Where did the inspiring Obama of the campaign go, that Facebook pied piper who friended the whole world with this update: 'Change you can believe in.' What happened to him?

الجمعة ليس يوم عطلة أيها الدكتاتور. إنهض، استحِمّ، أصبغ شعرك، ارتدِ ملابسك الكاملة، إجلس إلى مكتبك وافتح النافذة، لتسمع لعنة الشعب

'Worshipping in private,' as Obama does, comes off as just another form of annoying elitism.

For a guy who believes in hope, Obama doesn't seem to be able to spread much of it around. How can he? We know too much now about the hollowness of institutions and the frailty of their leaders.

Along with all those books about Lincoln, Obama might read some biographies of Napoleon. The general who established the Legion d'Honneur understood that people fought as much for medals as for morals.

Obama has figured out the best method to prepare the way for his verbal Houdini acts: Use political noise as the tune-up din before the aria. Perhaps his body temperature is so low, it sometimes takes him too long to break out the song.