Obama's First Pitch Was a Clunker

There's a lot to talk about today, most of it unfortunately nasty but necessary stuff that I wish we could avoid.

But before we get into it, I have to say something about President Obama's "first pitch" at the All Star game last night.

Very pathetic, especially for a guy who claims to be athletic.

At first Fox Sports did not show the result of the throw, which I thought was odd because they've got a dozen or so cameras set up to catch everything that happens. All they showed was the windup and the pitch, but they did not show the region of home plate where Albert Pujols was awaiting the throw.

Later, however, someone must've found a pair, because Fox showed a couple of replays of the end result. The president's throw took a long arc, like a little rainbow, that clunked down about six inches in front of the plate and then bounced into Albert's glove.

My wife could throw a first pitch better than that.

El Hombre was on the receiving end. La persona débil was on the mound.

I remember a few years back when former President George W. Bush was at Busch Stadium, throwing out the first pitch right after 9-11. He reared back, not in imitation of a pitcher but in the fair likeness of a normal man, and let fly with a fastball right into the mitt of whoever was catching at that moment. Perfect strike.

I have my differences with Bush 43 on how his "compassionate conservatism" paved the way for the madness we are now experiencing. But when it comes to being genuine and manly, the guy was the real thing.

I think that means something. People who "pretend" at sports are exhibiting a personality trait that often translates into other aspects of their lives. Beware the words of such a man, for if he will try to fool you into thinking he's an athlete (which if you look closely he can't), he will certainly try to hoodwink you in his speech. It's a lot easier.

UPDATE -- Red Stater would prefer to remember a more gallant moment of Presidential Pitching, the aforementioned Bush toss. So would I.