Curmudgeon's Corner

Presidential Language

Posted by Al Campbell on June 9, 2010

Political, Quality of Life, U.S.

Our President is getting kicked around a bit by people in both parties.  He is accused of having not been ‘tough enough’ on BP amid the disappointing efforts to stop the oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the first “Katrina-style” test of this presidency and he is understandably perplexed with criticism since that had not, until now, flowed from his own party members.

But, the use of crude language as in “an a— to kick” carries his wanting to be seen as ‘tough enough’ beyond the point it should’ve been taken.  That was simply in poor taste.  It was not something, I suspect, he’d have said around his own children, much less knowing that it would be broadcast over and over again as a sound bite.

He is not only perplexed with the criticism over not being tough enough, I think that the really punishing commentary is more likely that discussing whether or not he is up to the job of being President.  He successfully blunted the comments that he had never run anything during the campaign by using Sarah Palin's experience having been the Mayor of Wasilla, AK as the justification for him having had much more experience since he was running a campaign.  He obviously overlooked her position as Governor of Alaska, but I’m sure that was simply an oversight.

It has to be tough to have won the highest political job our country offers only to be the target of people wondering if you have what it takes.  But that came with this territory that he fought so hard to take.

I know we have had other presidents who have used less-than-appropriate language, but that does not make it right.  There are limits to what any president can do from that lofty perch; we set unattainable goals for our presidents too often, and some of them are active participants in that goal-setting with their bluster.