Smart power: Obama using same dumb, patronizing lines with all foreign leaders

To cleanse the palate, a short but vivid look at what America’s Pericles cooks up for those special occasions when he’s welcoming world leaders to the Oval Office. He’s getting a bad rap on “one of our strongest allies” — it’s standard diplomatic boilerplate — but the backhanded compliment about “punching above their weight” is distinctly O in its well-meaning condescension. By the third iteration, I was laughing. See how long you last.

• Bobby Jindal: Paternalistic, big-government liberalism is the biggest loser here
• Chris Christie: “I’ll be here to welcome” Obama when he comes to tour the NJ coast again next week
• MSNBC consensus: Obama’s speech was historic, amazing, “one of the best of his presidency”

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