Obama’s speech
I was out when President Obama gave his speech tonight, so I didn’t hear it live. I rarely listen to political speeches anyway, and certainly not often to his; I prefer to read them (for the reasons stated here).
But turning on the TV just now when I got home, I’ve heard a few minutes of a repeat of his speech, and I’m struck—as I often am when listening to Obama—by the absence of force in his voice. It’s as though someone else wrote his speech (which in fact is almost certainly the case) and he is seeing it for the first time. Conviction? Strength? Resolve? I don’t hear a particle of any of it.
What’s more, I’ve never understood the claims that Obama is a good orator. I’ve always heard this emptiness in his voice, the same emptiness I hear now, although it’s gotten worse over time.
I’m not even dealing with content at the moment. This is merely affect I’m speaking about, and it’s lacking. I’m not asking for fire and brimstone, but let’s have a little vigor. Megyn Kelly had more force in her words introducing Obama’s speech than he had in giving it.
They say that if you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made. I hear no sincerity in Obama’s voice. But there’s really no reason why I should.
Yeah, it’s always been platitudes and tired rhetorical flourishes from my point of view. During his campaign, especially, I thought he sounded like a high school debater trying out being eloquent and not really getting there. It was all big words with no feeling. He still doesn’t convey feeling. The individual words have meanings, but the whole does not. The whole is much less than the sum of its parts.
Oh, he gets pretty fired up when he’s campaigning for himself. And he can have a real nasty tone when he’s talking about America’s real enemies, the Republicans.
But yeah, when he’s talking about unimportant stuff like leading the country he sounds fairly flat and uninspired. Funny, it’s almost like you can tell what he truly cares about.
I’ve always agreed with Neo’s assessment of Obama’s speech-making, but I’m increasingly embarrassed at my lack of objectivity. It’s reached the point where I cringe at his voice and find his preening repulsive. At least I have the sense to not listen to him on purpose anymore.
When Obama passes from the scene, it’s the sense of loathing that I most look forward to losing. What a relief it will be. Maybe I’ve come down with some kind of syndrome.
Cornflour: only 861 days to go. (timeanddate.com).
As my parents used to say, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” Obviously not all heads are equal. It took the murder of two journalists to spur Obama to action, and his action is not much, but at least he is doing something.
The problem with the plan is that he wants to are so called moderate factions in Syria. I’m not sure who that might be. Some people claim that at least one of the journalists were originally captured by a group of “moderate” rebels and that he was then sold to ISIS for something between $25,000 and $50,000.
Personally I’ve never been impressed by Obama’s speaking ability. His voice doesn’t flow smoothly but is jerky perhaps as he reads across the teleprompter and then readjusts to read the next line below. That jerkiness probably works in his favor since people are so distracted trying to compensate for the jerkiness that they don’t have time to concentrate on the vapid content of the speeches.
As my parents used to say, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” Obviously not all heads are equal. It took the murder of two journalists to spur Obama to action, and his action is not much, but at least he is doing something.
The problem with the plan is that he wants to arm the so called moderate factions in Syria. I’m not sure who that might be. Some people claim that at least one of the journalists were originally captured by a group of “moderate” rebels and that he was then sold to ISIS for something between $25,000 and $50,000.
Personally I’ve never been impressed by Obama’s speaking ability. His voice doesn’t flow smoothly but is jerky perhaps as he reads across the teleprompter and then readjusts to read the next line below. That jerkiness probably works in his favor since people are so distracted trying to compensate for the jerkiness that they don’t have time to concentrate on the vapid content of the speeches.
Sorry for the typos. Is there some way to edit posts?
It will easier to believe that Obama and a majority of the political class are serious about our security when we hear that they are slashing entitlement spending to rebuild, retrain, and rearm our military. It will be easier to believe that Obama and the majority of the political class are serious about our security when they actually take some definitive steps to secure our borders.
Until that time it is all just sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.
I’ve not been able to listen/watch live broadcasts of this Moral Midget since 2008. I read the ones I need to and will read this one today. “Thank God, George Bush is President,” said Mayor Rudy to his police commissioner on 9-11-2001.
