I just want to state my position before I post what I'm going to post. I believe I stated it in another thread, but that one is dead and locked.

I have always thought two things about his speech:

1) that it was not going to contain anything that would impact the mind of any child for more than five minutes, because those who come from families who love him will just love him a little bit more, and those who don't like him will dislike him a little bit more... and nobody will finish college who would not have otherwise finished college because Barak Obama gave a speech on 9/8/2009, and

2) the real reason behind the speech is politics. He needs some good press right now given that his approval ratings have slipped 20% in six months and this is the first day congress is back in session and ready to talk health care, which has been a discussion on very rocky ground. What better way to launch the new session than with sweet, touching PR from a president who wants kids to succeed? Take the spotlight, put it on conservatives who are overreacting, spend a week tweaking a speech so that in the end it contains none of the things they set up predictions for, and let congress have a day or two back on the job of altering our health care system while media scrutiny is on the conservatives who claimed Obama's speech was going to be something different than it ultimately was. "Those darn conservatives LIED about what was going to be in his speech!"... while Pelosi and Reid get a little bit of a pass for the week.

It's politics. That's all it is.

Here's what I happened upon online today, and it made me giggle.
When Bush spoke to students, Democrats investigated, held hearings | Washington Examiner
Are we getting change around here these days? I don't think so. It's politics as usual, kids. Politics as usual.

I don't dare post any comments about this thread, LOL because I've seen in the past how fast a thread about politics can turn nasty, or get locked, or cause people to get banned.

Now, how 'bout them bears? LOL !!

giggling too

That's why I take offense for someone trying to blame it on the color of his skin.


I am glad Obama or his helpers "adjusted" the content of his after speech exercise. That in and of itself was very telling.

X

__________________

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains,
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace

Well seriously - the timing is just such a tip-off.

For some it's the first day back in school. We've been at it for almost four weeks now.

He is a MASTER politician. To assume that none of today's negatives entered into the decision-making process (or DROVE them, more likely) is to not give the man credit for the very thing at which he is most capable: POLITICS!

ETA: FWIW, I realize the author of the piece I linked likely has his own negative opinions about Obama. That aside, the quotes from Democrats when Bush did essentially the same thing Obama said stand on their own merit.

Hey Wow, it got REALLY quiet when this information came to light.
I think that silence speaks volumes too. touché

X

__________________

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains,
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace

Please accept my silence as a decision to not deal with your hysteria.

Um, hysteria?

Where do you see hysteria? His speech was nice and what I would hope parents would say to their children. But I don't think for a minute that in large part, it was cover for the news of the day, and intended to make headlines for the 36ish hours prior to his speech last night to take the cameras off of Pelosi and crew. The media didn't focus on their return to work that day. Given that they seem to have a negative impact on the health care debate and the administration's agenda, if they could orchestrate things so that Obama controlled the news cycle for the first day they were back, and then he could give a speech re-setting the tone he wanted on the next day, it was a win-win for him.

Anyone who doesn't give him credit for that brilliant bit of strategy underestimates his skill as a politician.

A great deal of crap went out regarding the scope and intent of this speech before a word was ever likely written. Oh noes! He's trying to brainwash our babies! Oh noes! We don't trust him!! Oh noes! He wants our babies to let him know their ideas for keeping kids in school! Oh the horror!! Oh goody! Our little hissy fit made him drop the question! Oh goody! We winz! America is safe again for non thinking individuals.

Last night was historic. For the first time ever, a President was heckled during an address to both houses of congress. The office has never neen shown this type of disrespect before.

Why the special treatment of Obama. Deep down and, maybe you don't like him because he's black? Maybe, because he has a funny name? What is it? You were nasty to Clinton, but none of this outrage.

Show me my hysteria.



X
made ya look LOL!

__________________

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains,
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace

That's hysterical if you ask me.

This is the second and LAST time I am going to ask/tell you this.

Mark Xhausted off your EVERYBODY hates OBAMA because of the color of his skin list.


Deal with me on an intelligent level. ~
Deep down, I don't like him because I don't think he's the most qualified individual for the position he holds. And I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I think there were people here that did not like McCain/Palin for the exact same reason. Their skin color wasn't part of the equation then, it isn't for me on this side so please stop. You come across as less than credible when it appears as the basis of every argument you express.

just trying to help,
X

__________________

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains,
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace

Holy crap.

You never will buy a clue, will you? What a racist comment for anyone to make. You should be seriously ashamed.

Listen to the Democrats cheer Bush on during the first 20ish seconds of this clip of the State of the Union speech. I am sure you will be proud of them.

RealClearPolitics - Video - Flashback: Democrats Boo Bush At 2005 State Of The Union

ETA: It appears the Republicans booed Clinton as well, so there goes your whole, "ACK! SOMEBODY BRING ME A KLEENEX! I'M BESIDE MYSELF! NOBODY HAS EVER EVER EVER EVER DISRESPECTED A PRESIDENT BEFORE AND I DON'T THINK I CAN HANDLE IT!!!" schtick.

I have to agree. In all four top candidates, I couldn't see the level in them that their parties entrusted. I am so very tired of people crying it's because Obama is black, or because McCain is old. For me, it's not any of those. It was a matter of the issues, their responses, their platforms. It was a matter of what could they do to actually see things from the trenches help the American people, and if they could do it.

