The leader of the free world let his emotions flow this week, crying as he thanked staffers the day after his re-election. The tears of joy were humanizing, but it begs the question: where are the tears of heartache for those who are suffering?
Where are the tears for the 23 million Americans out of work who worry about putting food on the table, the Hurricane Sandy victims who are still without power or without a home, and where were the tears as the four flag-draped coffins returned from Benghazi?
Our leader is able to witness the country’s worst heartbreak without a tear, yet when he experiences personal victory, he weeps.
We have people crying out for jobs and a better life. The president’s answer is to redistribute the wealth and provide the poor a subsistence-level income.
We have storm victims wading through sewage on the East Coast to find the smallest possession, and our president dons his Barack O’Bomber jacket for a photo op and jets off to the campaign trail.
We have a terror attack on 9-11 in Benghazi, and our leader hops on a plane to Vegas to fill his campaign coffers.
President Obama appears stoic through America’s worst pain, yet can’t keep his composure when his own job is saved. That’s enough to make a grown man cry.
Don’t get me wrong, in this day and age of “politics ain’t beanbag,” I find it refreshing to see our elected officials show their softer side.
President George W. Bush cried during a Congressional Medal of Honor ceremony honoring Navy SEAL Petty Officer Michael Monsoor.
Now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cried during a 2008 presidential campaign stop in New Hampshire. Secretary Clinton choked up while commenting that she didn’t want to see the country fall backwards.
And Speaker of the House John Boehner is known for crying at the drop of a hat. Yet the Speaker generally tears up when talking about the American dream.
These leaders mourn for others and the future of our country, not President Obama.
We have 23 million Americans looking for work, four deaths in a terror attack at the U.S. Consulate in Libya, and a death toll of more than one hundred as a result of Hurricane Sandy; all this and not a visible tear from our president. Yet, the Commander in Chief keeps his own job and he’s a wailing wall.
While our president gets misty-eyed over his personal milestone, I can assure you there is a trail of tears across this country. Along the campaign trail from South Carolina to California, I saw tears from selfless Americans who want our country to succeed.
There is the grandmother in North Dakota who choked up as she voiced concerns about the Obama administration’s growing debt and the burden it will place on her children.
I saw the tear-filled face of an influential conservative woman in Iowa concerned about how President Obama’s mandates will infringe on our religious liberties.
And there was the mega-church pastor in Florida, urging his congregation to vote their conservative values. You couldn’t find a dry eye in the place. The pastor illustrated his point with the story of NFL Coach Tony Dungy who ministered to a troubled teen while dealing with the loss of his own son.
Dungy talks about that “service above self” concept in his book Mentor Leader. He writes: “It’s not about me, it’s not about you, it’s about others.”
Mr. President – once you dry your eyes after celebrating your good fortune, open your eyes and take a serious look at the needs of those you lead. Because it’s not about you, it’s about others.
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