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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
May 1, 2009
/ 7 Iyar 5769
Obama Ages Well
By
Roger Simon
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Some things are better after 100 days. Cheese. Caterpillars. Barack Obama.
He started off with such high hopes and grave problems that it was only logical to assume he had no place to go but down.
It hasn't turned out that way. He wrapped up his 100th day in office Wednesday with a town hall meeting in the morning and a news conference in the evening that showed what his first months in office have demonstrated: a remarkable degree of command and self-assurance, especially from someone who less than four and a half years ago was a state senator.
Answering reporters' questions for nearly an hour in the East Room of the White House, he showed what has become his trademark cool and calm no matter whether the question was about torture, the auto industry, Pakistan, Iraq, abortion, immigration, black unemployment or the flu.
At one point, he even encapsulated his personal philosophy: "Things are never as good as they seem and never as bad as they seem." Which is a pretty good working definition of keeping cool.
While it is hard to imagine there is anyone in this country who is not at least a little bit tired of all the 100-day coverage, Obama himself does not seem to suffer from overexposure. At a town hall meeting in Arnold, Mo., Wednesday morning, Obama said, "So, you know, when you see — those of you who are watching certain news channels ... on which I'm not very popular, and you see folks waving tea bags around ... ."
But though there are networks where Obama is not very popular, an astonishing number of actual people like him just fine. In an NBC-Wall Street Journal poll that was taken April 23-26, an incredible 81 percent of adults in America said they liked Obama personally. According to the poll, "51 percent like him personally and approve of most of his policies, and another 30 percent like him personally but disapprove of his policies."
Got that? Nearly a third of those people who disapprove of what Obama is doing still like Obama! I wish I could get that deal. Everybody wishes they could get that deal.
A.A. Gill, a contributing writer for Vanity Fair and The Sunday Times of London, wrote in an op-ed piece on April 4 in The New York Times, "Mr. Obama is the only popular politician left in the world."
Well, that was quick.
But even allowing for what the Roman philosopher Seneca said — "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" — Obama also has had some luck in his first 100 days. His decision to authorize the shooting of three Somali pirates who were holding an American sea captain hostage was a success for Obama, but that is because the captain survived. If he had not — and it was a close thing — Obama might have been accused of being hasty and reckless.
What else has he been lucky with? His enemies. There is nobody on the Republican stage right now except Dick Cheney, and who could have a better enemy than that? (The behavior of Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele can best be understood if one assumes he is a Democratic mole.)
And just when Obama's own party seemed to be turning on him because of his lack of enthusiasm for a torture commission, let alone a torture prosecutor, and just when torture began dominating the news cycle day after day, what happens? A flu epidemic! And then Arlen Specter! And then Obama's much-awaited 100-day anniversary. Today, torture just seems so yesterday. (Though yesterdays sometimes come back as tomorrows.)
"I'm not a miracle worker," Obama said Wednesday. And he is not. Nor is he perfect.
On Tuesday, Obama's agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, took to the airwaves to tell the media to stop calling the new flu epidemic "swine flu" because this was damaging U.S. pork producers. "This really isn't swine (flu), it's H1N1 virus," Vilsack said. "And it is significant because there are a lot of hardworking families whose livelihood depends on us conveying this message."
But Wednesday morning, Obama stood up in Arnold, Mo., and said, "I mean, right now everybody is concerned about the swine flu, and properly so."
Hey, Mr. President, get on message! Eight and a half hours later, however, at his news conference, Obama got it right and spoke of the "H1N1 flu virus."
See? He improves with time.
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© 2009, Creators Syndicate
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