Somehow I bet the White House is not all that worried about this “problem,” as diagnosed by Politico’s Eamon Javers.
Clint Hendler is the managing editor of Mother Jones, and a former deputy editor of CJR.Let’s be honest: Barack Obama is better than you are.
He’s a better father — taking breaks from running the world to cheer on his daughters at soccer and basketball games.
He’s a better husband — zipping his wife off for dinner in New York and Paris.
He’s got a better diet — nibbling on vegetables from his homegrown garden to keep his love handles in check.
And he’s got a terrific jump shot.
You? Not so much.
Call it the politics of personal perfection. The Barack Obama brand is as much about being a personal example to the nation as it is about being a political figure. But the danger of that frothy mix of glamour and domesticity is that President Obama could become in the public mind something he never sought to be: the Martha Stewart of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
And political veterans say the fine line between what’s inspiring and what’s annoying can be difficult to spot in advance.
