NBC Chicago: Obama’s ‘Frightening Insensitivity’
ByAn op-ed on the website of a Chigao NBC affiliate called Obama’s press conference yesterday afternoon after the Ft. Hood massacre “frighteningly insensitive.”
But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a “shout-out” to “Dr. Joe Medicine Crow — that Congressional Medal of Honor winner.” Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?
Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That’s the least that should occur. ….
It was stunning, indeed. Even the president’s biggest critics never dreamed he would behave in such a bizarre and inappropriate manner. Dozens of American soldiers were gunned down in cold blood by one of their own, and the President of the United States - their Commander in Chief - appeared light-hearted at such a dark moment.
One can only wonder what’s going through the man’s head, but apparently, it isn’t the well being of our troops or their families. How very frightening.
As for that apology, it’s doubtful we’ll get one from this president. The White House blog posted his remarks, but left out the introduction.
Popularity: 2% [?]
I was one of those stunned viewers watching his “shout out” and couldn’t believe his demeanor while this story was, in effect, still breaking and the number of dead was inching up. I had been watching the news since the moment it started. I immediately had a vision of how George W. would have started his remarks under those circumstances. And this child was jocular until the teleprompter said [somber expression inserted here].
Barack Obama is an empty being, a cipher. Utterly.