Eugene Robinson: Obama's Oval Office speech was good, but the gravitas was great

[babylonsister]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/08/obamas_oval_office_speech_was.html


Obama's Oval Office speech was good, but the gravitas was great


President Obama’s Oval Office speech was good, but the iconography was great.

In his address marking the effective end of the Iraq War, Obama used the setting well. The flags behind him, the family pictures on either side, the flag pin in his lapel, the red tie, white shirt and blue suit... it all projected patriotism and authority.

One thing that worked in the speech was his drawing a straight line between the vast monetary cost of the war and the economic slough of despond in which we're mired. One thing that didn't work was his assertion that with the end of combat in Iraq, we were turning a page. We're still at war, and Obama said that now more resources are available for Afghanistan.

Politicos will be universally dissatisfied. Liberals will say he gave George W. Bush too much credit; conservatives, not enough. But I think he did himself and his party some good tonight. He was generous enough to Bush, resolute in his intentions and obviously sincere in his praise of the troops. He wore the presidency with an accessory that Americans expect and appreciate: gravitas.

[GeorgeGist]

1. And ...

the hubris was shameless.

[babylonsister]

2. How so, George? Please explain, thanks. nt

[geek tragedy]

7. He was uppity, apparently. nt

[zipplewrath]

11. Don't know about George

But all that "turn the page" crap was just so much self serving nonsense to avoid having to address both the criminal mistakes of the past that he refuses to confront, or to have to justify repeating all of it in Afghanistan.

[BeyondGeography]

3. Hubris?

:dunce:

[Frustratedlady]

4. ????? I don't understand, either. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

9. Ha! When you start stealing Freeper talking points...

.... eh, but what do I know? I'm just a Kool Aid drinker.

[Arkana]

14. Too uppity for you, was he?

[WI_DEM]

5. Some don't understand that a president is supposed to unite a country

and that is what Obama did. It was a great speech and the reviews he has been getting except from the usual suspects on the far left and right have been good.

[Clio the Leo]

8. Thank you. nt

[zipplewrath]

12. The problem is

He is "uniting" the country by "giving cover to the criminals".

He's also suppose to enforce the laws and he's letting them all get away with murder.

[Enrique]

6. and better than all of that...

there appears to be real change in the war, in the right direction (in Iraq). That's what counts the most, what actually happens.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

10. a point often forgotten.

:thumbsup:

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

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