This Wouldn't Be Inexperience, Would It?

Inexperience was one of the most legitimate criticisms of Barack Obama from the campaign trail - he hasn't done anything significant, he has no major accomplishments, and he's too green to properly understand what it means to be President. Unfortunately, now that Obama is President, we're already starting to see evidence that those assertions of inexperience were correct.

For starters, it appears that the Obamas are already tired of the hustle and bustle of the White House:

On the rockiest day of his young administration, President Barack Obama did what surely made him happy for a while. He left.

With little notice, the president and first lady Michelle Obama bolted the gated compound of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in their tank of a limousine on Tuesday. They ended up at a Washington public school, greeted by children who could not care less about the collapse of a Cabinet secretary nomination.

“We were just tired of being in the White House,” the president candidly told the gleeful second-graders at Capital City Public Charter School.

“We got out! They let us out!” Mrs. Obama said as the kids and their teachers laughed.

So...when things get a little tough, he runs away. Great.

I'm afraid this is a sign of Obama's inner strength. Mainly, that he doesn't have any. If he can't handle a couple of failed nominations, how is he going to react to a deepening economic crisis (once it actually reaches the level of a crisis)? How is he going to handle the next terrorist attack? What will he do if Russia invades Ukraine, or if Iran launches missiles at Israel?

Is it just going to be too much for him to handle? Will he run and hide then, too? Will he man up when American lives are on the line?

I'm afraid we're going to find out before too long, and it won't be the right answer.

His wife clearly isn't used to the responsibility that comes with being the First Lady, either.

Yesterday, Michelle Obama, prominent mother of two Sidwell Friends students, gave the first remarks on her listening tour of federal agencies at the Education Department, detailing her commitment to public schools.

She entered the room to loud applause, working a long receiving line before she began her remarks. Her speech included the standard promises to "invest" in public schools, of which she counts herself a product. She touted her husband's stimulus plan as a way to inject millions into the education system. She also showed a glimpse of the distinct lack of grace the normally disciplined Obamas sometimes betray.

While thanking the loud crowd for its enthusiasm, she added an aside:

I am -- I am honored to be here this afternoon. First let me tell you that you couldn't be luckier than to have as your leader this guy by the name of Arne Duncan. (Applause.) Barack and I, my brother, my family, we've known Arne for a very long time, and we've seen his growth, his leadership develop over the years. And he is someone who is committed, hardworking, passionate. But he's someone who is fair, who is honest, who is decent, and who knows that getting to any goal means you have to build a team from within, from the bottom up. And I know he's already beginning to do this.

This kind of turnout and enthusiasm is sort of for me, but, you know, you're behind -- (laughter) -- but I know you're also excited about your new secretary.

Wow, what class. Mary Katherine Ham offers the following analysis and suggestions:

Memo to Michelle: You're a very important woman. People are almost always going to cheer for you, and pay attention to you, as they should. In acknowledging such attention, remember this simple rule. Self-deprecation: Good. Self-congratulation: Bad.

Ham also recounts the ways Michelle has been...well, let's say...less than classy:

Michelle is more prone to the occasional mean-spirited or pompous soundbite than her husband, which is why part of her heralded campaign-trail makeover last year entailed not speaking so much. She once famously called America "downright mean," and declared that the campaign was the first time she'd been proud of her country. She also once derided Bush's $600 stimulus checks because they would allow women to buy little more than a "pair of earrings," doing nothing to help the Obamas' reputation for elitism.

But both Obamas have been occasionally heavy-handed in their dealings with D.C. denizens since Obama's inauguration, usually to their detriment. Barack's "I won" advocacy for his stimulus package didn't win any supporters among House Republicans. His attack on Rush Limbaugh, meant as an admonition to Republicans, got even political writers in San Francisco chiding Obama for his "first tactical error" in elevating Limbaugh. His insensitive joke about pop star Jessica Simpson's weight this week got him frowned upon even in the notoriously unkind world of celebrity blog comment sections.

Update: And, how could I forget Obama dubbing the people of D.C. weather wimps on his first week here? His comments about bringing some "flinty Chicago toughness" to the city triggered an angry response from local callers to radio shows and local press. Always wise to move to a new city and promptly insult all of its residents on national TV.

We're off to a great start, don't you think?

There's my two cents.