Obama's speech, 2-9-09

[Capt Worley PE]

You know, I watched Obama’s speech last night, and I have a few comments.

I didn’t much care for his tone at all. It reminded me of a frustrated kindergarten teacher trying to get her class to do something it obviously didn’t want to do. It seems he’s getting frustrated that people aren’t blindly carrying out his orders. That’s bad in a couple of ways.

It doesn’t bode well for his disposition for the next four years, because people ARE going to disagree with him. It also makes him look like he EXPECTS people to do what he says. I hate to break it to him, but we all have opinions and thoughts on how things need to be done, and they ain’t all gonna mesh with his opinions and ideas.

He also alienated a large part of the populace by saying he just can’t negotiate with people who want to do nothing. I think they should do nothing. Explain to me why we should do something, convince me. He has yet to do this, nobody has really, and it is clear from last night he isn’t willing to try.

At least four times, he mentioned ‘the failed policies of the last eight years.’ The election’s over. Putting blame on the past makes you look bad. Blaming the past four times (at least) in one speech makes you look very bad.

I also noticed that he mentioned the same number of times that he inherited a deficit of a trillion dollars. On this he is correct. However, he wants to double it within his first month in office. He didn’t point THAT out.

Who was that moron reporter that asked about baseball? Obama should have cut him off with a ‘we’re here to talk about important things’ type of rebuff. I think that was a missed opportunity.

Was it me, or did he slip and said Iran had a nuke? I thought I heard it. I either misheard, he misspoke, or he let something slip.

Really, I think he’s trying, but I think he’s in way over his head. I don’t think he gets the issues completely, doesn’t know what to do about it, and can’t take disagreement.

I hope he improves.

 

[kevo_55]

I watched the speech and thought it was ok.

I was happier that NBC didn't cut Heroes!!!

 

[DVINNY]

His speech....... where do I even start.

Captain summed it up pretty well though. He is a smug son-of-a-gun that has ALOT to learn. His inexperience really showed last night. He did act like a kid who isn't getting their way.

I can't believe he sat there and said how republicans "Want to blow up the school systems" and that they are the ones who's "failed policies of the last 8 years got us into this" blah blah blah.

Does he think the American people are that clueless? to believe this crap? If Bush would have said that Dems wanted "to blow anything up" the media would have crusified him.

Also, the "failed policies" of the inflated stock market and fixed books of the Clinton era is what started this mess. All the bloated, fake economy began on his watch. It actually was slowly coming down under Bush's to its rightful state.

And although Bush was the spendiest administration, (I disagree with most of it) a big majority of that spending was on defense contracts that put our people to work.

So O'bamma's answer is to spend 200+ million per job to be created? WTF kind of stimulus is that?

It's a sham. And a shame.

 

[krenim]

I was also mystified by the inane questions some of the reporters asked.

The "reporter" from NPR that sycophantically said "If you can't get bi-partisan support on spending money and cutting taxes on this stimulus bill, and everyone agrees that's good, how will you get bi-partisan support on areas where there is disagreement, like national health care?" WTF??? Everyone DOESN'T agree you moron, that's why there's not bi-partisan support. There isn't even a frickin' majority of the public that agrees! The last poll data I saw was something like 35% pass as is, 35% pass WITH MAJOR CHANGES, 17% don't pass at all. Of course the fawning media spun that as 70% of the public wants this bill passed now!

 

[Road Guy]

i turned it off when he said "only government can fix this"

 

[cement]

that softball q & a sure looked like a fix

"giving money to rich people doesn't work" hello, are these the employers that you are talking about?

and now he is backing away from creating jobs and talking about saving and creating. how do you measure saving?

middle class tax cuts are just a way to ensure that more than 50% pay no taxes. a guaranteed electorate, purchased by the producers in this country.

 

[Freon]

I only caught the recap, but it backs up what I thought ever since the primaries. My comments, in no particular order:

1) Obama is an "empty suit"; the fawning media made him a celebrity and people voted for the "celebrity". He does not have the toolbox needed to be President; but he has the work order.

2) I think he wants to do the right thing, but he is got a sea anchor keeping him from making progress called the DNC. He is already saddled with a party-hack VP who can't keep his mouth shut, and I'm sure he has a few more embarrasing moments to come with his cabinet. Tax issues aside, he has some questionalbe people in big-time positions. Making Gates Sec of Def and Clinton Sec of State were good moves in my opinion. They have the stones to handle those jobs. (Even if Hillary is a walking example of "conflict of interest")

3) The quicker he pulls a Bill Clinton and stakes out his turf with the DNC, Nancy and Harry the better. He knows that his majority in the House can vanish in the blink of an eye, so he needs to act accordingly. That means not doing anything to make the recently elected, moderate representatives nervious. Nancy P. and Harry R. are not his friends!

4) Yes, he sounded like a spoiled child.

5) He first real test is to come, when Ginsberg (The most unqualified person ever to sit on the Supreme Court) calls it quits; he will have a long list of hyper-liberal, and grossly unqualified, canidates shoved in his face. Will he have filled-out his suit enough to put a qualified, but surely left-of-center individual on the court?

Freon

 

[Road Guy]

Bush didnt really cut taxes on the magnitude of Reagan, look at Reagans 1980 speech where basically he said "the government cant fix this problem" But I think before Reagan there were tax brackets upward of 50% also...

The federal government cant really create or kill jobs, only private companies can do that (except of course for government jobs).

