Deciphering Obama’s rhetoric
I was confused and dismayed with President Obama’s comments at a press conference in Argentina. I also wondered why he attended a baseball game in Cuba and continued his trip to Argentina given the terror attacks in Brussels. I was not surprised, however, as he has gone golfing and enjoyed Hawaii during other significant events. To quote his answer to a reporter’s question about ISIS: “They can’t defeat us, they don’t produce anything, and they are not an existential threat to the United States.”
Because I was confused, I consulted a dictionary. There are a few definitions of “existential.” Does it mean that ISIS doesn’t exist? My favorite definition was this comment in the Urban Dictionary. “You can use this word in pretty much any context and it will make you sound pretentious and/or confuse the person you are talking to.” This is a perfect example of our president’s rhetoric.
Sharon Hall, Fresno
This story was originally published March 26, 2016 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Deciphering Obama’s rhetoric."