Does Style Trump Substance in the Obama Era and Does it Matter?

The Obama's have made constant news sincenew President had signified during his campaign.
America elected the first non-white leader of aThere were charges of "socialism" from the right
western industrialized country. The New Yorkand charges of "capitulation" from the grassroots
Times noted the relaxed Oval Office atmosphereleft. Yet openness and eloquence appeared
as early as inauguration week. The new First Ladycapable of letting the new leader walk the fine line
has become an icon with her bare arms, Whitebetween radical change and practical feasibility.
House garden and visits to families of armedEven so, the popularly welcome style and its
services personnel. The first couple's date nightsstark contrast to the conservative Republicans
and their popularity overseas have been headlinedappearing to "flail" after the 2008 defeat was a
with every event. Yet the deeper implications ofwake-up call to the reality of how "whites" had
the overturned "pale male" power structureruled the world for millennia.
remained only indirectly addressed during the firstIn early June, an octogenarian proponent of white
six months of the new administration.supremacy opened fire on the Holocaust Museum
The intense focus on the new President's personalin Washington. Also in that month, the far right
and family life was testimony to the magnitude ofparties in Europe won over liberals and centrists in
the cultural breakthrough with the 2008 USthe European Parliamentary vote on the issue of
presidential election. In contrast to the formerlyanti-immigration. A Southern US Senator
secretive Republican White House, the youngapologized for inferring a connection between a
non-white family has been covered by the mediagorilla and the country's new First Lady while
in a detail evocative of curiosity about foreignanother lawmaker apologized for an internet joke
missionaries on a hidden tropical island. Thesent by an aid showing a pair of white eyes as
swatting of a fly during a live interview on June 18the official portrait of the new American
was an example of how the new President'sPresident.
charisma became an instant news item. People forThe new First Lady's Princeton University thesis
the Ethical Treatment of animals called the incidenthad addressed the racial divide in America. Written
an "execution" of a "lowliest" of creatures whilein 1985, she wrote then that the most liberal of
the event became a symbol of political dexterityher white colleagues would always see her as
in a Sunday New York Times column."black" before seeing her next most defining
The successful inauguration of theaspects.
ground-breaking non-white leader was met withIn late May, the Obama's jetted from Washington
global cheer and no doubt relief after a state ofto New York for a hot Saturday night on the
emergency was declared for the event, as Thetown. New York's mayor welcomed the boost to
New York Times reported on January 14. Thethe city's economy while Republicans blasted the
departure of an American administration that hadouting as a taxpayer-sponsored "splurge" when
increasingly lost support was undoubtedly anotherthe country was struggling economically. The
factor in the global sigh of relief despite the globalObamas were hailed after a night out in Paris
financial crisis created by the departingfollowing the President's historic address in Cairo
administration's conservative economic policies andto the world Muslim community but a Republican
its precedent-setting bailouts of financial institutionsCongressman said the President "had his nerve"
whose mismanagement had created the debacle.to call on the American Congress to do its job
The combination of novelty and relief glossedwith health care reform while he himself enjoyed
over early disappointments in the "change" thea junket overseas.