David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
David Brooks suggests Obama's poll numbers should be bottomed out, somewhere near the sucking drain, given the fundamentals (I agree). Yet, the president seems to be able to hold about even with Romney, even though only 36% of Americans believe Obama has a plan to secure our future. Brooks theory:
Normally, presidents look weak during periods of economic stagnation, overwhelmed by events. But Obama has displayed a kind of ESPN masculinity: postfeminist in his values, but also thoroughly traditional in style — hypercompetitive, restrained, not given to self-doubt, rarely self-indulgent. Administrations are undone by scandal and moments when they look pathetic, but this administration, guarded in all things, has rarely had those moments.
...
I’d say that Obama is a slight underdog this year: the scuffling economy will grind away at voters. But his leadership style is keeping him afloat. He has defined a version of manliness that is postboomer in policy but preboomer in manners and reticence.
This, I'm not too sure about. What's the conventional wisdom here at Ricochet? Why aren't Obama's poll numbers more in-line with his performance?
Update: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Bill Whittle has a refinement on Brooks' theory. I think he'd say Obama's polling success is due to his alpha-male veneer on his beta-male character.
"Which is why kids, it's so mind blowingly awesome to be a conservative! Why not do yourself a favor and become one today." -- Bill Whittle
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Comments:
May '12
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
You ask a very good question in the closing sentence. To answer it I think you have to define what performance guage you are using.
If the performance marker is an expanding, private enterprise based economy then he is failing woefully.
If the performance marker is government dependence and cultural decay he is performing marvelously.
The poll numbers are always volatile in the short run, but in the bigger picture they generally aren't too far off from the split between those of us paying income taxes and those that are not.
Edited on May 15, 2012 at 4:43pmMay '12
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
It's the crease, David, the crease.
Sep '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
First Black President = 20% (12% Black vote 8% white liberal-guilt vote)
Democrat Media Complex = 20%
Clueless GOP = 5%
Apr '12
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
My conventional wisdom - His likability varies tremendously among ethnic groups and age groups.
Apr '12
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
Obama is still the perfect President for his times. Charming; charismatic; handsome; caring; young, but not too young; still "keeping with the program" of handouts; exuding "in control", and "all is well" vibes: what more is there to want? Did you say "policy"? What is that?! You are so correct, Western Chauvinist, leadership style is where it is at for those at the receiving end of all those income taxes.
Aug '11
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
"Manly" is not the adjective that comes to mind when I think about Obama.
Edited on May 15, 2012 at 4:58pmSep '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
David Brooks has theories about everything. This is pure crap. Post-boomer this, pre-boomer that, post-feminist, ESPN masculinity................???
Label me post-DavidBrooks
Dec '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
DrewInWisconsin
"Manly" is not the adjective that comes to mind when I think about Obama. · 8 minutes ago
Edited 4 minutes ago
Oh, I know what you mean, Drew, considering the mom jeans and ladies' bicycle photos. But, I think you'd agree he has a preternatural confidence, especially considering his lack of actual real-world achievements prior to taking office. It's that touted unflappability which has masculine appeal. To some.
Aug '11
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
I think we're starting to see the beginnings of an anti-Obama preference cascade. (Or would that be an Obama non-preference cascade?)
And it's possible that Obama's gay-marriage "evolution" marked the tipping point.
Aug '11
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
Western Chauvinist
Oh, I know what you mean, Drew, considering the mom jeans and ladies' bicycle photos. But, I think you'd agree he has a preternatural confidence, especially considering his lack of actual real-world achievements prior to taking office.
I don't see that as confidence, though. To me, it comes off as arrogance. Sneering, looking-down-the-nose, haughtiness. But that's been my interpretation of the President's demeanor for such a long time, that it's hard for me to see it any other way.
Am I alone?
Dec '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
DrewInWisconsin
Western Chauvinist
Oh, I know what you mean, Drew, considering the mom jeans and ladies' bicycle photos. But, I think you'd agree he has a preternatural confidence, especially considering his lack of actual real-world achievements prior to taking office.
I don't see that as confidence, though. To me, it comes off as arrogance. Sneering, looking-down-the-nose, haughtiness. But that's been my interpretation of the President's demeanor for such a long time, that it's hard for me to see it any other way.
Am I alone? · 1 minute ago
Hm, I think that's how conservatives see him, yeah. I'm trying to figure out why others see him differently. He's got two masculine traits I can identify: confidence (which looks to us like a tendency to bully) and competitiveness. There may be others, but those are the stand-outs to me, which might help explain why many Americans still consider him an acceptable incumbent. Maybe?
Aug '11
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
Unpack that "competitiveness" thing for me. I don't see that at all.
Sep '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
With you Drew. Confidence without real accomplishment is arrogance.
And I also don't get "competitive". He is the kind of competitor who wants to buy off the referees and walk away with the trophy.
Sep '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
confidence (which looks to us like a tendency to bully) and competitiveness.
Arrogance and ambition along with an unseemly envy of competitors.
Jul '11
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
Manliness? Masculinity? My 5 yr old daughter has more macho in her hello kitty hair bow than Barrack has in his skinny little effeminate body.
Jun '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
Wait! You mean Archie Bunker wasn't supposed to be the hero? The irony flew right past me. Mike was and will always be a meat head, while Archie will get up and go to work.
Aug '11
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
Yep, that's it. And isn't that how he won a seat in the Illinois Senate?
Aug '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
The difference between Obama and recent Republican presidents is that when the economy went south for the Republicans, the media began an endless drumbeat of doom.
George Bush faced media reports and articles which constantly talked down the economy. I can remember hand-wringing articles and op-eds breathlessly declaring that 2001-2003 represented the worst economy in memory. When the economy did pick up, the recovery was always prefixed as a 'jobless' recovery.
Now, we are actually IN the worst economy since the great depression, but the media behaves very differently. The bad news is soft-pedaled, and every shred of good news is presented as 'green shoots' or signs that the economy is beginning a robust recovery. And of course, there are plenty of media shills helping to cast blame for the poor economy everywhere except at Obama's feet.
This is the biggest liability for Republicans going into this election - the mainstream media will act effectively as an arm of the Obama campaign. Think of what that represents in terms of campaign contributions - how much would Romney have to pay for ad buys to counteract the hundreds of TV hours of free shilling Obama will receive?
Apr '12
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
If the articulate Mr. Whittle did a movie comparison of the life of Romney versus a movie of the life of Obama - bam!. He gave a taste of it comparing Alinsky to Reagan.
Aug '10
Re: David Brooks: Obama's Polls High on Style
So Brooks's argument is still that "When you're stylin', when you're stylin', the whole world styles with you."
Comforting to see that some things don't change. I guess.