"We have here a Mae West presidency" (UPDATED)

Donald Sensing... the Reverend Donald Sensing:

We have here a Mae West presidency, which I illustrate with two quotes of the platinum blondeshell:

1. It's better to be looked over than overlooked.

2. There's no such thing as bad publicity.

When even the Washington Post's Michael Gerson observes of Obama's speech to the UN General Assembly, "I can recall no other major American speech in which the narcissism of a leader has been quite so pronounced," then the volume of similar observations, which began well before the election, cannot be discounted.

So why did Obama go to Copenhagen? It was not really to see Chicago through. Like everything else in his life, Chicago was simply a tool to serve a purpose and selection of the city as 2016's venue was not actually important to that purpose.

The purpose of the trip was simply to splash Obama's photo on the front pages of the world's newspapers, to provide video of him basking in the personal adulation of the European crowd, an adulation that remains very real there even while Obama's popularity slides at home.

This is a man who simply craves attention, who thrives on it, who consumes it as nourishment. That's the first Mae West-ism at work, to get looked over, not overlooked. Writes Jay Cost,

... What should have been a story about Chicago - or better yet, Rio (good for you, Rio!) - is now a story about...Obama. Of course. Because just about everything in the public sphere must, must become a story about Obama. Because Obama injects himself and his campaign appartus/mindset/worldview into everything. And so, in this case, what would otherwise have been a "mere" rejection of Chicago and Mayor Daley has now become a rejection of the entire country. Why? Because of his decision to perpetuate the permanent campaign while holding the power of the executive.

That the publicity Obama is garnering from Copenhagen is already unfavorable matters little to him. The reason is Mae Westism number two: "there's no such thing as bad publicity." Tim Reid observes,

Mr Obama was greeted — as usual — like a rock star by the IOC delegates in Copenhagen — then humiliated by them. Perception is reality. A narrow defeat for Chicago would have been acceptable — but the sheer scale of the defeat was a bombshell, and is a major blow for Mr Obama at a time when questions are being asked about his style of governance.

It may seem from across the Big Pond that we colonials are raising questions about Obama's style of governance, but we're not. We figured that out long ago. And the Denmark trip is a shining example.

It's a must read, a devastating read... go on over sometime and read it big boy.

Then pass it on.

UPDATE: Instalanche!  Once again, thanks Glenn... and welcome InstaPundit readers...  here's hoping you'll check the place out and consider returning.

Comments

[Gregory Koster]

It may be a must-read, but the photo attribution of Eisenhower & Kennedy is dead wrong as any reader of the Ambrose bio of Ike or PRESIDENT KENNEDY by Richard Reeves can tell you. So, in general, is Sensing's notion that Kennedy wasn't afraid to ask Eisenhower for advice and help. It's on par with writing an account of the 2008 election with Mitt Romney as the GOP nominee: would that it were, but it didn't happen.

[Jack Tanner]

I can't imagine the fantasy world race baiting of Michele Obama helped much either. When I heard her speech about how she wanted to make the Olympics avaialble to kids who wouldn't have the opportunity, like things were when she grew up, it was just so out of tune, anachronistic and self absorbed. That may work on college campuses and with guilt ridden liberals but if you want to see dyed in the wool racist look at Eurotrash elites. They don't need hoods because they don't care.