Slog Comments
Our Crying President
1
You're beginning to sound like a New York Times essayist.
Taking the smallest thing and spinning it off into some sort of...insight.
Maybe it's time to leave the crib and bite the Big Apple.
3
You are so off-base this time, I can't even see where you are trying to go with this. Or are you just remembering the "good old days" when a crying politician would have their career destroyed?
Frankly, I am liking seeing some humility in a politician.
Frankly, I am liking seeing some humility in a politician.
4
As long as he doesn't make a habit of crying, I see no problem with him showing some personality and humility among his peers who helped him land the job a second time.
5
You just can't come out and say that crying (ahem, it was a single tear) is weak and for girls, so you're just saying it this way pretty much
7
charles, some day you are going explode and gush tears like a broken fire hose. that's what i predict. not that i'd ever wish for such a thing, of course.
8
It is exactly this sort of thing, this level of humanity, that shows Obama to be a much more human animal than the practiced smirking and nervous chuckling of his (R) counterpart. That he's able to walk away from the machismo and swagger expected of a man in his position (or really "men" in any type of power situation), even for a moment, speaks volumes about his character.
9
Y'know, I haven't gotten to have a really heartfelt Hate On Mudede moment since he stopped being so obsessively wrongheaded about Amanda Knox. Should I be grateful for the opportunity this post provides?
10
Dude. It was a human moment. There's no call to part company with someone showing their humanity. At least, the kinder part of humanity.
12
Yeah! How dare Obama get all human and genuinely emote among his people! His philosopher-robot mechanism must has malfunctioned while he was orating. How embarrassing for our entire country!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to send a bunch of Marcus Aurelius to the White House.
14
He got emotional not because his team won, but rather because he suddenly realized he was about to say goodbye to all those people who have given so much to his campaign and he was gracious to acknowledge them for it in such a personal way. If that makes him weak in your book then fine. Keep on reading that book.
15
He was exhausted. He expressed his deepest gratitude. And he shed a couple tears. You lack a bit of humanity, Charles.
16
Charles, I know crying isn't your thing, I respect that, and I am perfectly comfortable with gender norms that say men shouldn't cry.
Given these cultural expectations, when a man does cry, however, people notice, and sometimes making an exception to that rule can work in a man's favor. As I see it, Obama's shedding a few tears after a winning campaign showed the warm and compassionate side of a man who has been labeled cool and distant.
P.S. Try getting a little watery eyed during a particularly bad fight with your girl sometime, and her cold she-devil heart will instantly become soft and warm.
Given these cultural expectations, when a man does cry, however, people notice, and sometimes making an exception to that rule can work in a man's favor. As I see it, Obama's shedding a few tears after a winning campaign showed the warm and compassionate side of a man who has been labeled cool and distant.
P.S. Try getting a little watery eyed during a particularly bad fight with your girl sometime, and her cold she-devil heart will instantly become soft and warm.
18
Bush league trolling, Charles. When you want to post something like this, shop for a decent camera instead.
19
Bush league trolling, Charles. When you want to post something like this, shop for a decent camera instead.
22
I always wondered if gay men were blind to male chauvinism. This is another good argument that they are.
27
He wasn't crying, he was weeping. An expression of profound gratitude (also, he was probably pretty tired). I for one, have never liked him better after seeing that, since he comes across as a little arrogant sometimes, and weeping shows humility and emotional connectedness. Now if he were crying because he felt sorry for himself and was having a sort of frustrated tantrum (the kind of crying Romney should be doing), I might agree with you.
It disturbs me that you aren't reading this right. Also what philosophy is he abandoning by crying in this way? You're aware of recent research on crying I'm sure that shows that it strengthens social bonds?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200…
It disturbs me that you aren't reading this right. Also what philosophy is he abandoning by crying in this way? You're aware of recent research on crying I'm sure that shows that it strengthens social bonds?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200…
28
Not even gonna read the above comments because I want you all to understand that Charles is trolling your ass, even if he believes this crap. He believes even more strongly that we will be up in arms about his antiquated notions of what defines manhood. Remember: he plays you like a fiddle. Skip his posts.
