Pages

Sunday, March 01, 2015

Is anyone else offended by Obama's comparing himself to Spock?

A tribute to a legendary actor is not the time to boost your own ego.

Pundits noticed that President Obama's statement on the death of Leonard Nimoy was also self-complimentary:
President Barack Obama offered his condolences — including a witty, backhanded reference to himself — after the death of actor Leonard Nimoy.

“Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. And of course, Leonard was Spock,” Obama said in a statement. “Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed.”

“I loved Spock,” said Obama, who is often ribbed for the size of his ears and for his no-drama demeanor.
Of course, the Spock character didn't have Obama's big ears. He had pointy ears.

I would hardly characterize someone who has spent much of the last month plotting revenge against the leader of an ally for planning to accept an invitation to speak in front of Congress as "level-headed" and "logical."

But even if you are a fan of Obama, his using the occasion of Nimoy's death for self-aggrandizement is very inappropriate.