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Criticism of Obama’s pronouns falls apart
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/criticism-obamas-pronouns-falls-apartAs odd as this may seem, President Obama’s critics have taken a keen interest in his pronouns: for some on the right, carefully counting the number of times Obama uses the word “I” or “me” tells us something important about the president’s arrogance. Or something.
This line of attack has been ongoing for years, though Charles Krauthammer, non-practicing psychiatrist, summarized the right’s pitch about a month ago: “I mean, count the number of times he uses the word I in any speech, and compare that to any other president…. You know, this is a guy, you look at every one of his speeches, even the way he introduces high officials – ‘I’d like to introduce my secretary of State.’ He once referred to ‘my intelligence community.’ And in one speech, I no longer remember it, ‘my military.’ For God’s sake, he talks like the emperor Napoleon.”...
Hmm. This would suggest Obama is actually the least narcissistic president in the modern era. Krauthammer, who specifically urged the public to “count the number of times he uses the word I in any speech,” isn’t just throwing around cheap criticism, the far-right pundit actually has the entire line of attack backwards....
To be sure, the idea that the president’s pronouns have come under fire is emblematic of conservative criticism that’s spiraled to silly depths. Obviously, every president is going to take heat for nearly every decision, but when some of the nation’s leading commentators insist Obama deserves contempt for his use of “I” and “me,” these corners on the right may want to pause for a deep breath.
This line of attack has been ongoing for years, though Charles Krauthammer, non-practicing psychiatrist, summarized the right’s pitch about a month ago: “I mean, count the number of times he uses the word I in any speech, and compare that to any other president…. You know, this is a guy, you look at every one of his speeches, even the way he introduces high officials – ‘I’d like to introduce my secretary of State.’ He once referred to ‘my intelligence community.’ And in one speech, I no longer remember it, ‘my military.’ For God’s sake, he talks like the emperor Napoleon.”...
Hmm. This would suggest Obama is actually the least narcissistic president in the modern era. Krauthammer, who specifically urged the public to “count the number of times he uses the word I in any speech,” isn’t just throwing around cheap criticism, the far-right pundit actually has the entire line of attack backwards....
To be sure, the idea that the president’s pronouns have come under fire is emblematic of conservative criticism that’s spiraled to silly depths. Obviously, every president is going to take heat for nearly every decision, but when some of the nation’s leading commentators insist Obama deserves contempt for his use of “I” and “me,” these corners on the right may want to pause for a deep breath.
