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Edited on Fri Sep-09-11 08:37 AM by ChairmanAgnostic
I have read glowing reports about Obama's talk last night. Some people caught on quickly, others were mesmerized by his style, still others thought he rehashed old plans with a new tie and top hat.
Frankly, it was powerful, somewhat emotional, talk and therefore welcome. It showed a president who seems to be getting our message, but for all those pesky details.
Some argue that offering a too large of a plan would doom his chances. Some say, Obama properly made a decent, albeit small offer, hitting the right tones about jobs and what every district needs in terms of infrastructure. Some say, actually quite a few say, aim for what you can get, because that is a business plan that works.
To the sum of all those somes, I call bullshit.
Business requires a plan, a budget, a way to convince shareholders and banksters that you know what the fuck you are doing. Rates of return, growth on investment, cost benefit ratios, expansion plans - these are all B U S I N E S S . While a very few politicians talk about rates of return, most know that is a failed, flawed approach that never wins in the ballot box.
Politics is something completely different. Politics involves both emotion and logic. It requires someone able to move people, to make the idea of punching the button, marking the X, or filling in the ballot with that name, a good idea. Something worth doing. One thing that the GOP has down pat is the emotional stuff. They lie, make up facts, and still manage to convince a majority of people to vote against their own interests. Hell of a job, too. Tea Baggers are a prime example of sheeple being confused to their own detriment (Except those who fund them, the Kochs, etc. Those assholes know exactly what is going on).
Politics, successful politics, requires a dream. It requires reaching far above your reach. It involves tickling the hearts and filling the minds with inspiration, hope, and vision. If a businessman tried to run his/her company like a political movement, (Unless they operated a religious group or a cult), they would fail miserably. The same goes for politics. If you try to run your campaign, your political office, your country, like a business, you will fail. You will aim too low. You will appear too cautious and timid. You will appear too willing to compromise, simply for the purpose of compromising.
That is what was wrong in Obama's speech. No matter how well delivered, no matter how good a few details were, it was still a business approach to politics, not a political approach to allow our country to dream for success.
Did Obama reach for the stars last night?
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