Comments on: Two great articles about Obama’s speeches *UPDATED* http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/ Conservatives deal with facts and reach conclusions; liberals have conclusions and sell them as facts. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:11:08 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: judyrose http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20275 judyrose Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:24:33 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20275 Speaking of what Obama stands for, in my travels around the internet I've come across several photos of Obama campaign offices decorated with posters or flags depicting Che Guevara. You'd think he'd order them taken down - or maybe not. Speaking of what Obama stands for, in my travels around the internet I’ve come across several photos of Obama campaign offices decorated with posters or flags depicting Che Guevara. You’d think he’d order them taken down – or maybe not.

]]> By: Bill's Bites http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20272 Bill's Bites Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:48:45 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20272 <strong>2008.02.16 Politics and National Defense Roundup...</strong> This post will grow as the day goes on. Don't forget to check back later. Worth reading today: “I hope he heard the ticking before he was blown up.” The Final Atrocity Rule of law: Phoenix Answering Felipe Calderon: McClintock and Tancredo speak I... 2008.02.16 Politics and National Defense Roundup…

This post will grow as the day goes on. Don’t forget to check back later. Worth reading today: “I hope he heard the ticking before he was blown up.” The Final Atrocity Rule of law: Phoenix Answering Felipe Calderon: McClintock and Tancredo speak I…

]]> By: Al http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20268 Al Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:17:05 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20268 The third word Obama uses frequently in his addresses is "unity". I believe the appearance of the three in descending order are change, unity, and hope. Unity and hope are appealing concepts for the younger voter, and that is what Obama is attracting. For the Democrats he offers change from the Clintons, for those weary of vituperous arguments he offers unity, and for the young he offers the hope of all their dreams. Yes, we must read Obama's speeches in the cold light of the morning after, and insist all the nation do so as well. Al The third word Obama uses frequently in his addresses is “unity”. I believe the appearance of the three in descending order are change, unity, and hope. Unity and hope are appealing concepts for the younger voter, and that is what Obama is attracting. For the Democrats he offers change from the Clintons, for those weary of vituperous arguments he offers unity, and for the young he offers the hope of all their dreams.
Yes, we must read Obama’s speeches in the cold light of the morning after, and insist all the nation do so as well.
Al

]]> By: judyrose http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20263 judyrose Sat, 16 Feb 2008 04:00:59 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20263 The problem is not that you can't tell what Obama stands for. It's pretty clear what he stands for. The problem is that if people are reacting to him on the "chills" level instead of an intellectual level, or even on a values level (which one would hope has an intellectual basis, but you never can tell), then we might as well ask Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson to do the choosing. I'm hoping that if Obama's the nominee, then when it comes time for the debates with McCain (assuming) he'll have to talk about more than hope and change. I want people to listen (when it's not a revival meeting) to what he actually intends to do as president, and then judge the wisdom of putting a person with those intentions into the White House. I'm hoping people will reconsider, like Ira Smith (see the quote I shared in comment No. 25 above - and by the way, I love it that the comments are numbered) who read W. J. Bryan's speech the next day and realized that he disagreed with almost all of it. (My father always told me to choose a husband carefully. "What looks good in the moonlight", he said, "can look mighty different the next morning. You want one that holds up in the cold light of day.") Same thing here. We need to shine a little daylight on the man. I never said, not in my first comment or any that followed, that Obama doesn't have a plan. I'm merely addressing the emotional frenzy he seems able to generate, and the way that appears to have replaced, for many of his supporters, any thoughtful assessment of the candidate. The problem is not that you can’t tell what Obama stands for. It’s pretty clear what he stands for. The problem is that if people are reacting to him on the “chills” level instead of an intellectual level, or even on a values level (which one would hope has an intellectual basis, but you never can tell), then we might as well ask Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson to do the choosing.

I’m hoping that if Obama’s the nominee, then when it comes time for the debates with McCain (assuming) he’ll have to talk about more than hope and change. I want people to listen (when it’s not a revival meeting) to what he actually intends to do as president, and then judge the wisdom of putting a person with those intentions into the White House. I’m hoping people will reconsider, like Ira Smith (see the quote I shared in comment No. 25 above – and by the way, I love it that the comments are numbered) who read W. J. Bryan’s speech the next day and realized that he disagreed with almost all of it. (My father always told me to choose a husband carefully. “What looks good in the moonlight”, he said, “can look mighty different the next morning. You want one that holds up in the cold light of day.”) Same thing here. We need to shine a little daylight on the man.

I never said, not in my first comment or any that followed, that Obama doesn’t have a plan. I’m merely addressing the emotional frenzy he seems able to generate, and the way that appears to have replaced, for many of his supporters, any thoughtful assessment of the candidate.

]]> By: Helen Losse http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20258 Helen Losse Fri, 15 Feb 2008 23:43:33 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20258 Zhombre, Thank you for your honesty. Saying that "Obama is a liberal Democrat and I have since ceased to be one and thus I do not agree with him on the issues, nor agree with him on his basic governing philosophy." is a long way from saying Obama doesn't have a plan. Of course, he has a plan. You just don't like it, so you'll vote for someone else. That makes sense unlike some of the comments I've seen. Zhombre, Thank you for your honesty. Saying that “Obama is a liberal Democrat and I have since ceased to be one and thus I do not agree with him on the issues, nor agree with him on his basic governing philosophy.” is a long way from saying Obama doesn’t have a plan. Of course, he has a plan. You just don’t like it, so you’ll vote for someone else. That makes sense unlike some of the comments I’ve seen.

