Let’s cut to the chase. Does Obama talk too much?

I’d like to rephrase. Can he talk too much? After all, this is President Obama. But it’s true; if he’s not talking too much, then he’s talking in mostly the wrong places; namely, places abroad. True, diplomatic relations are always ideal, compared to war. But when do we admit that we’re pushing in the wrong spots?

Which of those charming diplomatic get-togethers has led to any real changes? I don’t see anything much changing. Just talk.

Thing is, we have more pressing internal problems to deal with right now. It’s a nice thing to reach out to other countries; it’s even nicer to go and do it personally, and more importantly, civilly, rather than literally jumping the gun. But there comes a time when it becomes pointless.

So let me ask: does Obama really nurse a legitimate hope that, given enough lecturing, Iran or North Korea will simply say, “You know, O Wise One, you’re right. We’re not being nice, are we? Let’s all be friends”? What are the chances of that?

Whether we poke the likes of Ahmadinejad with ten or a million olive branches, there will be no difference in outcome. It’ll only annoy them. Besides, nice was never any politico’s choice vocabulary. And, sadly, when someone’s insane and there are nukes involved, they are far beyond being reasoned with.

Plus, in case anyone forgot, we do have actual diplomats to do this sort of thing.

When Obama does focus on internal affairs, it’s obviously well meant. But the press tends to jump towards any possible controversy. Anything Obama says, on- or off-record, will be taken the same way: newsworthy. In some cases, such as his speech to America’s unemployed, or its schoolchildren on their first day of school (well, most people’s first day of school), his words will be legitimately newsworthy, and thus squarely in the territory of his duties as president. There’s nothing wrong with trying to pick up the progress here in the domestic realm.

But, as said before, the media are the hindering factor, intent on picking up small things and blowing them out of proportion. Occasionally, Obama can forget himself, like his comment that the Cambridge police “acted stupidly” in the events leading up to the Beer Summit. The media zoomed in on it in a heartbeat.

I do love the media. But—bless their hearts—they do have this way of littering the news every time Obama drops some new pearl of wisdom or other. How long did we focus on Obama’s choice of dogs? Too long. How fast was Obama’s opinion of Kanye West made public? Much too quickly.

These are just a few instances where the media, originally intended to spread the goodwill of our leader, goes too far. We hear that he’s speaking to children and we immediately jump to the conclusion that he must be brainwashing them. We cheer—and gasp—at his insult to Kanye West, forgetting that the comment was technically off record.

It’s amusing, but when the top quoted Obama line becomes “He’s a jackass” and not “Yes we can”—well, there’s a problem.

Therefore, though we know Obama is only human, and has his own views too, he once again has to remember his role. He is a president. And as such, he must watch what he says, knowing this special attention he will be getting. What he says is taken as what America says, putting extra weight on every word he speaks.

Obama is indeed a great speaker and diplomat. In fact, he was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for… talking. I believe the committee’s reasoning was something along the lines of “becoming the world’s leading spokesman”—specifically, in the realm of international diplomacy. Which means what, exactly? The fact that the Nobel Committee is convinced that all this talking will somehow magically convert into doing—well, it’s a stretch, to put it bluntly. So what does it mean right now? Simply that he’s a symbol of hope?

We need more than hope. Yes, Obama has talked a great deal already, and he’s not going to stop anytime soon, especially with a Nobel Peace Prize under his belt. But he is not solely a diplomat. He is the president of this country, and, human or not, must act, and speak (or not speak) accordingly. In short: he should apply those magical oratory skills to where they’re needed most: not abroad—where the ratio of words to action is much too high, but at home, to the some 300 million people that he charmed with the creed of “change”.

And though the media likes to wander, don’t let them. Obama could comment on some reporter’s hat and the press would run with it. But do we really want to hang with his every word? Are we that desperate?

People of America: Obama is not your friend. He is your president, and he could care less about what you think about his calling Kanye West a jackass, or his kung-fu skills on flies, or his dog. He cares about this country. I suggest you turn your priorities around and do the same. No matter how much he talks, it’s up to the people to come halfway as well. After all, diplomacy that goes nowhere is undesirable, but it’s even worse if the only thing the masses back home bother to do is Twitter about it. The least anyone (including the president) can do is think about what they’re actually saying.