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Sunday, February 1, 2009

Books / Politics Too Long Been Without

Posted by on Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 8:03 PM

This is a president that, fuck, we have some sort of crush on this man. He speaks like a president, not always authoritative or anything but he can form sentences, complex sentences with beginnings and ends, subordinate clauses—you can hear his semicolons! He knows the answers to questions. He knows acronyms and the names of foreign leaders, their deputies. It is heartening, it makes our country look smart, and this is an important thing, something we have too long been without.… Toph, I would say, Toph, this man is actually bright, could be brilliant. This man still read books; encyclopedic and charming and so seemingly real… and though we hope that he is real even if he is not entirely real he is more real, and smart enough to seem real, and wins both ways…

Dave Eggers's take on a different president.

From A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, thanks Ray.

 

Comments (17) RSS

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1
I caught myself referring continually to the president as "the President", as opposed to "Obama", which I did prior to Inauguration... As in "Matt Lauer is interviewing the President before the Super Bowl", and "The President was on Capitol Hill last week playing nice with the Republicans".

For me, this is what makes it finally sink in that we're finally free of Bush.
Posted by oneway on February 1, 2009 at 8:20 PM
2
We didn't misunderestimate him.
Posted by Urgutha Forka on February 1, 2009 at 9:13 PM
3
Yeah, OK, so he's literate. We knew that.
Posted by yuiop on February 1, 2009 at 9:49 PM
4
It's kind of sad how grateful we are for simple things like literacy in a president. It's like having a boyfriend who hardly ever beats you.
Posted by this guy I know in Spokane on February 1, 2009 at 10:17 PM
5
The book was published during the Clinton presidency, right?
Posted by PedestrianMe on February 1, 2009 at 11:03 PM
6
Is there a recent edition with a new forward? It was first published in 2000 I think. (I don't remember this passage but I probably wouldn't recognize excerpts from things I read last week so that doesn't mean much.)

Posted by Kristi in Kitsap on February 1, 2009 at 11:23 PM
7
Urgh, I thought that book would never end.
Posted by Bento on February 2, 2009 at 1:58 AM
8
totally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsJLdE9DE…
Posted by I feel much better now on February 2, 2009 at 3:23 AM
9
seeing is believing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-l2f7TWZ…
Posted by CNN never lies on February 2, 2009 at 3:25 AM
10
Is English this guy's first language?
Posted by catsnbanjos on February 2, 2009 at 5:12 AM
11
I still feel the rush of air as if I'd had a plastic bag over my head. Taking breaths so cool and free. Reality takes hold. Shame on them for what they did to our beloved country. Shame!
Posted by Vince on February 2, 2009 at 6:56 AM
12
I think he's talking about Clinton.
Posted by ANate on February 2, 2009 at 7:32 AM
13
Enough with that fucking book already.
Posted by Jray745 on February 2, 2009 at 7:53 AM
14
Enough with that author, already!
Posted by Chris B on February 2, 2009 at 8:07 AM
15
"It's a new dawn
its a new day
it's a new life for me
And I'm feeling good"
Posted by Rob in Baltimore on February 2, 2009 at 8:40 AM
16

In fact I can't help but dance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXK-xqKyA…
Posted by you know who! on February 2, 2009 at 9:16 AM
17
Puke on Eggers!
Posted by Bryan on February 2, 2009 at 9:32 AM

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