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Diplomatic Obama Our Own Spock

Cool-headed 'cultural translator' appeals to Star Trek generation

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted May 7, 2009 11:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – 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.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Actors in the TV series "Star Trek": from left, Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock, William Shatner as Captain Kirk, DeForest Kelley as Doctor McCoy and James Doohan as Commander Scott. (AP Photo/Paramount Television)

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, makes a statement in the Grand Foyer of the White House yesterday. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

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The sometimes audacious diplomacy of the Obama administration is innately appealing to those of us weaned on the credo of "exploring strange new worlds" and "seeking out new life and new civilizations."
- Jeff Greenwald

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 10 comments

serfinWI

May 7, 2009 7:20 AM CDT

I'm not a fan of the show but Spock wasn't the Captain, just his side kick advisor. Spock wasn't responsible for making the difficult, final important decisions.

AnnieChrist

May 7, 2009 6:50 AM CDT

You're seeing lots of doctors, aren't you. One of the classic symptoms of advanced paranoid schizophrenia is hysterical laughter at one's own thoughts. Another symptom is obsession over some trivial fact. Every day we get the same comments from you regarding teleprompters. Don't forget to take you meds, and stick to reading "My Weekly Reader," Newser is apparently triggering your psychotic episodes.

freethemall

May 7, 2009 6:36 AM CDT

Rush Limbaugh accuses "liberals" of being over-emotional, but I don't see how even Limbaugh could accuse Obama of being so, though Limbaugh certainly considers Obama to be an extreme "liberal". I put the word "liberal" in quotes, because limbaugh and other wingnuts, label anyone who is not a right wing ideologue a "liberal".

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Barack Obama • diplomacy • Star Trek • Spock • cultural diplomacy • President Obama • intellectual

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Diplomatic Obama Our Own Spock