A Tale of Two Speeches
"Wednesday was bookended by two remarkable -- and remarkably different -- political performances that demonstrated the vast expanse of America's political landscape," the New York Times reports.
"But what could not have been more different was the tone. Where Ms. Palin was direct and forceful, Mr. Obama was soft and restrained. Where Ms. Palin was accusatory, Mr. Obama appeared to go out of his way to avoid pointing fingers or assigning blame. Where she stressed the importance of fighting for our different beliefs, he emphasized our need for unity, referring to the 'American family -- 300 million strong.'"
Politico: "At sunrise in the east on Wednesday, Sarah Palin demonstrated that she has little interest -- or capacity -- in moving beyond her brand of grievance-based politics. And at sundown in the west, Barack Obama reminded even his critics of his ability to rally disparate Americans around a message of reconciliation."
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/01/13/a_tale_of_two_speeches.html