Does Obama like America? (OneNewsNow.com)

Does Obama like America? (OneNewsNow.com)

Americans are comfortable with presidents who transparently like America. FDR (president 1933-1945) enjoyed himself as president, relished being in America and talking about it, and was, not surprisingly, re-elected three times. Ronald Reagan could hardly contain his enthusiasm for the country that was to elect him president twice (and might well have done so a third time had it been legal). Even the scandal-caked Bill Clinton exuded a sunny optimism about life that enabled him not only to survive his amorous follies in the White House, but to settle down in his second term into a politically and economically successful rhythm as president. The country, moreover, prospered economically during his presidency.



By contrast, America has recently been governed by presidents who were either suspicious of much of American life or didn't seem to think the country was up to snuff. Richard Nixon, though brilliantly successful in his conduct of American foreign policy, took with him into the White House a deep suspicion of his political opponents and critics that ultimately cost him his presidency. Jimmy Carter spoke of the "malaise" he thought was afflicting the country in the late 1970’s and was turned out of office after one term.

We now have the conundrum of Barack Obama. A clearly intelligent man with considerable rhetorical gifts, Obama has never convincingly expressed a liking for things about America. In fact, he entered the White House with a baggage-train of friends and associates who had expressed themselves savagely despising the U.S. and everything it stood for.