Arts and entertainment: January 2010 Archives

Many Americans were surprised to him in a role like this, as the President of our great nation. You see, he was young, and black. Yet he had a certain steady charisma about him. And a sense of integrity.

Tonight, I saw him on television, as he talked plain talk to Americans, helping them make sense of our challenging times. He mentioned that this great recession may make us great again, spurring us to revalue that which matters most in life. He gave hope to his listeners.

How sad, though, that this was an Allstate commercial featuring this guy. I hoped to see Obama playing more of this role as the Preacher-in-Chief, yet he hasn't warmed to that role.

"Anyone can take people where they already want to go," said the pundit Jonathan Alter many years ago. "True leaders can take people where only their better selves are willing to tread." If Obama is to change the tone in Washington, he will have to make an effort here. He may have had a better first year if he spent more time pointing his fellow countrymen to a better place rather than jumping in so quickly into the partisan fray.