MOTUS A.D.: Optics, Theater: Stage Left

Monday, September 8, 2014

Optics, Theater: Stage Left

Good Morning: I’ve got the Chucky Cheese interview; abridged and annotated. You’re welcome.

President Obama in an interview broadcast Sunday said he “should have anticipated the optics” of golfing after a statement condemning the execution of American journalist James Foley.

Someone else who never quite understood the importance of optics: Chucky’s MTP predecessor

Yes he was upset with himself, he’s usually so good with the optics.

“It is always a challenge when you’re supposed to be ~~President~~ on vacation,” Obama said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

I KNOW! Between the fundraising, the concerts, the golf, the parties, the date nights, the golf, the sleepovers, and the flyovers, it’s hard to know where the work ends and the vacation begins.

The Mrs. though, she doesn’t have that problem

"There's no doubt that — after having talked to the families, where it was hard for me to hold back tears listening to the pain that they were going through,

See? See? I know how to do optics!

after the statement that I made, that you know, I should've anticipated the optics" he added. "You know, that's part of the job.”

Got it; it’s hard anticipating optics when you’re on vacation, unlike when you’re working and constantly thinking of the optics. Come to think of it, in Barry’s case, it’s not just “part of the job,” it IS the job.

Obama also said “theater” is part of the presidency.

Again, no; not part of the presidency; it’s the whole Megillah.

"It's not something that always comes naturally to me.”

Really?

But it matters. And I'm mindful of that," Obama said.

Well, that’s good. And being mindful, now, of the importance of the theatre of the absurd, he told Chuck he’s going to take another crack at defining his position on ISIS on Wednesday:

President Obama said he plans to address the nation on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Wednesday, vowing to "hunt down" the terrorists who beheaded Foley.

And no golf this time! As he told Chuck:

“What I'm going to be asking the American people to understand is, number one, this is a serious threat,”

So, congrats going out to the ISIS team: you’ve officially been kicked up from JV to Varsity!

“Number two, we have the capacity to deal with it.”

What he means is that he’ll make it “a manageable threat.” That way Big Guy won’t be responsible for putting any boots on the ground, like that old war-monger cowboy before him – who knew nothing about presidential optics or theater. Hayseed.

BO, in case you’ve forgotten, won a Nobel Peace Prize. So there will be no war; only “manageable problems” addressed by “kinetic military action.” Because his handlers promised that he could end Bush’s wars, butt it was understood that he wouldn’t be allowed to start any. On purpose any way.

“It was my understanding there would be no wars.”