Style vs. Substance

OK folks, here goes another Obama versus Trump compare and contrast. We have seen enough of both men to begin to understand the effects that they cause on us, their humble subjects. My conclusion is that Obama was a victory of style over substance and Trump is exactly the opposite.

Barack Obama was Mr. Smooth. His TelePrompTer presentations were mellow and folksy. He always had that David Brooks razor-like crease in his trousers. Every time he descended a flight of stairs he did it with a graceful aplomb ... paws cocked in front (no handrails for this cool dude) and almost a Fred Astaire light touch on his feet. His presence commanded the present.

However, Obama's policies seemed secondary. Somehow, it wasn't so important what he said ... but that he said it with grace. Yes, his politics were ultra-liberal. But somehow it felt that his policies were not paramount. He was dancing with the Saul Alinsky partner that brought him. And as long as it was consistent and appealing, he was ready to push it ... independent of the ultimate result. Yes, he and Valarie Jarrett do have a sympathetic ear for Shiite Muslims and Socialism ... but those seemed their only burning issues.

On the other hand, Trump has the style of a pinkie-ring casino floor manager. His hair looks like a dead orange animal. I know that Trump thinks that he is smooth. But last year's campaign revealed that he has lots of rough edges ... even though his pants are always pressed. His insults were often and raw. His compliments are usually overdone and sound insincere. He often contradicts himself without realizing it. He is an archetypal blowhard. His style is the exact obverse of Obama.

However, what Trump lacks in style, he clearly makes up in substance. He leads not from behind but from in front. One by one he is trying to remedy all of Obama's failings ... and they are many ... see: Fixin' Things. Despite the ugly often violent "resistance" on the left, Trump is making things right. He seems to know just what needs to be done and then sets about doing it. As, one by one, Obama's screw-ups are remedied, the right is cheering and the left is melting down.

Many more Americans are now realizing how a smooth style didn't and doesn't compensate for a lack of substance. So, although we don't have, like Reagan, a comic-book hero as a fixer, at least we have a fixer.