Published: March 18, 2004
[WS:] But other than being a bit dated, this piece raises an interesting question of what accounts for O's popularity, at least initially. As I see it, O learned the importance of speaking softly from Theodore Roosevelt, which set him favorably apart from the rest of the US political establishment (which btw offers an excellent case against freedom of speech.) However, he missed the part of carrying a big stick, which I think accounts for a subsequent loss of his popularity.
Wojtek