: ‘I don’t agree with everything [he is] saying, but [he seems] to know who I am [and wants] to promote economic development or tolerance or inclusiveness,’ then they are maybe a little less . . . tempted by a terrorist recruiter.”

Comment: Friedman believes Obama will succeed in reaching the 1.4 billion Muslims on the street (or whatever they are), because “when young Arabs and Muslims see an American president who looks like them, has a name like theirs, has Muslims in his family and comes into their world and speaks the truth, it will be empowering.”