I hate to take my cues from links I find on conservative websites, but one of them linked to a hyperbolic column that should have had my eyes rolling. And mostly it did. Mostly.
Conservatives pick apart absolutely every utterance out of the President's mouth. Everything he does, everything he does not do. They've become a Pythonesqueopposition. Whatever side he's on, they're opposed. It would be insane, if it weren't so true. I mean, yesterday was - what - the third march on Washington to generally oppose the President's policies, both real and imagined? Many of them are unhinged with hatred towards the man. That's obvious.
That said, here's part of the columnI read about what the President's immediate public response to the Fort Hood massacre yesterday:
After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that the president would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to the president. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.
But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a "shout-out" to "Dr. Joe Medicine Crow -- that Congressional Medal of Honor winner." Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?
I actually felt the same way (although I do not agree with anything else in the column, including that the President apologize). All the cable networks, and all the broadcast networks were broadcasting this, all everyone was waiting for the President to say something. I've seen him speak to audiences and, before getting to his remarks, make an off-topic announcement about something of note. He should have done that here, and I don't know why he didn't.
I think the President cares deeply about the troops, and was saddened and shocked by what happened yesterday. And knowing that the world's eyes were upon him last evening, I do not understand why he didn't immediately comment on the incident. I'm fairly sure his Native American audience would have understood if he had dispensed with formalities.
I was watching the address yesterday and was more than surprised. It seemed like an act of utter tone-deafness on the part of the administration. The President said all the right things yesterday, he just didn't say them when he should have. Comment on Fort Hood first, then give a "shout out" to whomever is in the audience. It was only three minutes of introduction, but it felt much longer, because I was waiting for him to say something while holding my breath thinking "he is going to say something, right?"
This non-story isn't a big deal, of course. By tomorrow, not even the conservatives will care about his speech, as the President's overall response has been great. But this does make me a bit nervous. Politics is part-stage craft. Not only do you have to do the right thing, but you have to be seen to do the right thing.
Candidate Obama would never have made that mistake. This was a superficial slip-up, but also one that was easily avoidable. I'd rather have him make errors like this than policy gaffes, but this was kinda dumb.