32
Obama gave the "go" when it came to killing Bin Laden. That's all the "man test" I would ever need. A few tears after an exhausting & emotional campaign won't change that.
36
Charles, you might as well buy yourself a nice long-barreled handgun and a Hummer because this post clearly smacks of compensation issues.
37
No.
Firstly, the man had to be exhausted. Emotions run much closer to the surface when you're exhausted and you have a greatly diminished capacity for containing them at such times.
Secondly, he was speaking, not in public per se, but to his campaign workers. As in, this was a more personal moment than a stump speech or a victory speech. He was with family, basically.
Thirdly, these are not wailing grief tears like your Roman politician. These are tears of gratitude, relief, and exhaustion (see above).
Fourthly, just... no. Unlike the Rmoneybot, our President is a real human being. Real human beings occasionally leak a salty fluid from their eye-ports. This is a good thing, and not, for instance, a sign of weakness. You are in fact verging on chauvinism when you express discomfort at the sight of a man leaking salty eye-fluid.
Fifthly, expert trolling with this post, expert. We would expect nothing less from you. And yes, that is a compliment.
Firstly, the man had to be exhausted. Emotions run much closer to the surface when you're exhausted and you have a greatly diminished capacity for containing them at such times.
Secondly, he was speaking, not in public per se, but to his campaign workers. As in, this was a more personal moment than a stump speech or a victory speech. He was with family, basically.
Thirdly, these are not wailing grief tears like your Roman politician. These are tears of gratitude, relief, and exhaustion (see above).
Fourthly, just... no. Unlike the Rmoneybot, our President is a real human being. Real human beings occasionally leak a salty fluid from their eye-ports. This is a good thing, and not, for instance, a sign of weakness. You are in fact verging on chauvinism when you express discomfort at the sight of a man leaking salty eye-fluid.
Fifthly, expert trolling with this post, expert. We would expect nothing less from you. And yes, that is a compliment.
40
"One should strive to be a philosopher, and a true philosopher masters and manages their emotions and presents to all occasions, to all challenges in life the same knowing eye."
If you are going to re-use stuff you wrote as a teenager, at least cite yourself. Repeatedly. In the head.
If you are going to re-use stuff you wrote as a teenager, at least cite yourself. Repeatedly. In the head.
42
No, you are ridiculous and stupid. He didn't cry for effect - he cried because he was tired and overwhelmed and deeply grateful to the people in that room.
I doubt if anyone would ever cry for you in that way.
I doubt if anyone would ever cry for you in that way.
43
At least Obama waited until after he'd won, instead of crying months earlier and watching his campaign implode, like Muskie.
45
I doubt no president or candidate has ever cried before in a private moment with his staff. If that were true, then I would be glad that Obama was able to show a little more humanity, but I don't think it's true. It's just that more things are recorded and end up going public these days. I don't feel the need to see the president cry, but on balance it's probably a plus for his image, so it's fine with me.
46
I picture you bawling while speaking these words and it makes everything HILARIOUS. Otherwise, you're a picky, whiny little bitch and should STFU. Like, take a few weeks off, dude. You're done.
48
For the moment, let's suspend the temptation to laugh when someone calls into question the rational, intellectual, or philosophical capacity of a constitutional lawyer and former president of the Harvard Law Review who once delivered one-liners to an unwitting audience the same weekend he privately knew he'd have to watch Osama bin Laden be executed.
Obama also wept at his last speech of the 2012 campaign, in Iowa; he wept at the funeral of a civil rights pioneer who perished recently; he wept in 2008 after his grandmother died; and he wept here. All were moments of finality, junctures where a long struggle, relationship, or exercise in "philosophy building" of some sort had come to an end.
I think you can build a pretty compelling case that his displays of emotion don't happen in moments where he's called on to articulate or execute a "philosophy" or worldview, but that he does so in the in-between moments where philosophy falls short or is extraneous. The life of the mind has its place and the last thing you could accuse Obama of is underestimating it; there's room in this world for embodiment as well.
