Economist: Obama Quote

The following excerpt is from the current issue of The Economist, in its "Primary Colour" sidebar on page 33:

"…I thought that [the question actually] meant, ‘What’s your biggest weakness?’ If I had gone last I would have known what the game was. And then I could have said, ‘Well, you know, I like to help old ladies across the street. Sometimes they don’t want to be helped. It’s terrible.’" Barack Obama explains why his admission during a debate that his paperwork was disorganised came to be used against him. Associated Press, January 18th

I know that many of my colleagues in the investment industry, and in business generally, are very concerned about some of the anti-growth policies that an Obama administration would be likely to pursue. So are we. But this quote, and the story, capture the man’s essential and undeniable charisma. Of the Presidential candidates that I’ve observed in my lifetime, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton have always stood well above the rest of the crowd, but Obama is right there with them, which has almost certainly contributed to his meteoric political rise.

But I think the real reasons this anecdote appealed to me is because (1) he elevated candor over the usual BS, and (2) I can (unfortunately) sympathize with his paperwork affliction.