He thinks he's all that and a bag of chips . . .

Once again Obama has proven that he is elitist. He went to Iraq and had an intelligent conversation with Prime Minister al-Maliki. He visited the green zone, without the press's knowledge. He talked with military leaders. He visited Israel and met with the Olmer and others, skillfully reassuring Israel without diminishing the Palestinian's complaints. He made friends with Chancellor Merkel (she seemed open to a back rub from Obama, proving that W's dissatisfaction rating is not limited to presidential performance), then two hundred thousand Germans, waving miniature American flags, came to see and hear him. French President Sarkozy welcomed him and joined him at the podium for a joint press conference. He never mispoke, never stumbled. Had there been a gaffe, it would have already been run and re-run on the news outlets. He looked stately, confident, and comfortable.

How dare he.

Schizophrenia is epidemic among the talking heads. While acknowledging the perfection of the trip, and especially Obama's performance, they struggle to present the negative, lest they be accused of being unfair.

So, the only criticism was that Obama was too good. Perhaps he could have taken a little off the speech in Germany. Perhaps he could have made a misstatement that offended the French. At least he could have bungled a couple of names or facts in the middle eastern leg of the trip, I mean, anyone could make that mistake.

We Americans don't really want the best leader. We don't want someone that might be better than us. We don't want no pointy headed intellectuals telling us what to do. Bunch of elitists.

I wonder why?

Possibly we are comfortable. Although we are faced with challenges and choices that may set the course of civilization, we are afraid of change. Gassing up the car is just so easy, so let's open up more oil fields. Military supremacy is such a beautifully simple solution to so many problems, so let's forget about working with the international community and diplomacy. The poor will always be with us so let's not question the causes of poverty. Health care is not a right, except for those who can afford it.

Or maybe we are afraid to once again hope for something better. It has been forty years or so since we looked to national leaders for hope of change. And that hope was cruelly and violently put down along with the leaders that had raised them. So maybe we don't want to be so disappointed and hurt again.

But we must take the chance. Dare to hope, again.