Full of High Sentence

Obama the Magnificent

In the good old days, monarchs were given names and titles to characterise their reign.  So, Charles the Hammer, so named because of the way he thrashed the Moors at the Battle of Tours in 732.  Or, Charles the Bald--the sobriquet needs no further explanation.  Or, Suleiman the Magnificent--no doubt a reference to his prodigious turban, which made him big-headed.  And so on.

So what of the Wonderful Magical Masterful Mr Obama.  What sobriquet would be an apt characterisation?  Should we use some lines from Prufrock:

. . . no doubt, an easy tool,
Deferential, glad to be of use,
Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous--
Almost, at times, the Fool

Mr Obama treats the American voter with contempt.  He works constantly to play them like the fools he believes them to be.  Maybe they are--who knows.  But it would appear his cynicism knows no bounds when it comes to his cynical manipulation of the dumb rubes whose vote he courts.

Patterico provides us with one telling vignette which makes Obama appear Prufrockesque--full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse . . . ridiculous, almost.  It has to do with Obama's recent "conversion" to supporting homosexual marriage.

Firstly, here is Prufrock Obama gravely telling us that he has come to support homosexual marriage because of his Christian convictions!  We kid you not.

Obama also placed his personal opinion in the context of his values as a “practicing Christian,” in line with efforts by gay marriage proponents to sway conservative voters. Obama said that, contrary to those who believe same-sex marriage is at odds with Christian teachings, it “is not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf — but it’s also the golden rule, you know? Treat others the way you’d want to be treated.”

Full of high sentence.

But consider Obama's history on the matter--which transforms his high sentence into the ridiculous:

If we’re going to talk about Obama’s “evolution” on this issue, let’s talk about Obama’s evolution on this issue.

In 1996, when Obama was running for the state senate in Illinois, he signed a questionnaire in which he supported the right of gays to marry:

Then, when he was running for federal office, his position changed. He has allowed a spokeshole to claim that the above questionnaire was filled out by someone else — a claim later retracted by another spokeshole when nobody bought it.

And he cited religion as the reason for opposing same sex marriage.

Now, having flip-flopped, he has flop-flipped back. And he is trying to make it sound principled.

"Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse . . . "  Just another self-serving politician whose "principles" are  for sale to the highest bidder.  A cynical manipulator of others.  An easy tool.