Change. Some of his is downright scary and some of it is same old same old. Nothing has changed - especially the old "let's throw money at it to make ourselves feel better".

dl

So, when you can't discuss this on an intelligent and mature level you resort to calling people racist? Really? Is that how you want to play it?

I don't like Obama because I don't think he is qualified or ready for the position he currently holds. I don't like Obama because he seems to be lots of talk, and little substance (when it comes to taking action). He is an ok orator. He definitely has charisma and charm.
I liken it to the following: I've had doctors who had poor bedside manner, but they were the best MDs. I didn't hesitate to put my life in their hands. I've had Drs. that were really nice, super bedside manner--but I didn't know if their charm and charisma was a cover for the fact they weren't the best of MDs.
In my opinion, Obama may be one of those people who compensates for his lack of knowledge and experience by being exceptionally charming and charismatic.
I work with 4 other ladies--ranging in age from 21 to 50, and we run the gamut from "raging" liberal to ultra conservative. None of us are thrilled with Obama. And amazingly, our discussions on why we don't like him don't include the color of his skin or his unique name.

__________________
"God is great,
Beer is good, and people are crazy"

Great analogy, Marilyn.

I just don't think his health care plan is sustainable. I don't like the idea of the government ultimately running 1/6th of our economy. He can spend all day saying, "Oh, it won't cover illegals," but once what he wants is in place, I have no doubt it will morph and become something much broader over time.

As an example, when they initially made it illegal not to treat anyone who walked into an ER, I assume the figures they touted regarding future cost projections were based on data that did not account for the many, many, many, many illegals who would make their way across the border and walk in ready to give birth, etc.

Even if today he said, "We'll pay for it by saving money RIGHT HERE" and pointed to some specific line item, that's all just smoke and mirrors, even if he buys into it himself and thinks it's assurance that things will be fine. It's like me telling my husband, "Hey! If we cut our cable we'll save $40/month, and then we can afford a membership at the gym, which is a mere $40! It's balanced - awesome!"

And for a few months, that would be true.

But then we'd have a baby, and the baby would become a preschooler, and I'd want him to see the Disney Channel shows all the other kids got to see, and we'd add cable back in. In the meantime, the gym membership doubled, and my husband started using additional services like a trainer that added even more to the cost.

When we cut the cable and thought we were making a dollar for dollar swap we felt great about it. But over time, it simply did not play out like we planned.

I think the same thing would happen with health care. Regardless of whether or not I think the government should be in the business of putting a plan out there specifically to be competitive (what a bad business plan is THAT? Cause private businesses to fold because they don't have your government subsidy and can't offer your premium price??

In the long run, I think this will be LESS helpful for Americans and their health than the system we have now. I'm all about reform, but not to the extent he wants to see.

I'd feel the same way if a Republican was making plans like Obama's! I think it's a bad, bad idea. I love Americans - both rich and poor - enough to NOT want this for them, because I think it will cripple our nation before we know it.

Some of us work for a living and aren't around to answer every post. Try not to read too much into it.

BTW, I don't think Joe Wilson's behavior has anything to do with him being a racist -- although he was trained at the knee of Strom Thurmond, the King of the Racists. Nah, I just think Joe's an @$$hat.

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Reading is Fundamental.

It looks like more and more people (judging by his continuously dropping approval rating) are coming to the same conclusion.

The one thing I'd like to know is how we are going to reign in the cost of ACTUAL HEALTH CARE.
Having insurance is great, but the price of it will keep going up as long as actual health care prices keep going up. At some point no one will be able to afford the insurance or the actual health care that they need.
The only thing I keep hearing about is everyone need insurance. How about having health care cost be reasonable!
I also believe that as long as the government requires all Americans to carry insurance, you will see insurance rate go up. After all, we will have to have it and the insurance industry will take advantage of that.
Judy

Judy, the other issue that I see is... well, he said he would require everyone who is able to afford it to carry their own. How does that look in practice?

Right now, you hear of people who are frustrated because they make too much to qualify for public assistance, but not enough to afford to buy what they need for themselves. There's that whole 'just on the cusp of making it' place people find themselves in, where they made the decision *not* to pursue greater financial stability because jumping to that next step is too far a step in their minds. So they exist just under the poverty level for years and years because they fear the time they'd have to exist in that 'no mans land' between assistance and having to pay for things themselves.

I know Obama talked about making sure people don't lose their insurance just because they switch jobs. I understand that, but that is different than what I am talking about. I'm talking about that insurmountable mindset many find themselves in. If we give free policies to the poverty level people, and expect people who are above the poverty level to carry their own, there are people who will never make that jump out of poverty because they'll suddenly have a big premium they'll have to pay.

And speaking of that... do they just make our employers take it out of our checks like our social security contributions?

And speaking of social security... nine years ago Al Gore and his lock box were beating the drum about the looming social security crisis. Is it still looming? If so... shouldn't we be fixing that elephant in the room before adding a line item equal to 1/6th of the US economy to the national budget?

He kept saying he wants this legislation to stipulate that if it will require increasing the national debt to do something new related to health care that lawmakers must pay for those new expenditures with cuts elsewhere. That sounds great, but when has congress NOT just voted in a new element to something and waived prior spending limits?