"Why do people hate you" was the question a nine-year-old fourth-grader asked President Obama at a town hall meeting last week in New Orleans.
Obviously the boy must have been exposed to the mounting criticism on TV piled on Obama these days by Republicans, the right-wing media and other quarters who are not happy with his health care plan, the unemployment and recession that doesn't seem to go away and his handling of the Afghan war.
The question the boy asked temporarily silenced the crowd, but Obama, the wordsmith that he is, flashed a broad smile, hugged the boy and skillfully turned the question into a teaching moment, not only for the young student but also for the audience at large.
Addressing the boy as if he were talking to an equal, he said: "Well, first of all, I did get elected president, and not everybody hates me; I got a whole lot of votes. If you're watching TV lately, everyone seems mad all the time. Some of it's just what's called politics. One party wins, the other party feels it needs to poke you to keep you on your toes. You shouldn't take it too seriously. People are worried about their own lives, losing jobs, health care, homes, and are feeling frustrated. When you're President of the United States you've got to deal with all of that."
The audience largely cheered the president and the boy later told the reporters that the president's answer made him feel good.
Handling difficult questions in a credible manner and turning them to one's advantage is a skill that can be learnt, that is, if one tries. But the right kind of education and conviction of one's political beliefs also helps.
Watching Obama's performance, I wondered how some of our Pakistani top leaders, if confronted with a similar question, would have answered it.
As a fun exercise, I asked some of my friends -- a
doctor, a banker, a professor and a marketer -- who keep a close watch on the political scene. We brainstormed for a while and came up with he following hypothetical answers.
Zardari: (breathlessly) "My party has made huge sacrifices for democracy. Shaheed Bibi gave her life. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave his life. I spent 11 years in jail. But I always said, ' Pakistan khappay'. We did this for Pakistan . Democracy is the biggest
revenge. Now, my army is fighting the terrorists in Waziristan . We have to defeat these hate-mongers. I don't believe people hate me. Every other day I see large ads in newspapers, with portraits of my whole family, put out by my ministers and advisors, congratulating me for what I am doing for Pakistan ."
Nawaz Sharif: (with a pained smile on his face) "Beta, who told you this? This must be a rumor spread by the enemies of Pakistan . How can they hate me? I stood up to US pressure when no one could. One phone telephone call from Colin Powell and Musharraf went down on his knees. Bill Clinton called me five times... yes, five times! I was counting. But I went ahead and did the dhamaka, anyway. And don't you remember I also sacked a serving army
chief when he opened his mouth when he shouldn't have? Who else could do that? In fact, if you study history, the only other person who sacked a senior army general was President Truman of America. He fired General MacArthur for bragging publicly. Truman was a tough and stubborn man, like myself -- he made difficult decisions. He also did a dhamaka over Japan.
"I believe in the supremacy of democratic civilian government. That's why I signed the Charter of Democracy. I hate the self-serving politicians and lotas hob-nobbing secretly with the army generals. I have also told Shahbaz sahab not to meet the generals secretly anymore. If he has to, he should meet them openly in public kutcherries -- or in some tikka joint. I might join them
too, if barbecued quails or sparrows are on the menu.
Why am I silent about Musharraf? Don't worry about him. I will bring him back to Pakistan and try him under Article 6. I don't talk much about him anymore because my big brother advised me not to. It's always good to listen to your big brother. He can always come in handy. That is what I tell Shabaz sahab, too."
Chaudhry Shujaat: (wearing dark glasses) "Ugah, mugah, wugah, Jerry Luger, Looter, wugah, ugha, mitti paao, ugah, mugah, phoomph!"
Why do people hate you
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