Boring Obama

I missed the introduction to Obama's press conference last night but I did catch most of the questions. I thought he was knowledgeable, articulate, blessedly swagger-free and high-minded enough not to attack those Republicans determined to put country last at all costs. (Not that the stimulus package is perfect but a spirit of compromise across the aisle might have improved it.)

Oh, and I also thought that his appearance was tedious - which it pains me to say. My problem was with style, not so much with substance. To a possible charge of caring more about the theater of the moment, I would say that any prime time appearance on television requires a certain amount of entertainment value to be successful in engaging the American people, which, after all, is the whole point. The bully pulpit is either bully or it's boring, and last night I reckon it was mostly boring for all but political junkies.

I understand why Obama wanted to have a news conference in prime time but he would have been better served to have made a simple speech, succinct and memorable. Because reporters have to fill the "holes" in their stories (those parts of a story that naturally suggest other questions), they often have to ask the same question in different ways. This dull business should have been conducted in working hours.

As it happened, Obama was not much help with his answers, which tended to be repetitive and long-winded. Where were the short, sharp, snappy retorts? Apparently he has been hanging out too much with Joe Biden, vice president and noted windbag.

Still, we have gone from a president who didn't have an original thought in his head to one who is too thoughtful to get immediately to the point. This is progress and I suppose it is churlish to complain.