OPINION
20
Diplomatic Obama Our Own Spock
Cool-headed 'cultural translator' appeals to Star Trek generation
By Matt Cantor
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Posted May 7, 09 11:40 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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With the release of Star Trek tomorrow, we’ll be seeing a lot of Spock again—but we’ve been watching his earthly counterpart all year. President Obama is our own version of the charismatic half-Vulcan, writes Jeff Greenwald for Salon. His cool head and appealing intellect tie him to Spock; so does his diplomatic role as “cultural translator,” notes a media expert.
“Like Spock, part of what makes Obama so appealing is the fact that although he’s an outsider, he uses that distance to cultivate a sense of perspective,” Greenwald writes. “If benevolent ETs were to land on the Mall tomorrow, most of humanity would be proud to have Barack Obama speak for us,” he continues. “If Bush were still president, we'd be looking at Mars Attacks.”