POLITICAL SAVVY, CHICAGO STYLE

The Rev. Dana Prom Smith, S.T.D., Ph.D. (3/6/09)

Political savants were puzzled that President Obama mentioned Rush Limbaugh as antagonist thereby elevating the radio commentator
to a personage worthy of comment. In fact, he was using a style of Chicago politics in Washington, D.C., much to the dismay of the Washingtonians. With President Obama's recognition and Limbaugh's embrace of the recognition, President Obama made him a spokesman for the Republican Party, implying that the Republicans had no other spokesmen worthy of leadership. In short, Limbaugh fell into the trap because of his sense of self-importance, and the Republicans were suckered because no one in their party was saying anything anyone found useful. As they fell from grace, they grabbed a twig.

It's nice to see the Republicans outfoxed by the Democrats who are usually so enamored by their own political-correctness that they aren't very savvy. It's difficult to be self-righteous and cunning at the same time. The happy result is that the Republicans now have a buffoon as their spokesman, a drug-infested, florid-faced, cigar-chomping, over-stuffed buffoon at that. Sounds like old times.

Another aspect of President Obama's savvy is that he's unfailingly nice to the Republicans. Since the Republicans are so devoid of good manners themselves, they interpret his positive approach as duplicitous. President Obama's "yes" evokes in them an immediate "no," an unthinking, visceral "no." They haven't got a handle on the value of being nice.

Their paranoid reaction makes them look ungracious which, of course, they are in addition to being unpleasantly whiny.