Obama's Swagger

by Madeleine Kando
You don't have to be a movement expert to appreciate how President Obama moves. Black or white, American or not, he is the coolest guy that ever walked in presidential shoes.

Outside the US, especially in Northern Europe and Israel, Obama is a lot more appreciated than here at home. Whether this popularity has anything to do with his swagger is debatable, but it probably doesn't hurt. The American President's casual confidence may be viewed as a breath of fresh air, an anti-dote to the overly formal and stiff demeanor of some European politicians.

The definition of swagger is 'A demeanor of confidence, coolness, and togetherness. Someone with Swagger gives off an aura of comfortability with himself. It can also be shown in the person's walk.' Another, more illuminating definition is: 'I Don't Know, I'm White'. When asked where he learnt to walk the way he does, actor Denzel Washington, the ultimate swaggerer on the Hollywood scene, said: 'I don't remember, but it doesn’t work with your hands in your pockets'.

But swagger is more than just a walk. If you have Swagger you can wear jeans to the opera, a suit to the beach and people will think nothing of it. They'll admire your swagger. Obama knows how to up his swagger at the precise moment. Whether he kisses his beautiful wife at a basketball game, marches in a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, or makes that last minute wave before entering Air Force 1, he does it all with grace and finesse.

It is not just the President that has Swagger. Watch the First Lady's awesome performance in this video to promote her "Let's Move" campaign, to encourage parents everywhere to get up and get moving with their kids.

Mr. Obama has done more talk-show appearances than other sitting presidents, appearing six times alone during his re-election campaign. White House aides say the president uses late-night talk shows to reach an audience that doesn’t always get its news from traditional sources. He uses the media to set certain misconceptions straight, promote his agenda and even though it seems like a contradiction, to remind the audience of what is important, of 'keeping your eye on the prize', when the line between entertainment and politics is starting to blur.

Some critics argue that his frequent appearances are at the expense of tax payer money and conservatives find his appearances unpresidential. Former President George W. Bush would not have been caught dead on late night talk shows during his presidency. It was beneath his dignity, but he also instinctively knew that he didn't have the swagger to pull it off.

I am not a sociologist, but I suspect that swagger is related to the ethos of American casualness and casualness is America's middle name. It maximizes similarities over differences and is an expression of America's intolerance of uppity formalities. Only in America can a janitor call a President by his first name. Only here can a pizza shop owner bear hug the most powerful man in the free world and lift him up like a feather. In Obama's case his swagger made it seem like the most natural thing in the world.

Only on American television can the President impersonate himself on the Steven Colbert show. This clever trick was actually a ploy to promote Obamacare and it worked like magic.

You can have swagger whether you are rich or poor, famous or obscure, important or not. If you are important, like the President, and have swagger, why not take advantage of it? It would be foolish not to. It would be like asking a talented musician not to play music or a gifted mathematician not to use his skills.

Swagger doesn't diminish the President's capacity as a Commander in Chief. In fact, it is a good anti-dote for his sometimes-aloof, overly cerebral speeches.

It must infuriate some of his stiff-collared Republican colleagues, like Speaker of the House John Boehner and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who wouldn't know what to do with swagger if it hit them in the face. leave comment here