With the world on fire and Iraq predictably reaping the consequences of Obama’s cowardly and loathsome desertion of that vast Victory and stabilization and beginning democracy, I say: God Help Us that Obama is President. Have been saying it daily since November 2008 and most especially since November 2012.
I have zero interest in anything Obama has to say at this point. None. I don’t care about words. Give me *actions.* *Show* me that you are willing to stay the course and are serious about doing whatever it takes to put ISIS down and then maybe I’ll start listening again. But I’m not going to be holding my breath.
The damage this guy has done to American credibility and security is incalculable. We may never be able to regain the credibility he’s lost.
I, too, have never thought Obama is a good speaker.
I’m with cornflour when it comes to not being able to hold dinner down and listen to Obama at the same time. That the guy is a malicious charlatan added to the realization he has gotten away with it for years takes a toll of digestion.
BTW recall when we all agreed that we knew Obama would get a lot of people killed but were unsure of the scenario. Pity we did not have some sort of office poll where we could have put money on time, place and casualties. Come to think we still can, after-all he has over two years left.
Another BTW, how many potential coalition partners will want to side with an indecisive politician whose courage is entirely a function of poll numbers. The reason Obama appeared mechanical when he gave his war on ISIS speech was obviously due to his hatred of the content; it was similar to a child being forced to apologize against his will by his parents. The thought that someone like him will find allies willing to conduct long term operations against ISIS is another of his pipe-dreams.
I often think these are the consequences the USA pays for having elected this psychologically damaged individual to the presidency. He was not the product of a *stable* background, or perhaps not even a *loving*
background. His entire birth family were *bizarre* people. Imagine your grandpa seeking out a notorious black Communist to be a father figure ! Why was grandpa not up to the job? Did he dislike his mixed race grandson ? Did this fuel barack’s dislike of whites. He even calls his grandparents *typical white people* that
don t care for blacks. does this transfer to *all white people dislike blacks*?
The Lefty media instead of scrutinizing this man’s background just *ignored it* !!!!
* All will be well since he is immersed in the Lefty world view just like they are*
I recall a story where G w Bush was assailed by some prominent Lefty media guy, I wish I could remember who, on a campaign plane. The Lefty was badgering him relentlessly, “What makes YOU think YOU have the qualifications to be President? Where are your accomplishment? Who is actually behind you ?
To his credit Bush gave measured responses to these questions. The Leftys, of course, tripping over themselves to find fault with a genuine person but totally letting a *con man* skate circles around their
bedazzled eyes !!! Rather & Brokaw come to mind !
I tried to watch it since I am concerned about ISIS, but I gave up after he said, “This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.”
That has never been true and I doubt he’s capable of acting this way now. Especially since he preceded his tough talk with a reiteration that “ISIL” is not Muslim, and that they have killed more Muslims than non-Muslims.
He might have been playacting president on the West Wing, given how far from reality his tough-guy stance is.
Neo, I agree with you 100% about political speeches and have also only listened to a relative few in my lifetime. From the beginning my son & I have had the exact same assessment of Obama’s oratory. I guess he really is that blank page upon which people write what they want to believe.
I remember the constant insults President Bush was given for his idiosyncrasies of speech. Yet every time I hear Hillary or Obama speak every other word I hear is a long, drawn out uh this and uh that. Did they never take a speech class?
Lizzy 10:42 : agree with you 100 percent.
I’m so relieved. Obama informed me that ISIS is not Islamic and Muslims don’t behead people. Those Muslim impostures in ISIS sure had me fooled.
Barry’s last crew of Jordanian moderates went rogue the moment they crossed the Syrian border — and joined ISIS.
According to West, Barry never ran that op by Congress… not even the committee heads.
So, it would appear that Barry is actually trying to walk back the dog… and get ex post facto Congressional okay.
From DC, any Muslim can look moderate.
It’s not as if they’d lie about a thing like that.
&&&
Barry can’t wrap his mind around the reality that no-one can aim a Muslim in the right direction.
Even the ISI has lost agents to its ‘pets.’
Even Lawrence of Arabia found that he couldn’t keep Arabs ‘on mission.’ They are just not wired that way.
