President Hamlet

by Victor Davis Hanson - March 17th, 2011 - National Review

President Obama has spent most of his life either in, or teaching, school — or making laws that he was not responsible for enforcing. His hope-and-change speeches were as moving in spirit as they were lacking in details.

But now Obama is chief executive, and learning, as did Prince Hamlet, that thinking out every possible side of a question can mean never acting on any of them — a sort of Shakespearean “prison” where “there is nothing either good or bad.” Worrying about pleasing everyone ensures pleasing no one. Once again such “conscience does make cowards of us all.”

Hamlets, past and present, are as admirable in theory as they are fickle — and often dangerous — in fact.

Obama as Hamlet? I agree. In fact this is probably more enlightening about his shortcomings and failings as President than the prescient recognition that Obama is a malignant narcissist. Bill Clinton was a malignant narcissist too, and yet he at least had the intelligence and experience to make good decisions very quickly.

I wonder how many Democrats are like a close friend of mine who spent some time on the phone yesterday lamenting the fact that Bill could not be elected to another term? He was more than sad, he was truly angry about that, because he has reached a point where he absolutely despises Obama. I don't think he is alone in that feeling, even among Democrats.