Happy family in the White House

Re “Dream dad: one job too many,” Opinion, Jan. 24

Meghan Daum is right about one thing: Watching the Obama girls interact with their father is “somehow exhilarating.”

As a clinical psychologist who studies the neurobiology of parent-child interaction, I am keenly aware of the real reason for our national fascination with the president’s personal relationships. It’s not about his being a reassuringly “involved” black father, it’s about his being an exceptional father.

The confidence he has instilled in his young daughters; the calm attention he turns toward them; the ease of affection, touch, intimacy and humor he offers; and the detailed memory he has of the girls’ recent statements are testaments to the outstanding emotional health he brings to the job of father (and president). None of this could be orchestrated for public presentation: It is revealed in tell-tale, unconscious behaviors. This is why we are exhilarated: We have not only a good man at the helm, but an exceptional man. Nothing less challenging than parenting could reveal so well the emotional evolution of a person.

Andrea Davis

Pasadena

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Frankly, I love to watch the Obamas interact just because they are such a happy family. It’s got nothing to do with race or being a good example of a father -- it’s just fun to see. Can’t we let it go at that?

Sue Glass

Redondo Beach