The Arab way of war is total chaos. This makes perfect sense in a desert land.
Everything turns on attack, steal, destroy… It’s a rare spot that can be defended.
The best Western analogy would be U-boat wolf-pack tactics.
9-11 WAS Arab ‘fighting’ at its apex.
If America had used Arab marshal norms, the appropriate response would’ve been to liquidate every village and town that the perps hailed from. Size would have no meaning in such a calculus.
For the perps executed their scheme as representatives of their whole society. You will note that NONE of the populations that spawned these monsters has ever repudiated their ‘achievement.’
Father Assad knew the rules. He crushed Homs. That’s how he obtained civility straight through to the end of his days.
This is how Arabs are wired. It is wrong to assume that jihadis are anything other than suicide troops representing their entire society. Consequently, the nineteen murderers are lauded across Araby, across the ummah. Most Americans are shielded from this knowledge.
The MSM manufactures a much more multicultural narrative/ myth to swallow.
The NY Times just can’t wrap their collective hive mind around such asymmetric hostilities.
This tick is what did in the Persian Empire, centuries ago. They didn’t take Arab Muslims seriously, either.
Look at the results.
In all of this, keep in mind that Moscow is ever meddling. Putin looks upon Arabs as ideal cannon fodder. So even though Araby utterly lacks the capacity to manufacture modern arms, they will never suffer their lack.
Very much in the manner of Zardoz, Putin will spew armaments all across the desert. Saddam’s astounding stashes in the desert at H2 and H2 were replicated in Libya.
The Duck of Death had enough Soviet era tanks to give one to every able bodied son. (!) [ It’s absurd, but true; he’d purchased more tanks than he had men standing in the ranks!]
Now these weapons are floating far and wide.
Boko Haram, ISIS, … and what all.
It is ESSENTIAL that America pull up the welcome mat. Strangely, Bush didn’t do that. Soetoro is throwing down the fences. Yet, in a time of war, there’s no hue and cry from the MSM… which is CERTAIN to be a locus of Islamist bloodshed.
I just heard enough of Obama’s speech to dismiss it as wishful thinking tempered by misunderstanding designed only to quell the ignorant masses.
Everything Obama does is designed around ignorant masses.
The disgusting speech included an absolute promise that American “boot on the ground” would not be done in his fierce and awesome payback to those Non-Islam worshipers he plans to get real stern with. Great, is it not, to have a chief executive who tells the hideous enemy exactly what he won’t do. Really gets those Non-Muslim ISIL members shaking in their sandals, Mr. President.
I agree; Obama’s voice is flat and empty until you hear him talk about something he truly cares about; like Treyvon Martin or some other low-life slug.
This is NOT a racist comment even though I’ll be accused of it:
Obama is ghetto.
Despite being raised by loving grandparents and attending private schools, he is ghetto to his core.
Ghetto isn’t about race or wealth – it is about “attitude.” And he has plenty of attitude against those he dislikes (or is it really hates?).
But, attitude isn’t passion. Passion is about enjoying something in a good way. Obama only has passion for himself. In which case, as many have said, it isn’t passion it is narcissism.
Neo,
Besides the content of his speeches being intolerable he’s got a little whistling sound he makes when he speaks words that end and begin with ‘s’. It literally drives me up the wall. I don’t know if anyone else notices it- I haven’t heard anyone else comment on it, so it’s probably just me.
The Midget in Chief MUST be the Smartest Guy in the Room. SOP smarter than his advisors and cabinet members….ROTFLMAO…!!
Focus, Oh Pretender in Chief: A F***ing ant is smarter than your advisors and cabinet members. Duuuuuhhhhhhhhh….!!
A calculated speech. Not too hawkish, not too dovish. My favorite line was when he said, “As Commander-in-Chief, my highest priority is the security of the American people.” Yep, and that’s why the border is so secure and why our military is being decimated.
Some days I ask if this man isn’t a gift to the nation? He is failing so spectacularly in so many ways that even the “true believers” are starting to notice. Could it be that his administration will wake up enough LIVs to the dangers of electing a progressive? Or at least the dangers of electing a president with no record of accomplishments? I can dream can’t I?
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