The Day the Music Died…, or was mortally wounded

Obama, Scaramucci and the Non-answer Answer

The stage was set. Audience was in rapt attentive posture. A President, whose ascent to the office soared atop the aspirations and hope of millions, had just been asked a question reeking of gaudy entitlement and almost unbelievable amount of “rightful” indignation.

In September 2010, almost two years after becoming President, Barack Obama, attended a televised townhall meeting. He was asked several questions but there was one question asked by a then hedge fund manager and his former Harvard classmate, Anthony Scaramucci, that potentially teed him up for a fitting repost. The need of the moment was to dig deep and find the right words and expressions to give voice to millions across the US who had faced the brunt of the financial crisis precipitated, in large part, by the actions of a community personified by the questioner.

What we got instead was a masterclass of temporizing equivalence.

Anthony Scaramucci used the simile of a piñata to describe the Wall St. community that was set upon by the general public, news organization and government agencies. The irony of the simile used was beyond fitting. A typical piñata is hung up on the roof and children are encouraged to have a go at it to get to the candy hidden inside the decorated figure. Wall Street executives like Scaramucci were primarily responsible for setting up the house of cards that upon collapsing took the American and even the world economy with…