I can see it now, President Obama will be remembered for an interview with 60 Minutes in which he was pressed by Steve Kroft if he was punch drunk after laughing and chuckling several times during a discussion of the perilous state of the United States. President Barack Obama said he believes the global financial system remains at risk of implosion with the failure of Citigroup or AIG, which could touch off “an even more destructive recession and potentially depression.”
“You’re sitting here. And you’re— you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, ‘I mean, he’s sitting there just making jokes about money—’ How do you deal with— I mean: explain. . .” Kroft asked at one point.
“Are you punch-drunk?” Kroft said.
“No, no. There’s gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day,” Obama said, with a laugh.
To be completely honest, I don’t like the way the Obama Administration has handled a few of the issues facing this country today. I agree that something drastic must be done to shore up the financial markets, but to finger AIG in the bonus debacle after Geithner & Co., gave them a loaded gun is simply unconscionable. Somehow I remember President Bush saying “Brownie you’re doing a good job,” in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina meltdown and FEMA Director Michael Brown getting canned shortly thereafter. President Obama should be mindful that he is treading in a field with landmines. I am convinced that President Obama is heading for overexposure before his 100 days are up. He’s running the country in much the same way as he ran his campaign — taking his message directly to the people. But at what cost? He’s on television more than the pundits making their nightly rounds. It is still too early to see how his presidency will play out and I remain confident that he will do the right things, but I am getting Obama burnout right now. President, stay off the airwaves, run the country and prove all your critics wrong.
Filed under: 60 Minutes, Laughter, Perilous State of USA, President Barack H. Obama, Punch-Drunk, Steve Kroft
Black Political Thought 