Secret agent man
Is America ready to elect a president who looks like a Secret Service agent and admits to reading foreign policy tomes? I see a cabinet post in Fareed Zakaria’s future. (The book is Zakaria’s latest, The Post-American World, hat tip: Ennis.)
on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008, 11:18 pm in Barack Obama, Fareed Zakaria, Literature, Politics › 
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God he’s slick! He looks for all the world like a friggin Vogue photo shoot even when he’s walking to his car.
My heart sinks. Gotham slickness, Philip Roth, and now this.
The man is just not mediocre enough to win.
Back in the day Bill Clinton’s sax supposedly gave him the same appeal. Can’t hurt unless you look too prettyboi.
I haven’t read the book, and I may not end up reading it - but Obama should take care to dress more conservatively!
Never thought I’d say something like this, except clothing and ’sartorial choices’ send off subliminal messages and set off subconscious thought streams like nothing else. Suits and ties were with us throughout the twentieth century, and they’ll be there in the twenty-first, post-American world or not.
Blazer-and-slacks casual look: for golf vacations late in the second term. For now, dress up when there are photogs around.
Give him time. With a scant 6 years on the national scene, he’s already dissed and disowned his pastor, started wearing flagpins on his lapel (look at his blazer), and railed against NAFTA and outsourcing. Six months, and so much change already! I can’t wait!
Guess no one else thinks it might just be for effect…
Why am I hearing the Miami Vice music when I look at that picture??
Akira,
I was referring to Obama the brand. About O’leadership we remain cautiously optimistic.
Filmiholic,
After eight years of yeehaw illiteracy, it’s refreshing to see a leader hold a book, even as a prop. He could be sneaking in latest Tinkle for all I care.
I dunno, Senator McDreamy seems mediocre enough to me! They all three do seem mediocre to me which is my theme for this upcoming election. Barf-0-rama!
*They all read some of the stuff their handlers, consultants, advisors, flunkies and assorted hangers-on give them. It’s whether they understand any of it that’s the issue……
Actually, who was that British historian that visited Bush and was surprised by how much of his work Bush was familiar with? Ferguson or something like that? Hey, I had to say it. I’m the contrarian around here. If this was a right wing blog, I’d be all like, how great is Obama! I can’t help it - I’m a desi female. It’s in my blood to disagree. No, the sky is not blue, etc, etc….
I hear Shaft.
In 07, GWB supposedly read 60 books in seven months. But that’s at the end of his rule. He came in power crowing about his anti-intellectualism.
As for his fav British “historian” Andrew Roberts:
“Roberts is as sloppy as he is snobbish. I am seldom bothered by minor errors from a good writer, but Roberts’ mistakes are so extensive, foolish, and revealing of his basic ignorance about the United States in particular…” (link 1)
Desi angle on Roberts:
“Yet Dyer has, at last, found a defender–Andrew Roberts. After the massacre, Roberts notes, “[I]t was not necessary for another shot to be fired throughout the entire region”. He later comments: “Today’s reactions to Dyer’s deed are of course uniformly damning … but if the Amritsar district, Punjab region or southern India generally had carried on in revolt, many more than 379 people would have lost their lives.” (link 2)
Oh, well, that does it, Amol. I’m not voting for Bush!
Third time’s the charm MD : p
I see a cabinet post in Fareed Zakaria’s future
Quit giving us a hard on!
If that’s
Will Smith, Agent K, this must beTommy Lee Jones(Agent J) ‘protecting the earth from the scum of the universe‘.Photogs will ALWAYS be around.
Vow great photo Manish..
good looking man with a good book and majority of delegates and anti iraq war - deadly unbeatable combination..go obama..
have to admit this mans remarkably mature decisions and opinions definetely come from his education, good books he is reading..
Even economists agree with his opinion on gas tax which both Hillary and mccain seem to support without understanding the zero economical benefits of gas tax exemption..obama is well versed with whats happening in the world and economy and takes right decision, the man knows his stuff..
Parag Khannas book is of a similar theme and PK is working with Obama….
If Obama wins the first thing I’d like him to do is bring the big IT out and put it right in front.
The IT is his apostasy or his fathers and the general threat thats associated with it in islam.
It will be a global trendsetter, something that will encourage a shoutfest indeed but in the end is
a needed issue