To Calm Fears, Obama to Urge Americans to Talk About Their Feelings

Strained
Young Muslim Americans Are Feeling the Strain of Suspicion: ... in the past year, especially in the past several months, as her emergence from childhood into young womanhood has coincided with the violent spread of the Islamic State and a surge in Islamophobia, she has had to confront some harsh challenges of being a young Muslim in America. (New York Times, 12/14/2015)

The New York Times identifies the most urgent problem in America, Islamophobia. Second place, transgender rights. A distant third, fear of being killed by Islamic terrorists.

All Americans Are Feeling the Strain of Islamic Terror (RedStateVT headline, 12/14/2015)
Islamophobia, really? Documented cases of actual violence against Muslims are rare. You can look it up. Do you know which group has more to fear? Jews, of course.


Intolerant
Mr. Obama, who barely tolerates the schmoozing that is presidential tradition, does far fewer receiving lines than his predecessors. George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, worked a photo line at each of the 25 holiday parties he hosted in 2008, his last year in office, but the Obama White House has eliminated all but a handful. (New York Times, 12/14/2015)

So it turns out President Pippi Longstockings is not - would you say - a people person.


Anxiety Attacks
The public seems increasingly anxious about Mr. Obama’s handling of terrorism in the wake of the Paris attacks and the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., that was carried out by extremists who claimed allegiance with the Islamic State. His Oval Office address on Dec. 6 appeared to do little to allay those worries, including among members of his own party.

In an effort to respond, the president is working to demonstrate that he has a plan for defeating the Islamic State abroad and for protecting Americans at home. Mr. Obama will also visit the National Counterterrorism Center on Thursday for his annual preholiday security briefing on the country’s threat level. “There’s heightened awareness about that in advance of this holiday season,” Mr. Earnest said.

This week is Mr. Obama’s last chance before Christmas to show Americans he is engaged on the issue; on Friday, he is scheduled to fly to Hawaii for his annual two-week getaway with his family.(New York Times, 12/14/2015)

So Obama is going to squeeze in some national security before his vacay and in between Christmas parties. The nation - "including members of his own party" - breathe a sigh of relief.