The arrogance and smallness of The One is becoming more and more apparent to more and more people. Personally, I’ve always believed that the current occupant of the White House is a small man–a mountebank big on talk and not much else. A cocktail of narcissism and swirling solipsism is the stuff that courses through the veins of the Big Eared one, and it was on display yesterday during the D-Day Anniversary Event—great timing. He was spotted chewing gum throughout the ceremony, revolting many who noticed (class, class, class… Man! He’s got class).
But this type of thing probably doesn’t come as a surprise to many of the Britons. This isn’t the first time they had to avert their eyes and take an interest elsewhere in hopes of avoiding a gut cringing moment as the American President embarrasses himself and is completely unaware of it. Remember this is the administration that removed the bust of Churchill from the White House upon taking office. And gave it back to the British and then got confused and lied about it. At last report, still resides in the U.K. Ambassador’s residence.
And who can forget the gift exchange between the walking embarrassment and British PM Brown:
In return for a pen holder carved from the timbers of the sister ship of the one the White House desk is made from and a first edition of a seven-volume biography of Winston Churchill, the Mail is appalled that “Barack Obama, the leader of the world’s richest country” gave Brown a box set of 25 DVDs selected by the American Film Institute. These, it says, include Raging Bull, Casablanca, Psycho and The Graduate.
Class!
Oh yeah, and what about the gift for Her Majesty. Remember? He gave her an iPod loaded with his speeches! What’s that you say? Class, baby, class. Reminds me of that Frank Booth line from Blue Velvet, “Suave! G** D*** you’re one suave ******!”
Now, in keeping with it being horse racing season, he one ups the international embarrassment trifecta. Chewing gum during the ceremony.
Personally, I couldn’t watch it. I can’t watch anything with him anymore–too damn depressing. But I wonder if anyone who did watch happened to notice how many times he checked his watch.
His behavior during the D-Day Anniversary is emblematic of a man who holds himself in such high regard, so much so that showing reverence for anything other than himself comes in at a very, very distant second. I’ve been ashamed of this man with metronomic precision since he first blighted our political landscape, so it does not surprise me one bit that this occurred. But it remains embarrassing nonetheless. Say what you’d like about other Presidents and leaders being too hokey, too bumpkin, too “American”, and granted they all might not be as cool as this guy, but at least they had one thing class and a sense of propriety. That cannot be said for the Bungler.
I can’t remember another leader that has caused the national douche chill in such a spectacularly garish way—oh wait, yes I do, that one guy who was flirting with the blonde Prime Minister of Denmark during Mandela’s funeral does come to mind, in front of his wife no less… who was that again?
Bravo.
If I ever make a completely boneheaded faux pas, I can at least have the consolation that I didn’t do it on the world’s stage during a ceremony commemorating one of the truly important events for mankind in history. That can’t be said of him. Sad part is, he probably isn’t even aware of it.