The disappearing president

Are we witnessing the diminishing of President Obama?

A few weeks ago, the presidential seal fell from his lectern as he was about to
address a women’s conference. He made light of it, saying, “All of you know who
I am.” Last week, he suffered the ultimate indignity of being called “dude” by
Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show,” and didn’t even seem to notice. At campaign
rallies over the weekend, he was heckled by AIDS protesters in Connecticut and
couldn’t even fill a Cleveland stadium.

Two years ago, amid all the Obama hype, he could practically walk on water. Now
he cuts a lonely figure, deserted by his exhausted aides, and his hair has
turned gray. His religion and birthplace are the object of cranky speculation.

The erosion of respect in political life is a troubling development in our
democracies. In Britain, woe betide the person who breaks royal protocol and
dares touch the queen. (Funnily enough, it was Michelle Obama who not only put
her arm round Her Majesty but actually got away with it.)

The point about the trappings of public office is that they install a
theatrical distance between the ruler and the ruled. There is a presidential
aura that instills respect. Once that starts to fade, and human frailties are
exposed, the suspension of disbelief is ever harder to revive.

President Carter’s moment was when he collapsed jogging. It remains to be seen
whether the undoing of Obama was his “Yes we can, but …” moment on the Jon
Stewart show.