Back in June, ABC’s Lara Spencer embarrassed herself by lauding President Obama as a “baby whisperer” that could wondrously calm infants. On Wednesday, Washington Post Metro section columnist Courtland Milloy – yes, the one who’s violent enough in his thought against Tea Partiers to need a whisperer – returned to that obsequious territory.
“Not surprisingly, some hard-core right-wingers resent that Obama is good at baby holding," Milloy insisted. “”The only complaint they can come up with, however, is that he is too soft and maternal. They would like to see one of the babies ruin his photo ops by throwing up on him or soiling their diapers.”
He added: "But therein lies the real brilliance of Obama’s whispering skill: The kind of quiet he produces amplifies the incessant carping and backbiting of his opponents. Not a whimper of a challenge to Obama from his own party, just the sound and fury of Republican presidential hopefuls, signifying nothing."
Milloy also suggested Obama’s black supporters acted like babies in wandering away from their 95 percent approval rating for Obama, but some tough love from Obama brought them back. He concluded with the “expert” on the subject. who somehow loves Obama and loathes America as a bully:
A lot of people talk about Obama in the political area as being too calm, but little attention is paid to his calming influence,” said Melinda Blau, a journalist who, with the late Tracy Hogg, wrote the book “Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect and Communicate With Your Baby.”
Blau and I chatted by phone while looking at photographs of Obama holding babies, which are posted on the Web site yeswecanholdbabies. wordpress.com.
“I know Obama is politically savvy, but what I’m seeing goes beyond all of that,” Blau said. “He is showing a capacity for deep caring, listening and respect, and the response from the babies shows that it is genuine and not fake, more than a photo op.”
As for the rest of Obama’s progressive supporters, many are still burping up their discontents. And none will be completely satisfied until Obama comes up with a good bedtime story. Tell us again, Mr. President, the one about why we should vote for you.
Obama could start by reading from the transcript of what Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said Dec. 18 on ABC News’s “This Week With Christiane Amanpour”:
“I understand the appeal of tax cuts, but in my years of government, I have never seen a tax cut put out a fire. I have never seen a tax cut build a bridge or clean up a toxic atmosphere.”
Dr. Seuss couldn’t have said it better.
That's funny. I don't remember the Dr. Seuss book that had the hero knocking the teeth out of the "racist" Tea Partiers. It wouldn't exactly be whispering about deep caring and respect, would it?
