I remember watching the president's plane approach the carrier that day as cable news anchors gushed about the sheer genius of the setting for its public relations power. They talked about the president's bravery, his mastery of the moment, his leadership skills, his macho.

My mouth gaped at the sheer nerve of it all. We were watching, to mangle Obama's slogan, the audacity of a dope.

But back then, my skeptical feelings were tremendously out of step. Everyone else in the traditional media lapped up the phony photo op like hungry kitties handed a bowl of warm milk. According to DailyKos, here is what the New York Times wrote about the day:

Never before has a president landed aboard a carrier at sea, much less taken the controls of the aircraft. His decision to sleep aboard the ship this evening in the captain's quarters conjured images of the presidency at sea not seen since Franklin D. Roosevelt used to sail to summit meetings.