Obama's quiet dignity
I didn't know much about President Barrack Obamas political sagacity--until he came to Puerto Rico. To be honest, I don't even recollect the exact details of that day. But it was the strong impression he provided that most surprised me, of a political acumen I will never forget.
Obama came to Puerto Rico on a very widely publicized visit. I forget the exact reasons for the trip, but it was likely due to fundraising to some degree or anohter, as they tend to be. All of the news stations were covering it, widely informing the audience that anyone who wanted to be in the hangar where he was to give his brief speech had to pass through various layers of security. Reporters had to arrive in at the wee hours of the morning merely in order to certify their credentials. The hangar was full of individuals, members of state, secretary and cabinet members, political wanna-bees.
As Obama's plane left the United States to come to the island of Puerto Rico, this was also reported in the news. I remember driving to a relative's house who was situated along many flight routes. As the Air-Force One plane approached, this was also widely televised, and so I was able to find out when to step outside into the driveway of the house with some relatives to see the enormous presidential plane fly by. As it did, we all waved, not knowing whether the President was actually watching us. Regardless of whether he could see us or not, it was a nice gesture of welcome anyways, we thought. The plane finally landed, the President went to the hangar, gave his speech, and then headed to Old San Juan to meet with then governor Luis Fortuño. Fortuño, a few months prior to that, had trailed Mitt Romney as a lost stray puppy.
None of these things made a very deep impression on me, except for what happened next.
As all the political candidates at the time wanted to meet with the Present to increase their local political standing, given that we were nearing the local elections down here, President Obama did something that took everyone by surprise. He unexpectedly went to a local coffee/sandwich shop near Santurce and had lunch with the then candidate to the governorship Alejandro Garcia Padilla. What was surprising about the move was its unexpected nature, as it had been previously announced that he would reserve his afternoon for meeting with local government officials and dignitaries.
The fact that the coffee shop had enormous glass windows facing the street for everyone to see spoke a thousand words.
Although the conversation and the meeting were relatively brief, it was not what was said but what was done by the President that counted. Obama had given his personal endorsement to the then Democratic candidate Garcia Padilla.
It was such a subtle yet bold move of the utmost political finesse that it had been a genuine pleasure to witness and experience. With nearly the entire island's eyes upon him, as if he were an enormous magnet, Obama placed a stamp of approval upon the candidate, inevitably contributing greatly to his electoral victory soon thereafter. Although Garcia Padilla would turn out to be more Republican than anyone had ever expected, it was Obama's smooth and subtle political action under 'extreme duress' that was so impressionable.
I make this long winded story to suggest that President Obama made a similar statement by not visiting France to participate in the Charlie Hebdo public display of 'anti-terrorism'. Not directly participating in the parade was, in my opinion, Obama's most subtle statement in proclaiming the 'holding of arms' before the world was a blatant act of European hypocrisy.