(photo by dklimke via flickr)

I, like many men of various ages and political stripes, have a big, fat, juicy man-crush on President Obama. And no, it's not just his chiseled abs, his bad-ass sophistry skills or his three-point jump shot. It's that Obama is almost single-handedly redrawing the ideal of the straight North American male.

First, the president is smart. Not just street smart, but book smart. Jack Bauer, Jason Bourne, Batman; these are all clever fellows. But they derive their hero cred from their ability to beat up bad guys, not cite Lincoln or dominate a debate.

Obama continues to take flak for his "professorial" style: the LA Times recently called him out for sounding "less like a political gladiator...than a schoolteacher trying to calm overwrought children." His critics are missing the point. Obama is 21st century Gladiator, less Russell Crowe than Bertrand Russell. A thinking man's hero.

The U.S has had smart leaders before, but it's been a while since a president's had the courage to show it. Rhodes Scholar Bill Clinton's political genius was branding himself as everyman Bubba, with his shit-eating grin and dopy "did I do that?" shrug.

Not surprisingly, the Clintonian male dominated 90s culture. That decade was defined by sitcoms featuring lovable, but incorrigible men who inevitably mess things up in pursuit of women, booze or motor vehicles (Think Home Improvement, Everybody Loves Raymond and even The Simpsons, Friends and Seinfeld).

And then came Dubya. Whatever else you can might about the former president, he was smarter than he let on. According to his right-hand man Karl Rove, Bush reads dozens of books a year, from war histories to French classics. Yet, his handlers made darn sure he was photographed clearin' brush in flannel rather than reading Camus in bifocals. The assumption: folksy is politically safer-and more manly- than smart. Remember when John Kerry was ridiculed for speaking (gasp!) French?

Second, Obama admits his mistake-and pokes fun at them too. The president has learned one of the great secrets of the schoolyard: the best way to neutralize a bully, earn respect and avoid self-pity is to laugh at yourself. Obama suffered the first major setback of his presidency last week when it emerged that several of his meticulously-vetted cabinet nominees had failed to pay thousands of dollars in taxes.

Unlike President Nixon, who never apologized for Watergate, or Clinton, who initially lied about having an affair in the White House, Obama promptly told CBS News anchor Katie Couric that "I screwed up." He even joked that the reason his family hadn't yet picked a dog for the White House was that "the Labradoodle we chose had some problems with his back taxes."

John Kerry went hunting to assert his manhood and wound up a late night punch line. Obama danced awkwardly on a Lesbian-hosted talk show and was named Person of the Year.

We'll find out whether he makes a great president. But for the leader of the free world to be an unabashed egghead, athlete, and also sort of a goofball from time to time? Now, that takes balls.

Dan Levy is a journalist and group facilitator living in Montreal.