Cocktail Talk: Obama Raises the Bar
I usually shy away from the more modern quotes (cause, well, modern folks just aren’t as poetic. Except you. You’re awfully swell, and speak like a tipsy angel. And many writers today have fine quotes–I just tend towards the older quotes. So sue me) on the site and in the books, but I just read this article on Slate, about how President Obama is turning around Bush’s no-cocktail-party ethos and having drinks again around the White House (which, naturally, tickles me) with a little dip into past presidential drinking, and came across a great, great quote. It’s by the article author, John Dickerson, talking about a cocktail affair with folks from both parties there after a hard day of hill haggling, and I dug it (even if it wasn’t written 100 years ago):
First, drinking in moderation leads to an equitable distribution of the humors, and we want our president to be healthy. Second, among adversaries, drinking promotes relaxation and laughter. I doubt it will lead to an agreement on the size of small-business tax cuts in the recovery package, but a few drinks might shave off a few layers of posturing. All of the guessing at motives will decrease. Without so much chest-thumping, the two parties may even get to genuine points of disagreement faster. As a community organizer, Obama knows the power of getting everyone to recognize themselves in one another. What better way to do that than over a few drinks? (Those who disagree should stop wondering why they are lonely at parties or aren’t invited at all.)
–John Dickinson, Obama Raises the Bar
