Quote of the Day: That Sense of Freedom

 

“There are aspects of my life that I can’t get back. But there are things that I can do now. When we were in Martha’s Vineyard this summer, Michelle and I would ride bikes. And now that we have masks on, we could ride through town and people wouldn’t know who we were. It felt pretty close to what I imagined — that sense of freedom, of being able to go wherever you wanted.” – Barack Obama, People Magazine Interview, Dec. 7, 2020

I confess that I subscribed to “People” magazine as part of a free offer from a bookstore and, despite having canceled the subscription, I keep receiving new issues. I usually don’t read beyond the cover, since the cover conveys pretty much all I need to know about who and what People thinks is interesting and important. The most recent issue features Barack Obama in “His Most Revealing Interview!” I actually read this article because of the cover’s claim that “the White House nearly wrecked his marriage.” I have been thinking a lot lately about the portrayal of marriage in literature and in culture, as well as its importance in my own life. But after reading the whole article, I wanted to focus on “that sense of freedom.”

The quote above closes out the article, which emphasizes the modern celebrity magazine’s motto of “Celebrities: They’re Just Like Us!” We’re left with the poignant reflection that what Barack Obama most wants is to reclaim the freedom that his previous anonymity permitted him and his family. Let’s pretend we don’t notice that Barack Obama has just released his third memoir and has encouraged a friendly and fawning cover story on the impact of politics on his personal life, and just appreciate that Obama has found some measure of elusive freedom via the hottest fashion trend of 2020: face masks.

That Obama prefers not to reveal himself on a bike ride around town is understandable. Perhaps the contradiction between promoting yourself and your book while still wanting personal privacy is also understandable. People does a good job of showing the softer side of its famous subjects, and it succeeds in creating (or perhaps increasing, depending on the reader) sympathy for the Obamas. But, as fellow Ricochetti can imagine, I’m not their typical reader, so I find this effort to elevate Obama in the minds of readers annoying. Obviously, there never would be and never has been a similar attempt to sympathize with President Trump or Melania. This sort of obvious double standard and media bias is so frequent that it hardly warrants mention. If People got the scoop that the White House had nearly wrecked President Trump’s marriage, I think it’s safe to say that they would have been disappointed to include the word “nearly.”

What struck me about Obama’s quote is the way that our political leaders and elites view mask-wearing so differently than “regular” people for whom the anonymity of the mask is more likely to represent social isolation than freedom. As is the case any time someone brings up the topic of masks, I will state my position that I always wear a mask indoors, wherever required or requested and that I’m fine with that. But wearing a mask when going about daily life discourages human connections. For those of us without our own lucrative book deals or opportunities for TV and magazine interviews, those connections are actually a crucial part of the freedom we seek.

I don’t begrudge Obama his dreams for freedom from constant attention and scrutiny, but his comment shows that masks offer a relief from precisely those intrusions. I think this captures a feeling shared by many of our current political leaders who seek power without accountability. Every day brings news of yet another mayor or county health commissioners who can’t seem to abide by the rules they set for the rest of us. I keep wondering why they set themselves up for the accusation of hypocrisy instead of simply saying, “judge for yourself and do what you think is best.” (I know it’s because they don’t believe we can judge for ourselves, but I keep wondering anyway). During the presidential campaign, the masked appearances of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris seemed to me to be symbolic of their lack of transparency. In contrast, Trump was fully visible and very available to the press. Many people I know preferred the masked politicians. That’s what really bothers me.

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  1. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Tex929rr (View Comment):
    That is, other than setting race relations back 25 years, his most noteworthy accomplishment.

    I think you have forgotten the wonders he did in the MiddleEast and North Africa. Remember the Arab Spring?

    • #31
  2. Lilly B Coolidge
    Lilly B
    @LillyB

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):

    Barack Obama has been making more than comments about bikes and masks. He’s resurfaced again and seems to be the toast of the talk show circuit making the usual race-baiting remarks. I’m not going to repeat them here – look them up if you want to because his administration re-fueled the racial turmoil. By the way, I find it odd that his old team is part of the Great Restart (WEF). Feel free to look that up too and get familiar with it fast. John Kerry – another ghost of Christmas past – says its going to happen fast, the Great Reset that is.

