I wanted to enjoy my Sunday morning but the NY Times made that impossible. Normally, I can cruise its columns and articles with ease, agreeing with most it has to say and ignoring what irritates. Not so today when two of my favorite columnists decided to whine in unison. Maureen Dowd has her skirts in a knot over Obama's tendency to compromise and Frank Rich seems ready to lead a pitchfork brigade in pursuit of the monstrous Goldman Sachs who he thinks has the Obama administration by the short hairs. Thomas Friedman, traditionally a safe harbor of rational insights, states the obvious about Obama's choices in Afghanistan so no respite there.
Leave it to Bono to salvage my Sunday. His piece, Rebranding America is poorly titled and weakly written but his point of view is refreshingly global, upbeat and on point. With candor apparently only rock stars can afford, he points out why Obama deserves the Nobel prize despite his short time in office noting that "In the same week that Mr. Obama won the Nobel, the United States was ranked as the most admired country in the world, leapfrogging from seventh to the top of the Nation Brands Index survey — the biggest jump any country has ever made."
Mo, Frank, consider the difficulty of that transformation. Is there any other person alive today who could have pulled that off within 6 months of taking office? The correct answer is No. So can you please cut the man some slack? At least give him a full year in office before you declare him weak and ineffectual.
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