Listening to Obama chide, orchestrate and moderate the health care summit harkened back to school when teachers turned classroom lights on and off to control the activity of school children.
On occasion indoor recess would take place while a jaded schoolteacher attempted to read at her desk. The teacher would then say, “OK people, play time is over, everyone to your seat and back to work.” If youthful activity failed to be curtailed, the teacher would abruptly ask, “Need I remind you who’s in charge here?”
That was the scene at Blair House, schoolmarm Obama allowed Republicans to let off steam, vent, run around during recess, but never once considered allowing serious input to influence direction or impact the end result.
Take for example Obama’s repeated condescending manner. Condescension is defined as, “behaving as if one is conscious of descending from a superior position, rank, or dignity.” Any person, even remotely sensitive to a patronizing attitude, would have felt uncomfortable during the summit watching John McCain be smacked down publicly by Obama’s oversized ego.
Like a conscientious student reminding a forgetful teacher, “but you said if we finished the chapter we wouldn’t have homework,” upstart maverick McCain pointed out Obama’s broken campaign promise to bring “change in Washington.” Sporting a signature smirk Obama, curtly corrected McCain saying, “We’re not campaigning any more. The election is over.” Obama’s smarmy retort was tantamount to saying, “John need I remind you? You lost, I won, story over. Please be seated and discontinue speaking.”
McCain questioned Democrat “behind closed doors” deal making. The Senator queried why, after promising otherwise Obama delivered, a process both politicians vowed, “would change in Washington?”
Senator McCain made the fateful error of jogging Obama’s disingenuous memory. Based on Barack’s prickly response, could it be McCain’s statement was interpreted as a correction from underling to superior authoritarian? If so, McCain’s assertion couldn’t remain unaddressed by elite educationalist Barack Obama overseeing dialogue in a room full of unruly Republicans.
Obviously, McCain’s tone if left unaddressed, would prove devastating to Obama’s ability to maintain discipline …McCain needed to be made an example of. The president brusquely told the Arizona Republican, “Hey, Johnny Boy, enough out of you. Get back in your seat. You got a failing grade so you have zero credibility and nothing to say.”
Obama’s reaction gave John an “L” for loser sign. The senate’s original maverick might as well have been ordered to sit in the corner writing “I will not question Obama” 100 times on a chalkboard. A clearly discomfited McCain looked around at colleagues chortling uncomfortably, “I’m reminded of that every day.”
Visibly bored Obama allowed classroom discussion to continue, listening “with his chin raised and his eyes narrowed [and] with his head resting quizzically in one hand.” Obama monopolized speaking time, expressing piqued interest only when he, or his party held the floor.
Fidgety summit attendees balked about time inequities to adequately express alternate points of view. In response to the valid unequal time issue, just as John McCain was restrained, Obama harnessed critique with a unique brand of presidential logic saying, “You’re right, there was an imbalance on the opening statements because I’m the president. I didn’t count my time in terms of dividing it evenly.” Whoa!
Judging from the President’s performance at the health care summit, in his opinion, he alone makes the grade. In the end, overbearing teacher Barack Obama will ultimately control the light switch of American health care, while a lowly minion of ill-informed school children quiet down and obey.
