The President gave his speech last night to Congress and the American people. Of course, Obama gives great speeches (with a teleprompter) so that was the easy part. Overall I gave Obama a five out of 10 on the speech. The five was for his delivery. Partisanship and length cost him in my book.
I thought the speech was way too long. The opening about the economy seemed out of place. It’s hard to bring people together, when you are kind of saying look what we’ve done after the other guys screwed it up. His line, “But we did not come here just to clean up crises” kind of started the partisanship of the speech.
Obama has a history of placing blame on the previous administration and that is getting old with many people. His poll numbers are showing it – especially his favorable ratings with independents have fallen like a rock. Everyone who follows campaigns knows the independents are very important for every candidate to win their contest.
Obama brought up reason after reason for revamping the delivery of healthcare. I think the American people wanted substance. We got some substance, but it was later in the speech after many of us had glossy eyes and were checking our twitter accounts for comments.
So, Obama lost many of us until Rep. Joe Wilson shouted “You lie” and then I thought it was going to get good. Of course, I remember a few times during President Bush’s presidency some shouts and a grumble or two coming from the lefties in the crowd…but that was OK because it was evil Bush giving the speech.
Speaking of Wilson, I posted a comment on Twitter last night basically saying if he really meant that Obama lied, why apologize. He could have said something like, “I should not have shouted at the President, but he really did lie with his statement because…” I went to Wilson’s website this morning and got this, “Due to exceptionally high traffic, this site is temporarily unavailable.” Funny.
Not to let Obama have all the glory, Max Baucus took the opportunity to send out an e-mail that arrived in my Inbox during the President’s speech. He told me he was “Back At It” and that “August was a great month” and “Now is the Time” for healthcare reform. Max may be the key to healthcare reform in the senate, and that should give all of us a reason to worry. By the way, I have not seen Max make the Sunday talk show rounds yet. If his plan is so good why not get on national TV, talk about it, and answer questions?
I guess the bottom line to all this healthcare talk is that the Democrats are in charge and can do with it what they wish. I think that is what they are most afraid of – passing something that will harm Obama’s chances at reelection and each member’s chances of reelection. That is the way most of our elected officials view things these days.
The Western Word 
"Obama is the teleprompter prez. He sucks without one."
Yes, that's why he can actually have a press conference and intelligently express his views extemporaneously via our English language. Because he's the "telepromter prez".
I hear an echo, do you too?
With Wilson… My view is that you're going to nut up and do something like that – then own it. Pretty classy all and all though.
And, to add to the economy…
Obama was but 1 of 100 in the Senate. AND if Bush didn't like what was passed to him, the man had VETO power. Did he use it?
Anyhow, I'm not one to believe that the economy was, "all Bush's fault", rather I believe that the Republican party as a whole didn't do much to help themselves. Not shouldering a load of responsibility for this mess we find ourselves in seems rather convenient… and then offsetting the blame back to Obama seems hypocritical at best.
As far as Bush's bailouts, if our economy rounds the corner, I don't think he's immune from thanks for acting in our interests. But, when people see every bailout and then pick and choose which are the good (Bush's) and which are the bad ones (Obama's) by all the blogging economic scholars we have around here it seems a tad unfair too.
My personal favorite though, when people begin to opine about these bailouts and the addition of them to the deficit is the forgotten addition of the cost of the Iraq war to our debt load. And I'm not alone with that one – there are plenty of respected conservative commentators that believe the same thing. George Will to name one. You likely know the others. That's a whole 'nother can of beans of course… but since you were on the economy and deficit and all…
Hey Anon:
1. Obama is the teleprompter prez. He sucks without one.
2. Wilson-Maybe so. No backbone was what I was thinking.
3. Economy- Yep all Bush's fault. Except the Senate was controlled by the dems the last two years of Bush's admin and now the whole show is his.
3A-Economy – Since the first stimulus was passed under the Bush admin, does he get credit when it comes out of the funk?
Thanks for visiting.
-Jack
1. Every president for at least the last 2 decades has used a teleprompter, especially for speeches like this. What is your point, really?
2. So, why DID Wilson suddenly become contrite? What, I thought he was standing on principal and all that, and then back peddle… hmmm
Maybe, just maybe, he apologized because he was wrong and knew he voiced it in the most inarticulate way at the worst venue possible. Perhaps that's the reason?
3. The fact is that this president did inherit an economy that was/is teetering into the outhouse with record deficit spending that was approved by a so-called conservative Bush. Maybe hearing that reality hurts you – but me, I'm tired of hearing how the economy took a dump because of Obama in the Right-Wing echo chamber. Ain't true. And no matter how many times it's said it's true, doesn't make it so.