"He looked and sounded presidential at a moment when the eyes of the world were on him."

[jefferson_dem]

Analysis: Obama's Gravitas

Barack Obama's press conference this morning in Amman, Jordan, was a major moment -- perhaps the major moment -- of the Illinois senator's much-ballyhooed trip abroad this week.

All eyes were on Obama to see how he would perform on a world stage with every political reporter of any consequence either on the trip with him or watching closely on television.

And, as he has done before in the course of the campaign, Obama seemed to be up to the moment -- sensing the need to convey gravitas and bipartisanship while also strongly defending his own beliefs about America's role in Iraq and the broader Middle East.

Gone were the jokes and "rah rah" language that won over many Obama partisans but left many undecided voters wondering whether there was any there there when it came to the Illinois senator. Instead, we saw a serious explication of his position on removing combat troops in Iraq, a position bolstered in recent days by repeated calls by the Iraqi government to remove U.S. military forces from the country by 2010.

<SNIP>

While Obama largely avoided any attack on McCain or his approach to Iraq, he did offer a vigorous defense of his plan to redeploy troops from the country and dismissed the idea that there were only two ways to approach the future of American involvement: a rigid timetable or an open-ended commitment.

"I reject that those are the only two options," said Obama, adding: "My job, should I be commander-in-chief, is to set a strategic vision for what's best for U.S. national security" -- a directive that requires flexibility and a belief that the situation is not as Manichean as many people in the states present it."

<SNIP>

Overall, however, Obama cleared a crucial bar in today's press conference. He looked and sounded presidential at a moment when the eyes of the world were on him.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/07/analysis_obamas_gravitas.html

[stray cat]

1. I didn't see his answers to the press - how do you think it went?

[jefferson_dem]

2. ...

:thumbsup: all the way. I posted a couple videos in the forum. Also, seek out the "heads up" thread for play-by-play reactions.

:hi:

[stray cat]

21. Thanks - for the quick summary . Excellent! MSNBC was hoping the reporters would nail him...

[GalleryGod]

25. Feck them..Especially MIKA-DOUCHEBAG for LIBERTY

still feedin' off DADDY's LAST name.

[Coexist]

6. he rocked it. Perfectly.

[speedoo]

13. He was pretty much rock-solid-perfect.

The man is just exceptional. He's an amazing combination of great intelligence, superb politcal awareness/instincts, presence and ability to express himself very well.

That press conference might very well turn out to be the moment when he won the presidency.

[EnviroBat]

22. He was great. It looked as if the U.S. had an intelligent, diplomatic

President for once. The RW was so hoping for the press to trip him up somehow, to make him look amateurish in some way. Didn't happen. Obama laid his plans, and observations out for the world to hear, and he spoke with conviction. Not the stupid half-ass, arrogant spin answers and retarded chuckling that we've been subjected to for almost 8 miserable years now.

[TwilightGardener]

3. That's exactly what he needed to do. Good job.

[Median Democrat]

4. Call Me Petty, But He Should Just Answer The First Of These Five Part Questions

Did any of the news anchors take any classes in journalism? Talk about a long wind-up. Andrea Mitchell must have taken about 3 minutes to get out her five part question, and I was cranking up the volume to try to here. This, of course, encouraged other journalists to follow suit by asking strings of questions.

I would just answer the first question, and invite people to follow up on the first question.

[Median Democrat]

5. Delete

*

[jefferson_dem]

7. Desert Is Hot; Obama Stays Cool

Desert Is Hot; Obama Stays Cool
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008



The wind-swept press corps doesn’t break through with (or news from) the globe-trotting Senator in 45-minute Jordan presser.

http://thepage.time.com/2008/07/22/obama-expected-to-hold-presser-in-jordan-tuesday-2/

[TwilightGardener]

9. Looks hot out there in a suit, doesn't it?

Glad he's got two old hands backing him up--thank you, Reed and Hagel.

[Cha]

17. Wow..what a

backdrop!

[beachmom]

8. K & R. Wow, you can't get better coverage than that. nt

[MarjorieG]

10. Really wonderful, big picture and cool. Will this make it to print?

[jenmito]

11. K&5th R!

The press was dying for him to mess up. They were disappointed. BEFORE it, someone on MSNBC said this WILL be the turning point in his trip. They were talking about how the reporters have been waiting for days to "get to him," they surely saw his interviews on tv and would be able to ask him some really tough questions.

Did you see Andrea Mitchell with the first question? She asked about four questions and he answered them all-perfectly.

[Skidmore]

12. He looked interested in hearing what people were saying to him and

not just dictating solutions that prop up ideological talking points.

[pberq]

14. That's the essential difference between a Democrat and a Republican

[LSK]

15. you havnt seen anything yet, wait till he speaks in front of the Brandenburg Gate

:popcorn:

[truthisfreedom]

16. Notice how Obama uses phrases like "My job, should I be commander-in-chief, " instead of "when I am

elected President" or "As President of the United States" like nearly every other candidate in history has used as a sort of bootstrapping method of suggestion.

Obama doesn't need to pretend he's President already. He's got us doing that for him. The whole world is doing that for him.

[Cha]

19. And, as Obama has

used before in his campaign so I think he's evolved on this. It is a "job" not some glorified title.

[bdamomma]

18. 93 degrees in Jordan.

[opihimoimoi]

20. The MAN ROCKS...Head and Shoulders above McShorty

:toast:

[depakid]

23. "Tell ya what mate, he sounds like US president "

-observation from an Aussie after hearing an excerpt from one of Obama's speeches.

[Hekate]

24. "Manichean"--he used the word "Manichean" & I weep for joy that we could have a Pres with an IQ...

... above room temperature.

Oh wait. At some point the RW will point out that speaking in compound sentences while using big words is a sign of elitism.

Still, I live in hope that most of the American people are over the notion that an idiot could run the nation into anything more than the ground.

Hekate

[Duke Newcombe]

28. To be fair...

I had to look that one up. A bit of a "dressy" way to explain "there is no 'good vs. evil' dualism", IMHO. However, that's leagues better than cringing whenever I hear the President of my nation utter sounds he believes are words.

Duke

[indepat]

26. If looking and sounding presidential mattered a hoot, would junior have ever been elected, er

selected? :D

[Major Hogwash]

27. Yes, we can! Obama is da man!!

There is no doubt about it now!