By Connie Kaplan, RegainAmerica Staff Writer, February 15, 2009

No one was a better "Wordsmith" than the late Lewis Carroll.  And no one better questioned the meaning and accuracy of the English language.  President Barack Obama is unquestionably a great orator.  But how far can words alone take us?  What does labeling achieve?  And where does hyperbole end and meaning begin?

One day Barack Obama was sitting in the White House garden working on a speech when a Rabbit wearing a watch suddenly ran past him and popped down a nearby hole.  Intrigued, Obama followed the Rabbit down the hole and shortly found himself standing next to the Rabbit in what appeared to be a forest.  The Rabbit was busily shaking his watch next to his ear. Obama looked at the Rabbit, smiled, and extended his hand.  "Why I know you" Obama said to the rabbit - "You're the White Rabbit, aren't you!"

The Rabbit looked at Obama and sniffed.  "Well," the Rabbit said, "time was," here he looked with irritation at his watch, time was, I was actually called the Half White and Half Black Rabbit, but now, I guess, you should call me the Black Rabbit."  Obama was puzzled by this. "I'm sorry but I don't understand" said Obama to the Rabbit.  "Well", said the Rabbit, "my mother, she's a White Rabbit, but my dad, see, he was Black."  Obama smiled.  "Why, said Obama, then you are Half-White and Half-Black.  Nothing wrong with that at all you know.  The Rabbit stared at Obama.  "Really? said the Rabbit. "You haven't been hardly Half-White since your campaign started."  Obama looked surprised. "Look", said the Rabbit in a reasonable tone, aren't you known as `America's First Black President?'".  Obama nodded.  "Fine," said the Rabbit, I make my case. And lecturing me about what to call myself is like the pot calling the kettle black."  The Rabbit hopped off.

Obama wandered on and presently ran into a wall.  He saw nothing to the left and nothing to the right, but when Obama looked up he saw a large Egg sitting on top of the wall looking down at him.  "Well, hello," said Obama, nodding and smiling at the Egg. I am Barack Obama."  He extended his hand upwards to the Egg who reached down and shook his hand firmly.  "I must say" Obama went on to the Egg, I didn't see this wall while I was walking.  "Often happens", says the Egg, "one can't often see through the forest for the trees."  Obama frowned.  "I think you are mistaken sir," said Obama.  You mean one "can't see the forest for the trees".

The Egg smiled benignly down at Obama.  "Well, now, said the Egg, I think I know what it is I said."

"No," said Obama.  They wouldn't say "can't see the forest for the trees" if what they really meant was "one can't often see through the forest for the trees".

"When I use a word," said the Egg in a contemptuous tone, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more or less.  "And really now," he went on, "YOU should talk."

"Why, what do you mean by that?" said Obama.  "I certainly say what I mean."

"Oh, you mean what you say do you?" said the Egg?

"I say what I mean to say" said Obama.

"What you choose it to mean" said the Egg.

"Well of course I have to choose it to mean something, said Obama with some irritation. "Or it wouldn't bear saying".

"Meaning?" said the Egg.

"Look," said Obama.  You remember I said "In the end, that's what this election is about.  Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?"

"Yes, indeed," said the Egg, yawning and stretching.

"And what did you mean by that?"

"Why," said Obama.  That we must all. . . .hope. We cannot be cynical.  Because if we are cynical we will lose hope."

The Egg looked bored.

"Look," said Obama earnestly.  "A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music.  Everybody can recognize it.  They say, 'Huh. It works. It makes sense.'"

"Oh my" said the Egg, crossing his legs and taking out a cigarette, "now that is really beautiful."

"Thank you" said Obama modestly.

"What does it mean?" said the Egg, lighting his cigarette as he leaned back.

"It means," started Obama, "it means what it says. It makes sense."

"Gives people hope," said the Egg.

"Right" said Obama.  "Remember I said 'Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition.  It asks too little of yourself.  Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.'"

"Lovely," said the Egg.  "Like hitching your wagon to a star."

Obama beamed.

"As long" went on the Egg smoothly, "as you don't focus your life solely on making a buck."  He blew out a puff of smoke.  "Not like those guys on Wall Street, eh?  Or Bernie Madoff?  Or those other CEO's?

"CEO's?" said Obama.

"Not a dime more than $500,000, when they leave their company, I believe you said" said the Egg. Correct me if I'm wrong."

"Well, that situation was deeply complicated" Obama said.

"Ah" said the Egg.

They were both quiet for a moment.

"So," said the Egg uncrossing his legs and inhaling his cigarette, "I understand Congress signed the "Stimulus" bill then. 787 billion dollars.

"Damn straight" said Obama. "And it's about time, let me tell you."

He hesitated, and then said to the Egg "Could you let me have one of your cigarettes? I haven't been able to kick the habit."

"Oh certainly" said the Egg, lighting a cigarette and handing it to Obama.  "Okay as long as the cameras don't catch you right?"

Obama inhaled deeply and nodded.

"I heard the Stimulus Bill was pretty thick, said the Egg, and that no one could possibly have been expected to read it before voting on it."

"Damn right" said Obama. But they didn't need to read it.

The Egg looked at him doubtfully.

"But they say the Bill is full of sorts of silly things," said the Egg. "Of shoes and ships and sealing wax," he roared suddenly, "of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot. And whether pigs have wings."

"Cabbage?" said Obama?

"Certainly," said the Egg. "They are going to carve the likeness of Franklin Delano Roosevelt into the heads of all cabbages coming out of Des Moines." Harry Reid, I think, or maybe Pelosi.

"Look," said Obama irritably "What do you think a stimulus is?  It's spending - that's the whole point! Seriously."

"Spending" said the Egg. "Spending what amount?

Obama shrugged.

"And for whom?" said the Egg.

"And on what?" said the Egg.

"And in which program? For what purpose? What can be changed? What can be accomplished?  How fast can it be accomplished? How long will it take to finish?"

Obama said nothing but inhaled his cigarette.

"How many people will be helped for every dollar that is spent?" said the Egg.

"How many jobs will be saved?"

"How many new jobs will be created?"

"How many homes will stay out of foreclosure?"

"How many people will stay off the streets?"

Obama took another drag on his cigarette.

"Tell me this" said the Egg, speaking very quietly now.

"How many lives will be saved?"

The Egg ground out his cigarette and jumped down from the wall.

"Look" Obama said miserably, I mean to say what I choose to say.  I choose to say what I mean.  I mean, there may be many things, but too few words.  I cannot choose . . ." His voice trailed off.

"Do you remember what I said before?" said the Egg.  "When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less?"

Obama nodded.

"The question still remains however," said the Egg.  The question still remains.

"Which is to be master - that is all."

There are currently no posts in this category.