Did Bill Clinton really have such magical economic policies during the 90's that generated a decade of "record growth / increased consumer debt" or did other factors in the economy such as the internet and .com boom that took off (and ended) during the 90's???

If he did I would really like to know what they were ,other than NAFTA, I honestly cant really recall anything spectacular put out by the federal government..

 

[tymr]

I noticed his comment last night about being the eternal optimist, but he's been saying, repeatedly, that things are going to get worse before they get better, and everyone needs a little skin in the game. He also pointed out the deficit doubled in the last eight years as a way of justifying a trillion dollar debt for one year. Brilliant.

 

[Slugger926]

Bush didnt really cut taxes on the magnitude of Reagan, look at Reagans 1980 speech where basically he said "the government cant fix this problem" But I think before Reagan there were tax brackets upward of 50% also...
The federal government cant really create or kill jobs, only private companies can do that (except of course for government jobs).

Did Bill Clinton really have such magical economic policies during the 90's that generated a decade of "record growth / increased consumer debt" or did other factors in the economy such as the internet and .com boom that took off (and ended) during the 90's???

If he did I would really like to know what they were ,other than NAFTA, I honestly cant really recall anything spectacular put out by the federal government..

Technology and innovations break the economic cycles. Yes, Clinton benefitted from the .com and internet boom, and if you notice, he didn't get too close to wall street during the boom times due to Greenspan also warning him of the future collapse.

 

[krenim]

...Greenspan also warning him of the future collapse.

Which, if allowed to happen at the end of the .com mess, would have softened the "catastrophe" we have now. Greenspan's incessant tinkering with interest rates fueled the housing bubble before and especially after 9/11.

 

[MGX]

I think he's dropping a big, steamy pile when he says that this shouldn't be debated.

Like flooding the market with nearly a trillion dollars won't have a long term negative effect. I despise the attitude that if one debates it, then you're stupid.

If it were debated, I think it would fall flat on its face.

/former university debate team member and veteran toastmaster

On a side note, I visited my bank to get some grocery money. A group of elderly men hang out in the lobby drinking coffee before the bank opens. I overheard them talking about the great depression. One, who was very old, said "during the depression, I built a lean-to out of lumber I stole from a hardware store and had a dirt floor. "This Obummer fellas saying today is worse"! "What a load of hogwash!"

 

[ktulu]

I thought he sounded like a used car salesman.

And for a great orator, he sure did say "ah" and "um" a good bit.

 

[benbo]

"This Obummer fellas saying today is worse"! "What a load of hogwash!"

Obama is saying what he thinks he needs to say to get this thing passed, but the more "chicken little" he gets, the longer it will be for the country to pull itself out of this morass. Because more than anything else, I believe this is a crisis in confidence in the country, and I believe that because I have no confidence. I need to buy a new car, and this would probably be the perfect time for me to do it. I could pay cash too. But since I have no idea whether they will screw this economy up more, and throw me out of work, the better my old cars look.

The more money they throw at stuff, without any details, debate, or explanation, the less they appear to know what they are doing. Look at Geithner. He comes out and talks and the market drops 5%.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Because more than anything else, I believe this is a crisis in confidence in the country, and I believe that because I have no confidence.

When your entire currency and economy is based upon confidence, a crisis of confidence is a big effin' deal.

 

[benbo]

When your entire currency and economy is based upon confidence, a crisis of confidence is a big effin' deal.

Do you stalk me to post after my every post?

I know it's a big deal.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Do you stalk me to post after my every post?I know it's a big deal.

No, and I wasn't even disagreeing with you this time. Just making a statement.

 

[benbo]

No, and I wasn't even disagreeing with you this time. Just making a statement.

Oh. Never mind. I misunderstood. I guess I'm just used to you disagreeing with me.

 

[Road Guy]

the more i think about the 90's and 80's I think it was good to have opposte party's in the oval office and congress, the more they fight amongst themselves the more it allows businesses the opportunity to get things done, having one party in 2000-08 gave them ample opprtunity to totally screw things up....

I bet you wont see wall street budge until the midterm elections....

 

[Guest]

I didn't watch it .. don't care to see/hear the news media recaps - I am tired of polyannish approach that seems to have been embraced! Moreover, I am tired of watching armchair legistlatures act as if they have the answers to the country's economic downturn rather than heeding the advice of noted economists - sorta like playing doctor (or engineer) when you aren't licensed to practice in those areas. :2cents:

Obama is saying what he thinks he needs to say to get this thing passed, but the more "chicken little" he gets, the longer it will be for the country to pull itself out of this morass. Because more than anything else, I believe this is a crisis in confidence in the country, and I believe that because I have no confidence. I need to buy a new car, and this would probably be the perfect time for me to do it. I could pay cash too. But since I have no idea whether they will screw this economy up more, and throw me out of work, the better my old cars look.
The more money they throw at stuff, without any details, debate, or explanation, the less they appear to know what they are doing. Look at Geithner. He comes out and talks and the market drops 5%.

I completely agree. I need a new car and a few other things ... yet, I am unwilling to budge for the very same reasons.

I bet you wont see wall street budge until the midterm elections....

I tend to agree. Moreover, I tend to believe due to the fickle nature of the american populace and this huge shit sandwich we have inherited, you are going to see a succession of one-term presidents since nobody is going to be happy with hearing, sorry, we can't save ALL of you.

JR