This seems like the intellectual's equivalent of The Birther Movement; no display of rationality, of focus, of self-control is good enough to deflate a character judgement with a social slant; in the same way that piece of proof can over-power a strange name and dark skin. While we're urging others to become philosophers, here's the argument by way of syllogism:
Obama's Law Degree and Record As Commander And Chief
IS TO
Charles' Opinion Of Him In This Case
WHAT
Obama's Long-form Birth Certificate
IS TO
The Birther Movement.
In any case, where, exactly, does the distinction between feeling and thinking--between crying and philosophizing--come from? Certainly not The Blues: if the black musical tradition has taught us anything, it's that cold criticality of an absurd world or of trying circumstances can be done with a plaintive wail. It isn't like we can't look to better examples of how to conduct our selves than Roman emperors.
More...
Obama also wept at his last speech of the 2012 campaign, in Iowa; he wept at the funeral of a civil rights pioneer who perished recently; he wept in 2008 after his grandmother died; and he wept here. All were moments of finality, junctures where a long struggle, relationship, or exercise in "philosophy building" of some sort had come to an end.
I think you can build a pretty compelling case that his displays of emotion don't happen in moments where he's called on to articulate or execute a "philosophy" or worldview, but that he does so in the in-between moments where philosophy falls short or is extraneous. The life of the mind has its place and the last thing you could accuse Obama of is underestimating it; there's room in this world for embodiment as well.
This seems like the intellectual's equivalent of The Birther Movement; no display of rationality, of focus, of self-control is good enough to deflate a character judgement with a social slant; in the same way that piece of proof can over-power a strange name and dark skin. While we're urging others to become philosophers, here's the argument by way of syllogism:
Obama's Law Degree and Record As Commander And Chief
IS TO
Charles' Opinion Of Him In This Case
WHAT
Obama's Long-form Birth Certificate
IS TO
The Birther Movement.
In any case, where, exactly, does the distinction between feeling and thinking--between crying and philosophizing--come from? Certainly not The Blues: if the black musical tradition has taught us anything, it's that cold criticality of an absurd world or of trying circumstances can be done with a plaintive wail. It isn't like we can't look to better examples of how to conduct our selves than Roman emperors.
50
Quoth @48:
"For the moment, let's suspend the temptation to laugh when someone calls into question the rational, intellectual, or philosophical capacity of a constitutional lawyer and former president of the Harvard Law Review who once delivered one-liners to an unwitting audience the same weekend he privately knew he'd have to watch Osama bin Laden be executed.
Obama also wept at his last speech of the 2012 campaign, in Iowa; he wept at the funeral of a civil rights pioneer who perished recently; he wept in 2008 after his grandmother died; and he wept here. All were moments of finality, junctures where a long struggle, relationship, or exercise in "philosophy building" of some sort had come to an end.
I think you can build a pretty compelling case that his displays of emotion don't happen in moments where he's called on to articulate or execute a "philosophy" or worldview, but that he does so in the in-between moments where philosophy falls short or is extraneous. The life of the mind has its place and the last thing you could accuse Obama of is underestimating it; there's room in this world for embodiment as well.
This seems like the intellectual's equivalent of The Birther Movement; no display of rationality, of focus, of self-control is good enough to deflate a character judgement with a social slant; in the same way that piece of proof can over-power a strange name and dark skin. While we're urging others to become philosophers, here's the argument by way of syllogism:
Obama's Law Degree and Record As Commander And Chief
IS TO
Charles' Opinion Of Him In This Case
WHAT
Obama's Long-form Birth Certificate
IS TO
The Birther Movement.
In any case, where, exactly, does the distinction between feeling and thinking--between crying and philosophizing--come from? Certainly not The Blues: if the black musical tradition has taught us anything, it's that cold criticality of an absurd world or of trying circumstances can be done with a plaintive wail. It isn't like we can't look to better examples of how to conduct our selves than Roman emperors. "
More...
