I think we've just seen how a master works. I tend to be lukewarm on most of Obama's speeches because, unlike Bill Clinton, he can't really sustain the "this is worth hearing, America!" impetus unless he really crafts the speech well. He's not really an applause-line speaker (though that does seem to be what he aims for most of the time), but a Kennedy-esque "coiner" whose greatest strength is the philosophy of his phraseology. Lines like "We are the ones we have been waiting for" make you pause, think, reflect - not stand up and cheer, necessarily - and stick with you well beyond the speech and even the context. When Obama doesn't do that, when he's just lecturing or doing his "fired up, ready to go" bit, he's really not particularly great.
But what Obama did in Tucson was a magic trick. For one thing, he was able to maintain the gravitas of his message not only despite the crowd, but at times even heighten it because of the crowd--such as when he sort of laughed about how the guys tackled Loughner, as though it was such a heroic act that even he couldn't believe it, turning a routine ceremonial thanks into something more personal. (He also managed to maintain his tempo evenly throughout the 30 minutes, which is difficult to do even if you don't have impromptu cheers interrupting you and urging you in a campaign-style atmosphere). For a speech that (presumably) wasn't designed for a pep-memorial, he made it work remarkable well.
Secondly, he kept a fine balance between addressing the victims and addressing the nation--it would have been easy for this to turn into a "look at me, I have compassion for normal people" photo-op, and on the flip side, have it be a crass political speech using the dead as cover.
But if you look at the speech as a whole, it's truly remarkable what an illusion Obama pulled off. Even as I was listening to it, I was somewhat perturbed by Obama's theme on "rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame"--a tacit rebuke of Democrats' criticism of Sarah Palin, despite the fact that no Democrat of any consequence has actually assigned the blame on anyone but Loughner; if we cannot scream at the top of our lungs at someone who is, for whatever reason or intention, whatever effect or consequence, indicating that people be "targeted" by the masquerade of a gun-sight, then what sort of healing can be expected when the eliminative harm-mongers can scream at the heal-mongers all they want?
Yet as Obama's speech unfolded, realize what he did: he led, by example. His speech was about community, brotherhood, love, understanding, listening, caring, healing, and yes, hope--all the things that are anathema to the world-view the Palinites are trying to espouse. Obama effectively took the rug out from under them, baring to the American people the soul of this Stalin, this Hitler, this death-panelist, and showing us that he is none of those things. You want to call Barack Obama Hitler? Then show me Hitler's Tucson.
So while Obama's words were more condemning of the Democratic discourse of the past few days, the speech itself was a ringing rebuke of all the Republican delusions, the delusions that the Democratic government is evil, that it's full of Manchurian candidates and sleeper agents and gran'ma-smotherers, that it's on the verge of turning America into the Union of the Third Reich of Kenyanistan. In one fell swoop, Obama pulled his entire party away from the brink of confrontation with a weaponized political lunacy and stood, alone on a stage, staring all the hordes down, like Wyatt Earp at the OK Corral, daring them to draw their guns and aim their sights and try to take him down, that no cross-hair or brandished gun can stop the power of love and hope, that no bullet can defeat the strength of the human spirit to open its eyes, and that there is no hate that cannot be washed away by rainpuddles.
I am glad that this man is our President.
such as when he sort of laughed about how the guys tackled Loughner, as though it was such a heroic act that even he couldn't believe it, turning a routine ceremonial thanks into something more personal.
(He also managed to maintain his tempo evenly throughout the 30 minutes, which is difficult to do even if you don't have impromptu cheers interrupting you and urging you in a campaign-style atmosphere)
I was in Mile High stadium for the acceptance speech and I was glued to my television in 2004 when he spoke at the DNC. This speech was great, but those shook the earth.
The thing that stands out to me is his impeccable timing. He speaks like Sinatra sings, with flawless instinct and timing. He knows when to be plaintive, when to be thoughtful, when to ignore the cheers and turn up the volume.
"And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let’s remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation, in a way that would make them proud."
what i also love is how he's able to express complexities in a clear way, without dumbing them down.
example:
he accomplishes so much in this single, dexterous sentence. he acknowledges the tragedy, acknowledges what is being said about the tragedy, what is true and what isn't true about what was said, and then asks us to elevate ourselves from this tragedy in order to properly memorialize this tragedy. he essentially refocuses the conversation with just this. and, evidently, he wrote most of it himself.
agree or disagree with his policies, but you really cannot dispute the depth of his intellectual understanding of the issues, or of emotions.
