the one-sided war rages on

Michael Chabon, covering the Democratic National Convention in the Oct. 9 issue of The New York Review of Books [uh-oh]:

At one point [Clinton] said, "Barack Obama knows that America cannot be strong abroad unless we are first strong at home.  People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power," and I felt, for the only time before Stevie Wonder sat down behind his keyboard on Thursday night [blah blah blah], something of the shiver of pleasure that artistry induces.  (48)

Hm, yes.  Yes, O.K.—Bill Clinton's a hell of a speaker, and the sentiment behind what he said there is good, and I liked Obama's line about how the United States is "better than these last eight years"—BUT...

Come on.  This is what gives Chabon a shiver?  "People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power."  Look:

1. Minor point: Is it technically true?  Surely what makes us great is not our power alone, etc., etc., but the choice of the word impressed leaves me a little uncertain.  People are pretty frickin' impressed by how powerful we are, and we're not exactly loved the world over.
   
2. "The power of our example."  We know what's meant here, but we're a big country with a big and complicated history—not to mention the fact that, as this election demonstrates, we've got a lot of contradictory shit going on—so, to be fair, we exemplify a hell of a lot, good and bad.  Part of what I liked about Obama's line is that he was being patriotic in a very distinctly and effectively anti–"love it or leave it" way, saying America the ideal is great, and we can't let some schmucks turn America into something un-American.  Clinton's basically saying the same thing, but in a way that takes fewer risks.  But so look: all I'm saying is that if Chabon's talking about art—singling out a line spoken by someone already recognized as being a master, and basically trying to elevate it into the realm of genius—you'd hope at least for a little more clarity.
3. "The example of our power."  What does this mean?  I mean, again, you know what he means, but this is supposed to be artistry, right?  The example of our power.  Why not just "our power"?  What does he mean by "example," here, really?  Actually, the problem with this one is basically the problem with the whole thing and the problem with Michael Chabon, so let's jump out of the list here for it, here:

Michael Chabon just likes that the words get reversed.  Am I right?  Come on, I'm right, right?  I'm totally right!  "It's the power of our example, not the example of our power!  Look look look, did you see that?  Did you see how he switched those words up, like he said it one way and then in a different order?  Oh, MAN, that was awesome!  J.F.K. did that once, remember?—so you know it's good!  Aw, man, I'm gonna be honest with you here, I'm gonna be honest: I don't really care what's being said or how well it's being said or whether it really makes any sense—I don't even care if it's particularly beautiful or poetic!—but I am just a big fan of rhetorical devices...per se, man, per se."

Fuck that guy.