Øbama the Un-(r)epublican

Jay Cost at RealClearPolitics thinks that Øbama is not enough of a republican. Note the small "r". He's expressed nicely what so many of us understand intuitively:

First, it's fair to criticize the actions of the previous administration to a point, but speeches like his U.N. address often move beyond that to suggest a broader failure, one that implicates the mass public. For instance, the best rejoinder he has to those who question the "character" of his country is: "look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months," which he suggests are "just a beginning." This rhetoric does not befit the leader of a democratic republic, especially one as great as the United States of America. The President should be willing and able to defend the "character" of his country beyond his own, inconsequential-to-date actions.

Second, the implication here is that his administration has sanctified our character. No administration can do that in a republic because no administration possesses the moral standing to offer such a blessing. He is the equal of the people in every measure. He temporarily holds an office whose magnificence is dependent upon the goodness of the people he represents. Yet this President implies a claim to such moral superiority - in the above quoted sentence, then later on when he says: "The test of our leadership will not be the degree to which we feed the fears and old hatreds of our people." No President should suggest that his people would fall prey to fear and hatred were it not for his leadership - even if he thought this were true. And he surely should not air such "dirty laundry" to an international audience that does not understand how this country actually functions. Instead, he should claim that he leads a great people who have the wisdom and equanimity not to fall prey to such fears, and it is his hope that he can emulate them.

The magnificent narcissism and egotism of the man are almost awe inspiring - especially in someone so lacking in accomplishment. It's a testament to human imagination.

I disagree with Cost though. I hope he gets worse and more imperial. I wish he'd start wearing a crown. The more he reveals his skewed sense of royal self-importance the faster his influence fades and the less effective he'll be in "transforming" our country. And that's a good thing.

The Gunslinger
Enemy of the Imperial State