Then there was Sandra Burt, who lost her job on her 65th birthday. She cannot afford her $2,900 monthly prescription drug costs (she tried skipping doses, but ended up in the hospital). Her husband cashed in his life insurance and sold his treasured truck. They live in a 30-year-old double-wide trailer where the thermostat is set at 64 degrees.
CBS says all of the stories were heart-wrenching, moving even the media, but Obama showed little emotion. At one point, Ms. Burt started crying and asked Obama what he would do.
“No, listen, it is outrageous,” said Obama, his voice monotone. “We are going to change this.”
....The dual personality of Barack Obama - the aloof, professorial side - emerged Wednesday at a time when he might have benefited from more of the I-feel-your-pain approach he exhibits regularly on the campaign trail. His response to Burt was a snapshot of his stump speech.
“There is a direct correlation between the special interests agendas in Washington and your situation,” Obama said, looking down at the table as often as he did at her. “Nobody expects government to do everything for them. What people do expect is if you are working hard and doing the right thing, then you should be able to retire with dignity and respect and have some basic health care.”
Undeterred, Ms. Burt asked if he could fix it.
“I know I can fix it if I got the American people understanding that it needs to be fixed,” he said.
There's more:
When somebody handed napkins to Obama for Burt, he dropped the pile in her hands from across the table, passing up what could have been an opportunity to make contact. (Another way to look at it is he resisted pandering.)
He may not recognize that that side of himself. Later in the day, he embraced Ms. Burts story.
As he dropped off presents at a Toys for Tots collection site later in the day, Obama said he was touched at the roundtable. “It is exactly why we have to bring about change in this election,” he said.
By an early evening event in Manchester, where the pitch-perfect side of Obama’s personality returned, Burt had become an insert in his speech. “She started crying in the middle of our conversation,” Obama said, recounting her story for 700 people.
Perhaps he was moved by what she said but just couldn't show it. So, between the video of Hillary and Obama and the article with the hard-luck stories, here's the question: Does a President need to have a engaging personality?
It's easy to be inspiring in a speech when you have a speech writer and you've practiced the delivery. And when you are talking in generalities about hope, change, optimism and leadership.
But when you are in a one-on-one conversation and come across as inscrutable and aloof, or practiced and non-spontaneous, I think it's a problem. Not insurmountable, perhaps, but a problem. And it's one that neither Hillary nor Edwards share.
