Schadenfreude, Making the World a Less-Presidential Place to Be

My favorite musical, Avenue Q, is on a limited engagement in DC. Among the many brilliant songs, there is one in particular that has a great deal of relevance to Washington. Schadenfreude, a German word that describes taking pleasure in other people’s pain, is what political strategy is all about.

Today in American Thinker, Ed Lasky published a great article titled ‘Obama’s Mean Streak.’ The article, well worth reading, accounts all of the president’s public snubs. (Though he missed his most recent diss of Snooki.) “Barack Obama seems to have a pattern of using ceremonial or stately events as opportunities to ambush and humiliate people. This behavior is unpresidential and reveals a vindictive streak that makes Richard Nixon look like Mister Rogers.”

Obama seems to enjoy kicking people when they’re down. Or as Gary Coleman’s character in Avenue Q would say “Sorry, human nature- nothing I can do! It’s… Schadenfreude! Making me feel glad that I’m not you.”