The Old Scout on our President-Elect

I tried like hell to say it better than anyone else could, but the Old Scout punched me silly!
by Charlie Leck

“A nation spread its wings and achieved altitude.”

Geez! I sat for hours here by the big window in my study, looking out at the bare tree tops and the blue skies. Right after the election, I was wondering how to put it. How to exclaim it! How to put in plain words what we had achieved here in America! I made the mistake of going to the Old Scout (Garrison Keillor’s column). After reading it, I knew I couldn’t possibly improve on what he was saying.

Who, beside Keillor, would have the testicles to write something like this:

“One bright light in the marquee is Michelle Obama, that witty, jumpy woman with the quicksilver smile who said, ‘How does Barack prepare for a debate? He just talks to me and he's ready.’ The good mother who said, ‘People ask me how I am, and I say, I'm only as good as my most sad child.’ Come January, we will have a president whose wife calls him Baby. Good for you, Mama. And now she becomes America's No. 2 celebrity, the object of giddy curiosity.”

I wanted to scream out to Michelle when I realized that Obama had been elected. I wanted to raise the roof in celebration that we would have THIS first lady in the White House. Keillor put it so well that I gave up my scream.

Keillor gave Michelle such extraordinary advice:

“When life gets too unreal, sit down with a good book.”

I wanted to write that line. He beat me to it.

And, I wanted to conclude my blog with a bang – with the perfect paragraph. Keillor ruined any hope I might have had.

“This job is one you were cut out to do and a big part of the job is to keep up the national morale and you are already doing that big-time. And thank you, sir. All those cheap motels, all those flights, all of that chip dip. We are deeply grateful.”

Jeepers! The guy can write.