Leaving out any of the accumulated baggage, and forgetting for the moment about the last two and half years? It was a good speech. A damned good speech. A GREAT speech, even. Diplomatic, yet pointed. Practical but passionate. Statesmanlike, but also partisan the best possible way: He called out Republicans mainly by reminding them of the truly great things that they once stood for. He made the case for eliminating the Bush tax breaks for the richest Americans, pointing out that it's not partisan, nor is it class warfare, but rather a case of simple math. He pointed out that the proposals in his Jobs Plan are (again) things that Republicans and Democrats alike believe in. And yet, this time his calls for bi-partisan action came off not as him being weak, but rather as him shaming Republicans, and managing to do so without sounding preachy! Tonight he had strength. Tonight, he had spirit! THIS was the man I voted for! (I don't know where he's been for th past two and ahlf years, but... I'll get to that.)
It came as no surprise that there were several moments where the Left Side of the chamber was brought to their feet. What DID surprise me were the numerous times that two or three on the Right side of the chamber had the courage to stand up as well. And one time (not including when he was finished (LOL)), he had the entire chamber on its feet.
Save for one man...
And that might have been the best part of the whole speech: Watching that great, bronzed cocksucker Speaker John Boehner twisting uncomfortably in his seat the entire time, looking like he had a bad case of hemorrhoids throughout the whole address, and KNOWING that Obama was winning with his audience...
...And I don't mean his audience in the chamber.
Remember that whole, stupid pissing match they got into over whether the speech was going to be last night or tonight? Well... Obama looked weak (again) and Bohener looked like a dick (again) over the whole stupid thing. But they way it worked out? Most anyone who would have thought it was to the Coppertone Man's credit that he was sitting on his ass all night, looking like a fool? WERE THEMSELVES MOST LIKELY OFF WATCHING FOOTBALL!!! The people most likely to have seen John Boehner looking like he was sitting in a chair that someone had peed in beforehand were the ones most likely to hate him for it!
So top marks...
...for the speech.
We'll see (and more likely, we won't) if this translates into action.
And once again, we are reminded of what ClassicLiberal so aptly refers to as "the tragedy of Obama."
Because, Mister Presdient, the time to put your boot-heel to the necks of the Conservative movement was just over two and a half years ago. The opportunity to suffocate the life out of the Right, turn this country around and start moving FOREWORD again was handed to you 32 months ago on a polished silver platter and you squandered it. And perhaps the greatest example of why he has failed, and why this too will also likely fail was offered by Orrin Hatch beforehand:
“If (the payroll tax cut) is standing alone, I think that might have some success,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. “If it's lumped in with a whole bunch of big spending programs that builds Washington at the expense of the rest of the economy he’s not going to have much support from me or any other Republican.”
In other words:
"We'll take whatever you're going to give us for free, but don't expect anything in return."And that's the rub isn't it? That has been the issue fro day number one - though I've never heard any Republican say it quite this plainly...
...Oh wait, YES I HAVE!
"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”And AGAIN...
Sen. Minority Leader Micth McConnell, October 25th, 2010
“Well that is true, [making Obama a one-term President is] my single most important political goal along with every active Republican in the country."
Sen. Minority Leader Micth McConnell, July 10th, 2011Mister Obama, they will NOT stop playing politics, for the simple reason that they want you to fail more than they want the COUNTRY TO SUCCEED. You will never have their support. You will never see anything from these traitorous scumbags other than their best efforts to sabotage your Presdiency, and progressive politics by extension (even though you haven't actually ever USED any). They will never be honest. They will never do right. They will never stop trying to make you fail, and no sacrifice is too great for them!
And I don't think it's all about race. In fact, I don't think it's about race at all.
Their behavior over the past two years is because they recognized the threat to their party's future and to their entire philosophy that you and your popularity represented.
The tragedy here is that YOU never recognized the threat that THEY represented to you, to your presidency and to your country!
Still...
I won't have it be said that I don't give credit where I think it's due.
It was a good speech.
I was in class and could not listen to the speech but I heard it was good. I am going to listen to it as soon as I can. My embarrassment of a senator David "Diaper" Vitter had said his priority was the Saints game and was going to miss it. The asshat. Then he went just because Reid scheduled some votes but he whined about it. Then Congressman and oil stooge Jeff Landry held a sign during the speech that said Drilling = Jobs. He must have thought he was at the Saints game. The asshat. I have never seen a president treated so disrespectfully and as much as I hated W. I don't think I would have enjoyed seeing democrats collectively giving him the finger like the Repubs did to Obama. Well maybe I would have but that is neither here nor there. How long will people put up with these crybaby obstructionist stooges of the uber-rich?
ReplyDeleteI haven't found the timee to watch or listen to the speech but I have read the reviews regarding the speech and the proposals.
ReplyDeletePretty much the only negative ones I read were from conservative sources.
I do like that you pointed out the "simple math" comment. Like Bush's "fuzzy math," I think Obama could hammer home his points with this two word phrase. It resonates with America and while it may not sound sophisticated, it proves a point. Instead of trying to explain the logic regarding the Republican opposition to any revenue increase, Obama needs to hammer home the "simple math" of his proposals versus the GOP.
While not wholly satisfied with the president and more forgiving then some, I am interested in seeing Obama reelected because I would like to see how that effects the GOP. I keep hoping they would snap back closer to the center...
The speech (which was, indeed, pretty good) just illustrates, even more powerfully, the tragedy of the Obama: Why didn't he make that speech (and, more importantly, offer up these proposals) in January 2009, when everyone was on his side? Here he is, over two years in, and he's stuck with one-termer polling numbers, trying to rekindle the enthusiasm he, himself, has spent the last 2+ years mercilessly killing.
ReplyDeleteI agree cl2 that this speech would have been better two years ago and I am sorry it did not happen then. About all I can see him bring to reelection is the meme that the GOP are assclowns and OBL was killed on his watch. Both true but with the wacky, crazy, inane teabaggers and alarmingly conservative youth, will that work? I would love to see me some Russ Feingold in the primaries but unless our Prez is caught in flagrante delicto with a class mate of his daughter I think he will be the nominee. Fall in love during the primary and fall in line in the general election is my motto. If this passes it will be different. If it passes and fails it is his fault. If it passes and succeeds it is to his credit. If it does not pass it is the GOP fault. Success would be best and the rest is just a crap shoot.
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