In his recently released memoir called 'A Promised Land', former US President Barak Obama had stated the following: "Rahul has a nervous, unformed quality about him, as if he were a student who'd done the classwork and was eager to impress the teacher, but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject." In essence, he had called Rahul dull-witted, or more bluntly 'stupid'.
Obama is someone who is very measured in his words even when he speaks impromptu. In fact, we can actually see him thinking through every word by the frequent pauses that he employs while speaking. Hence, while his perception of Rahul isn't a big revelation, the surprise is that Obama felt compelled to mention it in his book!. Thus, the comment needs to be seen as one that has been deftly calibrated to convey the limits of diplomatically investing in Rahul Gandhi. This is particularly significant since the Indo-US relationship has lately acquired a slightly partisan tone - thanks to the 'Howdy Modi' event.
Considering Obama's closeness with the incoming Biden-Harris team, his view is bound to be impactful. Nonetheless, coming from a foreign politician, self-respecting INC leaders can simply choose to ignore the comment, but what they shouldn't overlook is the amply sharp message from the Indian electorate.
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