]]> By: judyrose http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20253 judyrose Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:50:04 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20253 There was an editorial by Jay Ambrose in today's Orange County Register about this very topic. You can find it <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/bryan-smith-speech-1980732-convention-kazin " rel="nofollow"><strong>here</strong></a>. It compares the Obama effect to that of orators like William Jennings Bryan, and ends with this: <blockquote>"Will many give thought to the content of his speeches after the moment's exhilaration has passed? Will they then ask themselves, as one prominent figure in Bryan's time asked later of a Bryan speech that had initially electrified him, "What did he say, anyhow?" Or might they do as the Republican Ira Smith did after being blown away by Bryan, namely sit down and dispassionately read the speech the next day? Smith, the Bryan biography reports, found he "disagreed with almost all of it."</blockquote> There was an editorial by Jay Ambrose in today’s Orange County Register about this very topic. You can find it here.

It compares the Obama effect to that of orators like William Jennings Bryan, and ends with this:

“Will many give thought to the content of his speeches after the moment’s exhilaration has passed? Will they then ask themselves, as one prominent figure in Bryan’s time asked later of a Bryan speech that had initially electrified him, “What did he say, anyhow?”

Or might they do as the Republican Ira Smith did after being blown away by Bryan, namely sit down and dispassionately read the speech the next day? Smith, the Bryan biography reports, found he “disagreed with almost all of it.”

]]> By: boqueronman http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20250 boqueronman Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:44:58 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20250 I'm glad this issue, content free rhetoric by Obama, is being aired for discussion. I have had the pleasure of seeing this before as a retired Foreign Service Officer. It is a very common phenomenon in Latin America. I had the pleasure of residing in Peru during the first incarnation of the now ideologically reformed Alan Garcia in the mid-late 1990s. He was a charismatic speaker par excellence who could go on for hours. If, however, you disengaged from the sweep of his words and focused on the content, you would always discover that there was "no there there." The result of his populist rhetoric were a succession of disastrous economic and social policies which almost wrecked the country. These same (culturally specific) rhetorical skills, I'm sure, are leading to the unfolding disasters in Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. It seems to me that the reason candidates such as Obama say little or nothing meaningful is because they have little or nothing in the way of ideas. This means that once in power he or she will govern like a kite in a strong wind. Always dangerous if you believe governance should get you somewhere, or at least prevent you from arriving at some place you don't want to be. I’m glad this issue, content free rhetoric by Obama, is being aired for discussion. I have had the pleasure of seeing this before as a retired Foreign Service Officer. It is a very common phenomenon in Latin America. I had the pleasure of residing in Peru during the first incarnation of the now ideologically reformed Alan Garcia in the mid-late 1990s. He was a charismatic speaker par excellence who could go on for hours. If, however, you disengaged from the sweep of his words and focused on the content, you would always discover that there was “no there there.” The result of his populist rhetoric were a succession of disastrous economic and social policies which almost wrecked the country. These same (culturally specific) rhetorical skills, I’m sure, are leading to the unfolding disasters in Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. It seems to me that the reason candidates such as Obama say little or nothing meaningful is because they have little or nothing in the way of ideas. This means that once in power he or she will govern like a kite in a strong wind. Always dangerous if you believe governance should get you somewhere, or at least prevent you from arriving at some place you don’t want to be.

]]> By: Zhombre http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20240 Zhombre Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:39:15 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20240 One picture is worth a thousand words: http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/lb0215cd.jpg One picture is worth a thousand words:

http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/lb0215cd.jpg

]]> By: Ymarsakar http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20236 Ymarsakar Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:46:25 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20236 You have to burn the enemies of humanity up first, before anything you build will last for long. You have to burn the enemies of humanity up first, before anything you build will last for long.

]]> By: Bookworm http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/comment-page-1/#comment-20234 Bookworm Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:08:43 +0000 http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/02/14/two-great-articles-about-obamas-speeches/#comment-20234 I listen to 40s music and I make 40s analogies. Your last comment, Friend, reminded me of what my parents always used to say. Keep in mind that my Dad was a German Jew who joined the RAF to fight the Nazis and my Mom was a prisoner of war in a Japanese concentration. Both were absolutely convinced that Germany and Japan went on to become successful small "d" democracies because they were burned to the ground and rebuilt. Neither of my parents thought that the totalitarian dictatorships they knew personally could simply be massaged back into democratic shape. I listen to 40s music and I make 40s analogies. Your last comment, Friend, reminded me of what my parents always used to say. Keep in mind that my Dad was a German Jew who joined the RAF to fight the Nazis and my Mom was a prisoner of war in a Japanese concentration. Both were absolutely convinced that Germany and Japan went on to become successful small “d” democracies because they were burned to the ground and rebuilt. Neither of my parents thought that the totalitarian dictatorships they knew personally could simply be massaged back into democratic shape.

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