Obama Ain’t No FDR – He’s Chirac

posted at 1:16 pm on September 27, 2009 by
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Michael Gerson explains why only the misguided believe Barack Obama to be the second coming of Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

Twice in his United Nations speech, Obama dares to quote Franklin Roosevelt. I have read quite a bit of Roosevelt’s rhetoric. It is impossible to imagine him, under any circumstances, unfairly criticizing his own country in an international forum in order to make himself look better in comparison. He would have considered such a rhetorical strategy shameful — as indeed it is.

Obama’s speech at the United Nations wasn’t the kind of speech you’d expect from an American president. In fact, if I didn’t know any better I would’ve thought I was listening to some anti-American European leader. He used one anti-American talking point after another (“selective” with regards to spreading democacy, America was guilty of provocations of its own, etc.).

As Gerson points out, Obama tried to make himself look good by making America look bad.

Interesting enough, that’s what Jacques Chirac did back in the day as well. He too insulted America, its people and its history so he would look superior.

The difference? Chirac was president of France. What’s Obama’s excuse?

Blowback

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Chirac was a corrupt big city machine politician, too.

Wethal on September 27, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Wethal: yup, I should’ve included that one in the post.

Let’s collect some more info: in what ways is Obama like Chirac?

Michael van der Galien on September 27, 2009 at 3:20 PM

In fact, if I didn’t know any better I would’ve thought I was listening to some anti-American European leader.

This is precisely the effect Obama was going for.

J.E. Dyer on September 27, 2009 at 3:51 PM

Didn’t Chirac study at Harvard ?

macncheez on September 27, 2009 at 3:56 PM