Dream Bigger
Dreamer-in-chief didn't say it
After 30 years in the news business, and after having been previously suckered by urban legends distributed across the Internet, you’d think I would have been instantly skeptical when I came across this piece on Huffington Post. President Obama told college graduates to forget their dreams and “aim low” instead? Say it ain’t so.
It ain’t so. But I believed it at first, even though the opening lines should have set off the hoax alarm:
President Obama delivered the commencement address at San Diego State University today, and told graduates to “tamp down those lofty expectations,” in order to not be greatly disappointed later in life. Many members of the audience seemed confused, offering only lukewarm applause when Mr. Obama was finished speaking.
“This is not a time to be a dreamer,” Mr. Obama said. “This is a time for pragmatism, realism.”
If I’d bothered to read all the way to the end, I would have found this giveaway passage:
“People,” the president concluded, “you’re not going to be President. None of you. I’d bet a million dollars on it. My advice is, look for something secure, with good health benefits. Something simple, where you don’t have to use your mind all that much, or make decisions that affect large numbers of people. For God’s sake, don’t overshoot. That’s my message to you: Aim low. Thank you.”
It turns out Huffington Post has a corner reserved for satire and humor. (That’s what I learned today.) That means President Obama’s reputation as the country’s biggest dreamer remains intact. Really, he’s No. 1 on the list. And we’ve got a bona fide, store-bought — as my country grandmother would say — survey to prove it. You can read details of the survey here.
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