"For the moment, let's suspend the temptation to laugh when someone calls into question the rational, intellectual, or philosophical capacity of a constitutional lawyer and former president of the Harvard Law Review who once delivered one-liners to an unwitting audience the same weekend he privately knew he'd have to watch Osama bin Laden be executed.
Obama also wept at his last speech of the 2012 campaign, in Iowa; he wept at the funeral of a civil rights pioneer who perished recently; he wept in 2008 after his grandmother died; and he wept here. All were moments of finality, junctures where a long struggle, relationship, or exercise in "philosophy building" of some sort had come to an end.
I think you can build a pretty compelling case that his displays of emotion don't happen in moments where he's called on to articulate or execute a "philosophy" or worldview, but that he does so in the in-between moments where philosophy falls short or is extraneous. The life of the mind has its place and the last thing you could accuse Obama of is underestimating it; there's room in this world for embodiment as well.
This seems like the intellectual's equivalent of The Birther Movement; no display of rationality, of focus, of self-control is good enough to deflate a character judgement with a social slant; in the same way that piece of proof can over-power a strange name and dark skin. While we're urging others to become philosophers, here's the argument by way of syllogism:
Obama's Law Degree and Record As Commander And Chief
IS TO
Charles' Opinion Of Him In This Case
WHAT
Obama's Long-form Birth Certificate
IS TO
The Birther Movement.
In any case, where, exactly, does the distinction between feeling and thinking--between crying and philosophizing--come from? Certainly not The Blues: if the black musical tradition has taught us anything, it's that cold criticality of an absurd world or of trying circumstances can be done with a plaintive wail. It isn't like we can't look to better examples of how to conduct our selves than Roman emperors. "
57
Charles, you get an F in Empathy 101. The Pres was exhausted, grateful, and overcome with emotion for a few moments....BFD. I appreciate seeing his human side.
61
Wah! Charles the Troll made me cry with his stinky superior attitude....
Neitzsche said: "From the smile of that Dionysos the Olympian gods were born, from his tears human beings." Tears are what we are made of, Charles. They show our humanity, when what it inside leaks out and cannot be contained by hollow social norms.
You should try leaking someday, from somewhere other than your ass.
Neitzsche said: "From the smile of that Dionysos the Olympian gods were born, from his tears human beings." Tears are what we are made of, Charles. They show our humanity, when what it inside leaks out and cannot be contained by hollow social norms.
You should try leaking someday, from somewhere other than your ass.
65
Im GLAD my philosophy doesn't invalidate me as a person for crying. Crying is good. It's what only humans have evolved to do.
68
@37 merry - I agree with you.
Huh, Mr Mudede, so tears are a no-go for you ? Why ?
Tears are normal human reactions to strong emotions. Tears of happiness do happen, you know ? Should all emotions be banned, a la Romney ? I don't think so. Cool people do have tears.
@16 I was with you until your PS. Faking tears in a fight, now, that's lame. I expected better from you.
Huh, Mr Mudede, so tears are a no-go for you ? Why ?
Tears are normal human reactions to strong emotions. Tears of happiness do happen, you know ? Should all emotions be banned, a la Romney ? I don't think so. Cool people do have tears.
@16 I was with you until your PS. Faking tears in a fight, now, that's lame. I expected better from you.
69
I was wondering when Charles would wade in on Obama crying. His comments on boys and men crying in the past have shown he needs therapy to help over come his phobia.
Men crying is not a problem. People that feel they shouldn't ever cry are the problem.
GET OVER IT MAN!
Men crying is not a problem. People that feel they shouldn't ever cry are the problem.
GET OVER IT MAN!
70
Obama crying in gratitude for winning a campaign bought for him with billions upon billions of advertising dollars does not move me.
If he was crying for some of the people he wants to rob of their "entitlements" (e.g., seniors and the poor) or some of the civilians he's droned to death, I'd feel some empathy.
If he was crying for some of the people he wants to rob of their "entitlements" (e.g., seniors and the poor) or some of the civilians he's droned to death, I'd feel some empathy.
Comments (70) RSS