Roger Federer's between the legs put-away shot was novel when he tried it in Europe, but in Queens it begins to look like a signature brand or a quirk. Not something you teach. Studying the Federer set-up, the reaction of the crowd (smiles, shrugs, laughter, no amazement this time), I am thinking of how the court media now respond to an Obama trick speech. Smiles, shrugs, laughter, no amazement.  POTUS hit a low point with the Oval Office speech on the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.  POTUS does not have his game back.  The remarks on Iraq this news cycle will not dazzle.  Lots of palaver, generalities, moving in the right direction, support the troops, promises kept, palaver.  The trick shot is that POTUS can stand up and do it at all, since he brings no new thing to the court media.   The Democrats in the stands are exiting early from the center court, back to their campaigns to hold on to 60%-plus districts in Blue states, since everything else looks to be in jeopardy.  Time for a new trick shot, POTUS.   (Mention the whisper that POTUS disdains the job, that POTUS feels trapped by his historical significance, that POTUS limits himself to a handful of aides and no outside counsel, that POTUS is happiest deep inside the bubble with a cigarette and a pout at any 9th tee.)