Hey I was in Denver too that glorious evening! I will never forget it. Remember the soft breeze floating around the stadium and the perfect weather that felt to me like the spirit of Dr.King, JFK, RFK were there joining us in that incredible moment? I continue to be moved so much by this man. Like others described such as NBC's Savannah Guthrie who is a Tucson native, she said the feeling in the arena was electric and people were hungry for something to cheer for.
All I can say is bravo, and if I know one thing, it's that thoughts and prayers have been answered and manifested in this exceptional human being, our President Barack Obama. I for one will continue to pray for his protection and level headed calm zen-like wisdom. Lead on Sir, lead on!
Here is a clip of the Denver 2.5 min ovation he got when he walked out to ...oh ya... his campaign song..U2's COBL!! I was sitting in the same area. At one point halfway through you can hear the stadium rumble from the foot stomping going on like a U2 show! This was amazing! It did feel like we had united the energy of good for a time that night.
YouTube - Obama Speech at Invesco Field from The Cheap Seats, Democratic Convention in Denver 2008
I remember the Focus on the Family folks down in the Springs praying for rain. And it turned out to be the most GLORIOUS Colorado evening. The temperature of your living room, with not a cloud in the sky. The sun set over the Rockies and painted the sky over the stadium in a perfect gradient of bright orange and dark blue.
It was as if God was telling the nuts, "if you think I'm on YOUR side, you've got another thing coming. YOU'RE the false prophets I was talking about in the Bible!"
what i also love is how he's able to express complexities in a clear way,
agree or disagree with his policies, but you really cannot dispute the depth of his intellectual understanding of the issues, or of emotions.
Hahaha! Funny! And remember the Rep. convention was washed out by a hurricane? HA! That was the biggest karmic sign of all. Plus I don't know what this means but I am a big believer in signs and divine messages. I noticed how the number 8 and 4 played a part of that election way back. That night was 8/28/08 =26 2+6=8 His birthday is August the 8th month on 4th, the election was on 11/04/08 and he was elected the 44th president. 4+4=8 Weird huh? No clue what that means, just thought it was cool how that worked. I also am very intuitive and I actually had a preminision about the inauguration years before it happened. It was really strange but I knew he was going to be elected the first time I heard him speak in 2004. There's that number again (4)God, what an incredible, historic night that was. Still gives me chills. I don't think anyone will ever see anything like it again...in politics anyway.
I remember the Focus on the Family folks down in the Springs praying for rain. And it turned out to be the most GLORIOUS Colorado evening. The temperature of your living room, with not a cloud in the sky. The sun set over the Rockies and painted the sky over the stadium in a perfect gradient of bright orange and dark blue.
It was as if God was telling the nuts, "if you think I'm on YOUR side, you've got another thing coming. YOU'RE the false prophets I was talking about in the Bible!"
Hahaha! Funny! And remember the Rep. convention was washed out by a hurricane? HA! That was the biggest karmic sign of all.
I don't really take the same tactless approach as you, FG, but essentially I am thinking the same thing, despite being an Obama supporter.Are you sure?
I still think reckon he's a sleazy lawyer in an empty suit.
The Sinatra comparison is very apposite.
His financial backers are interesting, I suspect.
Why is he there, why did he get the job, who's really behind him? Those kind of questions are worth asking.
"The Fed No Longer Even Denies that the Purpose of Its Latest Blast of Bond Purchases ... Is To Drive Up Wall Street" | zero hedge
Are you sure?
I still think reckon he's a sleazy lawyer in an empty suit.
The Sinatra comparison is very apposite.
His financial backers are interesting, I suspect.
Why is he there, why did he get the job, who's really behind him? Those kind of questions are worth asking.
"The Fed No Longer Even Denies that the Purpose of Its Latest Blast of Bond Purchases ... Is To Drive Up Wall Street" | zero hedge
The way he has navigated the landmines of the Presidential office are very interesting, and he's playing a long-term game I think we don't have our heads around yet.
He is an excellent diplomat given the system he has been handed to work in, but there is no real transformative change in his agenda. The way he has navigated the landmines of the Presidential office are very interesting, and he's playing a long-term game I think we don't have our heads around yet.
Jury's out, I suppose, as it should be when someone is only half through his term.
He really hit it out of the park with that speech. I never remarked on it on this forum, but it has been almost universally praised.
Good job, speechwriters
He really hit it out of the park with that speech. I never remarked on it on this forum, but it has been almost universally praised.
Good job, speechwriters
"I think he's enacted a program that a great many people are very worried about," Cheney told NBC's Jamie Gangel.
"And that there's a lot of support out there for the effort to repeal that health care package."
The former vice president said Obama's other big weakness is his failure to realize the public wants smaller government.
Continuing on, from the oh-so-brilliant mind of Rick Santorum today:
Santorum invokes Obama’s race in abortion debate - Yahoo! News