Psychoanalyzing Obama and $4 gas.

Via Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit we are treated to another attempt by an Obama voter to explain Obama’s failure. This time it’s Walter Russell Mead at The American Interest. He joins Dana Wilbank in explaining that he's is just too darn smart for the rough and tumble of American politics.   According to Mead, the president who gratuitously insults members of the Supreme Court sitting in front of him and a member of congress who he invited to one of his speeches is too ready to compromise and his compromises have gotten him into trouble.

Here’s how he puts it:

“… the persisting weakness in the housing market, where millions of families have watched the value of their prime asset shrink or disappear, continuing weak growth in employment and stagnation in wages, and there is a pervasive national sense that life is not getting better on President Obama’s watch.” [Is that just a sense, Walt, or is that a fact?] … the President is no socialist or far-left crusader, but he is an urban liberal … President Obama is not a politician … This lack of instinctive appreciation for the crooked pathways of the political mindset … further undercuts the President’s ability to play the political system.”

So we know that Mead thinks of politicians, and he wants us to know that Obama, having successfully gained the highest office in the land without as shred of qualification in his resume is not, never has been, and will never be a politician.

I was intrigued by what appears to be an anachronism in his column relating to the price of gas, so I commented on his column:

Nice try at papering over failure Walt. At this point no one can call the Obama presidency a success and still be considered a serious analyst, so we have to re-define him and go in for pop psychology to explain why everything he touches turns to … failure. You’re joining Dana Wilbank in claiming that Obama’s just too smart for his own good. Really? We would really like to see proof.

I was intrigued by your reference to gas prices PUSHING TOWARD $4. Gas prices are now moving so fast that between the time this apology for failure was written and the time it appeared in print, the information is outdated. I’m reminded of the time between wars in Germany where people were paid twice a day and hurried out to spend their money during lunch hour because prices would be higher later in the afternoon. Thanks for the laugh. The next time you put in a contemporary reference like gas prices you may just want to use a European number like … $9, $10, or more. It will make your column appear less dated.