I was pleased and surprised when President Barack Obama commented on his mistake of not looking “presidential” after the announcement of the brutal beheading of an American journalist by ISIS. The president was seen golfing in Martha’s Vineyard, laughing and joking with his friends on the golf course as the civilized world reacted with shock and horror.
“I should’ve anticipated the optics,” the president said while appearing on NBC’s “Meet The Press” that aired last week.
Like it or not, being president is about the optics 50 percent of the time. The other half, of course, is about policy, but the “theater” or “image” of the president sends powerful messages to Americans and other cultures around the world. This is why when presidents have serious news to share with the country, they’re often placed in the Oval Office behind the Resolute desk — often in a blue suit, white shirt and red tie. This is why at formal press conferences, or other “photo ops,” the president is photographed behind the presidential podium with American flags behind him. These images are not about the pageantry of the office, but to remind Americans — and oftentimes, the world — the president is in a familiar setting to inform us about some unsettling and/or serious event. It’s predictable and comforting to see the president doing predictable and comforting things. It’s almost like going to your grandmother’s house. You know the chair will always be in the same place and her soothing words will always be there to calm you, and in some respects, we expect the same from our president.
Historically, after a tragic event, especially when there is a loss of life, the president goes to church, offer’s a prayer and or retreats to the White House and allows the nation to heal. In many cases when presidents have been on vacation during a time like this, many have made their announcement and retreated back to their vacation house, out of sight for at least a day or two. This is to allow the country to mourn and process the news that they’ve just been given. To be fair, presidents are entitled to their vacation. Having worked for two, I have seen firsthand how the president is never “off the grid” and has policy papers, national security briefings, hundreds of secret service agents and other support personnel wherever he travels. In short, the presidency travels with the president regardless of where the president physically is.
“Part of this job is also the theater of it,” the president continued on “Meet The Press.” “It’s not something that always comes naturally to me. But it matters.”
This is the surprising part for me: As I would have thought that after six years of being president, Obama would have known by now that going to the golf course literally minutes after the statement about the beheading of an American journalist — that provoked widespread criticism from Republicans, Democrats, media pundits and Americans — was undignified and indeed “un-presidential.”
We expect our presidents to act presidential at all times. We expect them to represent everything that’s best about being American, and although many presidents have let us down over the years — Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, Nixon and Watergate — we expect them to know better. President Obama’s cavalier decision to go onto the golf course does not rise to a “Monicagate,” but it does call into question his seriousness and commitment to the job.
Once again, “paging the president — his attention is needed on deck.”
Follow Robert Traynham on Twitter @roberttraynham
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