Obama is Not Spock

Maureen Dowd's latest column had the predictable expressions of both Bush Derangement Syndrome and Obama Worship Disorder. But at the end Ms. Dowd's screed had an incredible claim. Barack Obama is Mr. Spock.

"Speaking of the Enterprise, Mr. Obama has a bit of Mr. Spock in him (and not just the funny ears). He has a Vulcan-like logic and detachment. Any mere mortal who had to tell liberals that our obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan are far from over and tell Republicans that he has a $3.6 trillion budget would probably have tears running down his face."

One can just imagine the "real" Mr. Spock, raising his eyebrow in a kind of puzzlement, upon reading that paragraph. There is detachment in Mr. Obama, to be sure, but logic? Only by a tortured, north eastern liberal establishment definition of the same could what Mr. Obama is trying to do can be considered logical.

Obama's strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan makes sense, as it is just about the same as George W. Bush's. The only difference is that President Bush would not have announced in advance the date of an American withdraw from Iraq. It may not matter, as Al Qaeda is thoroughly whipped, no thanks to Barack Obama, but it is not a-er-logical strategy to tell one's opponent what one is going to do unless one's opponent can do nothing about it.

But the $3.6 trillion is about as far from logical as one can imagine. Barack Obama proposes to create at least three new massive government spending programs, tax the rich, cut back spending on military weapons in the middle of a war, and-here's the kicker-cut the deficit in half by four years. One can imagine Mr. Spock's reaction to that proposal.

Now does Barack Obama personally resemble Mr. Spock. The "logical and detachment" that Maureen Dowd perceives is simply the politician's skill of lying with a straight face. Mr. Spock was always brutally honest, even when it irritated his human compatriots.

Also Mr. Spock never aspired to be a leader or Captain of the Enterprise. He wanted to do his science research on the Enterprise, while entertaining himself by bantering with the likes of Dr. McCoy.

Mr. Spock's limitations as a leader were illustrated by an incident in the episode, The Corbomite Maneuver. When the all powerful aliens are about to obliterate the Enterprise, Spock informs Captain Kirk that they have run out of options. "Check mate," Spock suggests, using an allusion to his favorite Earth game.

Captain Kirk, of whom George W. Bush resembles in some respects, disagrees. Kirk has a favorite game to and it is called poker. Kirk proceeds to bluff the aliens by claiming that the Enterprise is equipped with something called "corbomite" that would destroy any attacker that tried to strike at the Enterprise. The bluff works and the Enterprise is saved.

Leadership is not just based on logic and detachment, but on gut instinct and the willingness to make decisions on limited information. If Spock had been in charge, he would still have been analyzing the situation until the Enterprise was destroyed. Kirk, on the other hand, played to his instinct, bluffed the aliens, and won the day. Even Spock recognized that there must be something to this game of poker.

Barack Obama is not Spock, not Jesus, not Lincoln, not John Kennedy, nor any of the many others his supporters try to compare him to. Obama is, for better or ill, just himself.

Sources: Spock at the Bridge, Maureen Dowd, New York Times, February 28th, 2009

Star Trek: The Corbomite Manuever, TV.Com