TheAgitator.com
And After Just Two Hours Volunteering in a Chicago Soup Kitchen in 2003, He Developed the Weathered, Empathetic Eyes of a Mother Theresa
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010Ana Marie Cox points to an embarrassingly worshipful passage from the introduction to a new self-help book by Time Managing Editor Richard Stengel:
It is impossible to write about Nelson Mandela these days and not compare him to another potentially transformational black leader, Barack Obama. The parallels are many. … And while it took twenty-seven years in prison to mold the Nelson Mandela we know, the forty-eight-year-old American president seems to have achieved a Mandela-like temperament without the long years of sacrifice.
Somewhat related: Last year, Jeff Winkler and I poked fun at Time’s penchant for moral panic.
Sick on so many levels.
“Did you gain your temperament and resolve through selfless sacrifice, and 27 long years in prison?”
“No…but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.”
The level of adoration is simply nausiating.
“achieved … without the long years of sacrifice”
its pretty hard to stomach the word “achieved”. you could go with ‘obtained’ or ‘presented’ or ‘promoted’, but not ‘achieved’.
and isn’t that the point? the man acts as if he as paid some dues. i wish my poor *ss could have gone to two Ivy League U’s.
Surely there’s room on Mt. Rushmore for Obama right now (just blast off those other four losers).
As if we needed it, we’re getting a lesson about how history gets written.
It’s annoying to be an Obama supporter who doesn’t worship the man. Between the folks on the right who claim that all of his supporters worship him, to the few on the left who actually do, it’s enough to drive you crazy.
For all the lawyer jokes I hear (many of which are totally justifiable) I think we could use some more cracks about starry eyed journalists expressing adoration for politicians. :)
jb, I don’t think you’re going to get a lot of sympathy from libertarians about other people grouping you into a political party and then making generalizations about what you think or do because of that.
:)
Oh baby Obama.
I worked for years serving food to homeless kids at the Salvation Army shelter. Does that qualify me for sainthood too?
Off topic (just partially), this may be a parody but it is funny. Although not quite as crazy as Ana Marie Cox playing the role of Mary Magdaline out side the tomb of Obamacare as her savior comes back to life.
If real it is a good argument for the decline of public culture and for private and parochial schools. And of course for not allowing criminals to immigrate into the country. Because of course that is the underlying theme of that play, the dark side of the American Dream! For the kids!
H/T to Glenn Reynolds for finding this nugget of fun.
Joe,
The appropriate way to invoke the name of Obama is, “Oh sweet baby Obama, please save my home even though I refinanced recklessly, please help me with my medical costs even though I am obese, and please see to it that I have a job, but one that isn’t too tough, preferably one so I can get home in time to watch Oprah. Amen. Oh, and can I have get a lifetime discount on Chunky Monkey? Amen.”
Steve Verdon
You forgot the part about kneeling and touching your forehead to the floor nine times before you speak.
Surely there’s room on Mt. Rushmore for Obama right now (just blast off those other four losers).
Can we start with Roosevelt?
Radley – big props on the post title!
Nothing new here: Upton Sinclair, in “The Presidential Agent” (1944), wrote pretty fulsomly about FDR. In fact, it might be more accurate to say he wet himself from the glory of it all, like a puppy.
It is interesting that Stengel asked Mandela if he preferred Hillary or Barack, and Mandela declined to answer. Stengel took that as an example of Mandela’s restraint and self-control, as though it must be obvious who Mandela would really prefer. Of course, Stengel immediately attributes those same characteristics to Obama. (And, at the same time, the passage ironically shows how little self-control Stengel displays in making known his political favorites.)
Still in the introduction, Stengel goes on to say
To be honest, reading an introduction like that really casts doubt on the author’s ability to do a meaningful treatment of a man’s life or to present a clear, uninflated view of his achievements. Surely, it’s possible that Stengel may have written a penetrating and insightful account of Nelson Mandela’s character and accomplishments, but why would I want to chance it with an author who apparently lacks objectivity and is so given to hero worship?
It seems like Stengel would have wanted the comparison of Obama and Mandela in his introduction to give the reader confidence that Stengel understands an impressive figure like Mandela and that he can place Mandela and his work in present context on the world stage. Instead, Stengel’s mention of Obama sort of leaves the reader wondering how difficult it must be to type and fellate someone at the same time.
I know that Mother Theresa was cited by Scalia, but I’m pretty confident the person you’re talking about is Mother Teresa.
–JRM
As an Obama supporter, it’s a little embarrassing to see this kind of thing.
I do take some comfort in the fact that this happens to all Presidents these days. I could easily dredge up similar vomitus written about Bush the Lesser. Sometimes I wonder when the GOP will finally ditch the elephant logo on their letterhead for the smiling face of St. Ronnie.
Chuchundra
I don’t recall similar hagiography for Clinton the Tom.
Richard Stengel can type while he’s down on his knees — I think that counts as an accomplishment.
Writing a peice like this shows an absolute lack of self respect by the author.
Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama have the same temperament? Wow. I had no idea that Nelson Mandela was thin-skinned, touchy, and vain.
That TIME thing is still classic.
Thank God I live in a country where I don’t have to kiss that much ass just to earn a decent wage. By any standards, whatever TIME is paying Ms Cox is indecent.
Sorry, meant to say Stengel. God I hope he’s not related to Casey. That WOULD ruin my morning.