Obama’s ability to take a joke was questioned again today in a Maureen Dowd column. Noam objected to Dowd’s accusations of elitism, and noted that while his campaign is at times too serious, Obama himself can be skillful at self-deprecating humor. Commenter TammyA disagreed with Noam’s evaluation and thinks Obama needs to gain a thicker skin:
Setting aside that Maureen Dowd's musings are rather consistently ridiculo, it seems to me that Obama likes to control the humor about him. He wants to make the jokes about others or himself. He does not like to be on the receiving end or have jokes, comedy etc. made about him when he's not present. My friends, our candidate is serious, cocky (see Politico's story yesterday on his alienating dems on the Hill), elitist and, dare I say, thin-skinned. He has got to toughen up before the convention. I endorse Obama's diet stuff, but his menu is what the middleclass can afford. It's available at Whole Foods.
Obama reacts to everything and must learn to let things slide on by and accept that not everyone will be as crazy about him as his primary contingent was. He is too worried with his image. He needs to worry more about his substance, cause it's been changing quite a bit. I want to be enthusiastic about this guy, but he's making it difficult. Of course I'll vote for him, but he's not inspiring me to volunteer or donate to him.
--The Editors