Obama's Speech: A Tour de Force
Submitted by Bob Hertzog on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 12:36pm.
Tags: Obama, economy, bailout, Stimulus, Jindal, recovery
President Barack Obama delivered a political tour de force Tuesday evening, with his speech to the U.S. Congress and the American people. Almost everyone agrees that the President is a superb public speaker and last evening’s effort surely did nothing to detract from that view. But, it is not his speaking ability alone that made this speech so outstanding. Primarily, it is the new path Obama outlined for this nation.
When President Ronald Reagan took office in 1980, he set the nation on an economic path of deregulation and a laissez faire approach to business that eventually led to the collapse of our economy that we have experienced. In his speech, President Obama pledged to reverse much of the Reagan economic revolution. His proposal is, in fact, a complete overhaul of the American economic system.
The speech recognized the difficult times we are experiencing but presented a defiantly optimistic mood: “Though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: we will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States will emerge stronger than before.” Obama praised the American people for their ingenuity, perseverance and hard work, expressing confidence that once set on the right path American drive, energy and our dynamic entrepreneurship will put us back on top. “A generosity, a resilience, a decency and determination that perseveres; a willingness to take responsibility for our future …. Those forces have made American the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history…” He declared, “it is time to summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit.”
The speech covered a broad range of subjects. It would take much too much space here to cover in detail all the aspects of this 52 minute speech, but here are a few words about the different issues the president raised.
Obama said that our inefficient health-care system cost American lives and drains our economy. We have no choice but to overhaul it. He vowed to do this in the next year. This is necessary and both Republicans and Democrats agree on that. The question is how? Perhaps it is optimistic to believe that this can be done in a year, but I hope the President is right.
The President said that if we are to compete globally, in the future, we will need to improve the education of Americans. He recognized that “No Child Left Behind” was a start, but we must do more. Our high school dropout rate is much too high and too few American young people are getting a college degree. The President emphasized a point with which every educator would agree. Education starts at home, he argued, and he admonished parents to take a hand in their child’s education. He also made a promise to young people seeking a college degree. If they are willing to devote a period of their lives to support America, America will see that a college degree is financially within their reach.
He promised to take on international terrorists the way we should have been going after them since 9-11. He said we will use all our power, both military and diplomatic, to prevent terrorists from sitting in relatively safe areas to plot against us. In addition, the President vowed to return the Nation of Iraq to the Iraqis.
With respect to the banking crisis, Obama said he understood how unpopular it was for the government to be bailing out banks, given that their bad decisions have been a major cause of our current economic problems. “I get it,” he said. Nevertheless, he argued that the bailout of banks was not to help the banks but to help people and business, whose spending drives our economy. Obama, noted that credit drives our economy, without relatively free-flowing credit, our economy would stagnate for years and our recovery would be dramatically slowed. So the bank bailout is a necessary part of America’s recovery.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave the Republican response to the President’s speech. He said that Republicans wanted exactly the same things for which the President argued, but that Republicans had different means of getting there. Jindal devoted most of his speech to criticizing the economic recovery package that was just passed. He pointed to several specific criticisms of that legislation, however, he did not respond in any significant way to the arguments Obama made.
Some people have criticized Obama’s speech for its lack of detail. Let me give you a speech teacher’s response to that criticism. This is not the type of speech where one should expect detail. The President intended to set the nation on a path that he believes will bring about economic recovery. The purpose of this type of speech is a broad outline, a big picture. If he had to give details of all the things he proposed, he would still be speaking. Indeed, the details of any legislation that emerges from Obama’s initiatives will have to be worked out in congressional negotiations.
Under Obama’s leadership, we will set a new tone for the relationship between government and our economy. Ronald Reagan said that “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Obama answered that claim Tuesday night: “I reject the view that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity.”
It is a new day. If I can borrow another phrase from President Ronald Reagan, “It’s morning again in America.”
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Unfortunately I have yet to hear the President's State of the Union Address. Things have been a bit crazy for the past couple of weeks. However, I have read what you wrote as well as a few other comments about the speech.
There is no doubt that our President is a great public speaker. There is a lot of doubt in my mind that his ideas will lead to the outcome he is hoping for. He is great at talking the talk yet falls way short already in walking the walk. You just have to look at his recent nominations to see where he falls short on walking the walk.
I hope he finds a way to get things done that do not cost us our future. I am not a fan of socialism and no matter who tries to spin it or how hard they work at it, this President is working very hard to move our country even closer to true socialism then we have ever come before.
There are a million reasons not to do something, you just need to find the one reason to do it.
I agree with K-rock in this case. Obama speaks well and probably means well, but when the rubber really meets the road, will all four wheels be aligned and the vehicle in gear?
This is the uncertainty that has the markets losing energy as they tread water, waiting for their feet to touch some firm ground.
"The signal from the stock market and polls is clear: Restoring Americans’ economic confidence will require something more than throwing federal dollars at banks, businesses, and consumers.
