I am perhaps more than ordinarily sensitive to bullying when it comes my way or affects a person or an institution I love or admire–and of course I would never engage in bullying, myself. So when I read a piece somewhere last week that likened he tactics of right wingnut wackos to bullying I thought, Aha! Today I can’t remember where I read that piece, but when I went looking for it on the net, thinking I’d find a spate of writing about my guy being bullied, what I found was the opposite.

The President is accused of bullying everybody from hedge fund managers to the military government of Honduras. And now, today, he is being accused of attempting to indoctrinate school children with un-American, socialist ideas. I’m thinking we’ve all heard this before, but with President Obama it’s worse than the lies and smears directed against Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt never had to see himself represented as a “witch doctor,” with associated wingnut comments and pseudo apologies. Roosevelt never had to see himself represented as a monkey.

So it’s with great pleasure that I read an email from an old friend and high-school classmate this morning, who likes Obama and thinks all the media hype is just sound and fury. My friend, David Steinman, is a retired physician who supports health care reform. He is also a Christian gentleman. Here is what he says:

Obama knows that graphically describing the greedy guts of the current mess inflames the non-thinking masses who already are full of fear and loathing; more precisely inflames self-appointed talking heads whose followers are full of bluster—” Who is this non-American talking rot about the best system in the world?” I think that Obama knows how to make “soft pedals” work. That’s part of his specialness.

He avoids “Wagnerian emotions” by choice. I think he understands the Jewish mistrust of robust style and bad policy, as, in my imagination, a man of color in the White House might best figure.

I like Obama’s Rope-a-Dope Style [ from Ali’s wearing down of his opponents ] while in Obama’s case the opposition getting in their licks and spending down their energy is also showing their lack of concern and wisdom regarding the issue.

I remain convinced that health care reform is not going away and that Obama, in waiting for others, in this case congressional leadership, to forge the bills, remains the force for change, paltry and retarded as those on the far left may feel it to be.

Lyndon Johnson viewed politics as the “Art of the possible.” I see Obama in that light.

I am reading the world with a bit more hope after getting Dr. Dave’s email this morning. May it be as he says it is.