    The pseudo-Biden presidency is also lining up all Obama’s past favorites. I wonder why he never disappeared like most ex-presidents do. They go back to their home towns – do charity work, paint, travel, and build libraries. He never left Washington. He bought a big, fancy house with a “wall”, and bought a big, fancy million dollar mansion on Martha’s Vineyard – a privileged, wealthy, mostly white colonial beach town where you can hang out with the Kennedy clan. So much for heading back to Chicago….

    It’s no accident. This is his coming out party. I rarely saw Trump or the lovely Melania on a magazine cover. There have been plenty of Michele, who said while in the White House that she had to wake up every morning in a house built by slaves. She also said that the election of Barack was the “first time” she was ever proud of this country. So remind me again that there was no election fraud……?

    Just wanted to acknowledge that I am of course aware of Obama’s despicable comments about people who didn’t like seeing him in the White House, as well as Michelle’s repeated insults of her fellow Americans and the country in which she has so obviously thrived. I read about half of her autobiography, which is full of subtle and not so subtle accusations of the supposed racism she suffered while making her way to Princeton (following in the footsteps of her popular, star-athlete brother). Like Michelle, my family is also originally from Chicago.  They also experienced unpleasantness, some of it far worse than what Michelle Obama experienced growing up. There is a lot of suffering in life, and I pity the wealthy, world-famous woman from a loving, intact family who cannot understand that not every slight can or should be attributed to racism.

    • #32
  3. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    I feel utterly indifferent to the fellow. Like most Presidents, he shrank after leaving office, like George Costanza in a cold bath. Reagan had some mythic stature to his admirers; we imagined him riding horses and chopping wood. Nixon went off to glower at the sunset. But most are diminished, returned to normal mortal status, and we wonder what all the fuss was about.

    Was Nixon as good at glowing as the legends say?

    • #33
  4. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Anyone notice that the left is bringing back Barack Obama? It’s like they know that they need another frontman besides Joe Biden.

    • #34
  5. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Anyone notice that the left is bringing back Barack Obama? It’s like they know that they need another frontman besides Joe Biden.

    I think Obama’s bringing himself back.

    • #35
  6. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    I want to share this opening line from a City-Journal article with you.

    When President Barack Obama called House Speaker John Boehner, Obama’s proclivity to lecture Boehner was so predictable that the Speaker would often put down the phone, light a cigarette, and take a long draft as he waited for Obama to finish. For most readers of Obama’s new memoir, A Promised Land, the former president’s passages on policy will make you sympathize with Boehner.

     

    • #36
  7. Tocqueville Inactive
    Tocqueville
    @Tocqueville

    I confess that I subscribed to “People” magazine as part of a free offer from a bookstore and, despite having canceled the subscription, I keep receiving new issues.

    This happened to my dad with Time magazine. He started spontaneously receiving it in the mail. He was frantic, calling all the time to get them to stop mailing it. 🤣🤣

    • #37
  8. Tocqueville Inactive
    Tocqueville
    @Tocqueville

    Lilly B (View Comment):

    Also, re-reading the quoted OP again, I think he may believe, however fleetingly, that he wants to be unrecognized or unknown when he goes about in public. I think that’s understandable, from what I’ve read of the way people experience fame. However, if he really wanted to go back to normal life, he must know that he’s going about it all wrong by writing a book, doing interviews, living in DC, and staying connected to powerful networks in media and politics. I think it best to judge him by his actions and note that anyone who believes his protestations is being played. My ultimate point is that people seem to like this game and prefer the politicians who give them the pretense.

    I totally agree. Obama and Biden radiate frankness, sincerity & integrity but they are none of those things. 

    Trump with gold toilets and his supermodel wife looks crass and dishonest, but he actually possesses the character traits people think they see in Biden.

    In politics appearance is everything. Still reeling that more people couldn’t see under the surface.

    • #38
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