The issue of lost confidence – and how to revive it – is playing a more pivotal role in this recession than in others. The reason is that today’s problems are centered on the markets for credit, which is really just another word for trust."
http://features.csmonitor.com/economyrebuild/2009/02/24/how-to-close-ame...“If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Amen K-rock...
In a Socialist society, many have little incentive to do much more than is needed than just survival.. if most of the country can live off others money why would they want to succeed in any other way. Socialism in this country, it would just take away the incentive for many to produce.
...rather than reproduce.
“If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Bard you got in while I was typing..lol.. Great point...
An old quote of "Time Heals All Wounds" will factor well in this economy..
If the Government thinks throwing that money out will be a fix all they are miserably mistaking..
Consumers taking a step back and learning to live within their means will be of Great help to build back what has be lost. That will take time, many of todays people want to live in a "Want it right Now society"..
By spending the Stimulus money I would hope that it does not favor the Government becoming a more wretchedly inadequate mistake, feeding even more to the system hoping that will work..
I meant produce work wise ..
But, another good idea.. have more children so they will give them more help?
They are already cutting the $1000.00 a year for dependents back to $500.00... so the mentality of some maybe to get the same amount back... We will just have to double our amount of children we have....
Hello K-rock, Bard, and Mayhem... thanks to you all for your comments. I wonder what you expect to have happened, given 37 days in office. As I tried to point out the source of these problems began with Ronald Reagan in 1980. Are you expecting Obama to have them fixed in 37 days? Even the most optimistic economic forecasts say that our recovery will not begin until toward the end of the year or perhaps not until sometime in 2010. We have to give him a little more time than one month.
I honestly don't know if everything Obama wants is even possible, I do believe he has started the nation on the right track. I would, respectfully, suggest that conservatives should take the advice of Gov. Bobby Jindal, from his response speech, last evening. He said that when Obama is working toward something Republicans can support they will be strong partners. When they disagree, they will make their specific disagreements known. That's the way the a democratic system should work.
This came from a friend who is not the least bit happy as you can tell by their comments.
Let's Recap, Shall we?
1. The American people elect a President with a total of 142 days experience as a US Senator from the most politically corrupt state in America whose governor is ousted from office. The President's first official act is to order the close of Gitmo and make sure terrorists’ civil rights are not violated.
(He screwed up!!)
2. The U.S. Congress rushes to confirm a black Attorney General, Eric Holder, whose law firm we later find out represents seventeen Gitmo Terrorists.
(An honest mistake!)
3. We got the most corrupt female in America as Secretary of State; bought and paid for.
4. We got a Tax Cheat for Treasury Secretary who files his own taxes.
(He misspoke!)
5. A Commerce Secretary nominee who withdrew due to corruption charges.
(Another honest mistake???)
6. A Tax cheat nominee for Chief Performance Officer who withdrew under charges.
(Hmmm... another screw-up?)
7. A Labor Secretary nominee who withdrew under charges of unethical conduct.
(Ok, maybe this person was just plain stupid)
8. A Secretary HHS nominee who withdrew under charges of cheating on his taxes.
(I'm running out of excuses for these idiots!!)
9. Multiple appointments of former lobbyists after an absolute campaign statement that no lobbyists would be appointed.
(Dear God, I need a drink!)
And that's just the first three weeks. . . but who's counting?
America is being run by the modern-day Three Stooges ~ Barrack, Nancy, and Harry ~ and they are still trying to define stimulus..."it's spending"...
The congress passes the $800,000,000,000 (that's $800 billion) pork loaded spending bill where the government gives you a smidgen of your tax dollars ($13 per week) making you feel so good about yourself [stimulated] that you want to run out to Wal-Mart and buy a new Chinese-made HDTV and go home and watch Telemundo!
Only in America, what a country...
We are lost... Here's the good news though... Obama is taking Air Force One to Denver to sign the stimulus package, wasting as much as 10,000 gallons of fuel. Don't you just love this guy?
In these times "I'll keep my God, my freedom, my gun and my money.
You can keep "THE CHANGE".
Feel free to correct anything not accurate in the above line items. Call it a "Line Item Veto" privileges.
No we can not expect the problems to be resolved in 37 days, however based on the items above do you truly expect the problems to be resolved at all over the next 4 to 8 years?
There are a million reasons not to do something, you just need to find the one reason to do it.
Barry the Candy Man.
K-Rock's friend makes some very good points. And true, one month is not enough to judge an entire 4-year administration on. But these are extraordinary times, imo. And it calls for extraordinary boldness mixed with extraordinary caution and foresight. You can tell just by the poor quality of his appointments so far that something is wrong. Is it because Democrats are corrupt scofflaws? Or is it because legislators feel like they're above the law? Would we really have much different outcome if the Republicans were in charge? Who knows?
I don't think either candidate was the best America has to offer. But I fear for my country when good, honest, decent people don't step up to the plate and these other people are the best we have to work with...and you can see this problem not only in DC, but all the way down to the local school boards, county commission, county council, plan commission, BZA and township officials.
“If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe