# How effective was Obama's Iran speech at American University? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 7, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274 "2015-08-07T21:37:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/1 "2015-08-07T21:37:39Z")
Obama delivered a forceful, at times combative speech making the case for the nuclear deal with Iran. As someone who supports the deal, I found it unbelievably lucid, well-argued, and reasonable, so much so that it really enhanced my overall opinion of Obama. All of which is to say, I was already in the choir. However, I’ve gathered that people who either dislike Obama generally or oppose the Iran deal found the speech obnoxious, insipid, and insulting. Specifically, his point that hardliners in Tehran are making “common cause” with hardliners (esp the Republican caucus) in the US. But then, I don’t think Obama was trying to convince them, either. What did people who are on the fence think about the speech? Was it effective? Convincing? Insulting and juvenile? I’m just trying to figure out how the speech played on the middle of the political spectrum. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/2 "2015-08-07T21:56:00Z")
Well, Chuck Schumer came out against the deal. Does that give you some idea? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/3 "2015-08-07T22:14:12Z")
He’s not very persuasive. All he really did was villify and present false choices: war or the agreement. And Schumer wasn’t the only Democrat to come out against the agreement yesterday. Reagan he’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/4 "2015-08-07T22:21:20Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Well, Chuck Schumer came out against the deal. Does that give you some idea? No, it really doesn’t. The only charitable interpretation of his stance is that it’s a purely political move. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/5 "2015-08-07T22:23:54Z")
“Playing politics”= representing your constituents. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/6 "2015-08-07T22:36:33Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > He’s not very persuasive. All he really did was villify and present false choices: war or the agreement. And Schumer wasn’t the only Democrat to come out against the agreement yesterday. > > Reagan he’s not. And that’s a good thing. We don’t need another senile President who consults astrologers. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/7 "2015-08-07T23:06:15Z")
I was referring to persuasiveness. I’ve never seen a President go straight to villifying his opponents, even if they are in his own party, the way Obama does. It persuades no one who isn’t already on his side. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/8 "2015-08-07T23:12:07Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I was referring to persuasiveness. I’ve never seen a President go straight to villifying his opponents, even if they are in his own party, the way Obama does. It persuades no one who isn’t already on his side. I had forgotten how the GOP has bent over backwards to be civil. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/9 "2015-08-07T23:15:22Z")
And his excuse for basically comparing Democrats to Iranian hardliners? If this was just the GOP, he wouldn’t have to make speeches. It would already be a done deal. It’s threatened because his own party is divided. So instead of uniting them, he divided them. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/10 "2015-08-07T23:16:47Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I was referring to persuasiveness. I’ve never seen a President go straight to villifying his opponents, even if they are in his own party, the way Obama does. It persuades no one who isn’t already on his side. You mean you can’t think of any other president who scolded people like an irritated fishwife? ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/11 "2015-08-08T13:00:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I was referring to persuasiveness. I’ve never seen a President go straight to villifying his opponents, even if they are in his own party, the way Obama does. It persuades no one who isn’t already on his side. I don’t think it is fair to say he went straight to vilifying the opponents to the deal. He played relatively nice for a while. At least until he was personally equated to Hilter exterminating the Jews because of the Iran deal. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/12 "2015-08-08T15:47:31Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > And his excuse for basically comparing Democrats to Iranian hardliners? In another thread, you emphasized the importance of a leader accurately describing his opposition. Now you’re saying that the President shouldn’t say that both Iranian hardliners and some Americans oppose the deal and want to see it rejected because they think any deals with the opposing country is a waste of time. Are you contending that Obama is lying about that opposition? If he isn’t lying, isn’t he accurately characterizing the opposition to the deal? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/13 "2015-08-08T16:54:56Z")
The OP specifically asked for opinions from those in the middle of the political spectrum. Mindless partisan gibberish from the Obama obsessed adds nothing but predictable and useless noise. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/14 "2015-08-08T17:03:32Z")
We need some people “on the middle of the political spectrum” up in here, or the OP will never get his answer. ETA: Ninja’d by **Blank Slate**! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/15 "2015-08-08T17:27:04Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I had forgotten how the GOP has bent over backwards to be civil. Eight posts before the obligatory _tu quoque_. I’m supportive of the deal, but not in the least supportive of Obama’s insistence that it’s either this deal or war. I’m sick of hearing that. I didn’t think he speech was very good, but I doubt it matters either way. Congresscritters are either going to vote their conscious or their politics, regardless of what Obama says in a speech. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/16 "2015-08-08T17:51:48Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Eight posts before the obligatory _tu quoque_. > > I’m supportive of the deal, but not in the least supportive of Obama’s insistence that it’s either this deal or war. I’m sick of hearing that. I didn’t think he speech was very good, but I doubt it matters either way. Congresscritters are either going to vote their conscious or their politics, regardless of what Obama says in a speech. Thanks for addressing my OP. Curious if you thought the speech was bad because he vilified opponents, or for other reasons. Also, I think a more charitable reading of his argument isn’t that it’s “this deal or war,” but that it’s either this deal, or a worse deal, or no deal at all; and if there’s a worse (or no) deal, we’re much more likely to find ourselves either acquiescing in a nuclear Iran or having to go to war to stop them. What do you find objectionable in that argument? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/17 "2015-08-09T03:33:46Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > In another thread, you emphasized the importance of a leader accurately describing his opposition. Now you’re saying that the President shouldn’t say that both Iranian hardliners and some Americans oppose the deal and want to see it rejected because they think any deals with the opposing country is a waste of time. > > Are you contending that Obama is lying about that opposition? If he isn’t lying, isn’t he accurately characterizing the opposition to the deal? I have a problem with Presidents who are “brave” enough to go after their domestic opposition as if they are the enemy, but treat the enemy as if they were merely an opposing political party. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/18 "2015-08-09T03:35:46Z")
> [@Donald\_Rump](#): > > Thanks for addressing my OP. Curious if you thought the speech was bad because he vilified opponents, or for other reasons. > > Also, I think a more charitable reading of his argument isn’t that it’s “this deal or war,” but that it’s either this deal, or a worse deal, or no deal at all; and if there’s a worse (or no) deal, we’re much more likely to find ourselves either acquiescing in a nuclear Iran or having to go to war to stop them. What do you find objectionable in that argument? So the President is also claiming that he was negotiating from a position of weakness. Inspiring, really. We now know this President is a bluffer. He laid down a red line on Syria, then didn’t follow through. He said that the military option was on the table for Iran, then gave up nearly everything we wanted in order to get a deal that’s pretty much just promises. Putin hasn’t missed this fact, I assure you. Obama is creating a very dangerous situation in the world when other leaders think that we are bluffing when we say we’ll use force. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/19 "2015-08-09T03:39:51Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I have a problem with Presidents who are “brave” enough to go after their domestic opposition as if they are the enemy, but treat the enemy as if they were merely an opposing political party. The GOP is far more likely to ruin the country than ISIS. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274/20 "2015-08-09T03:43:30Z")
Which still doesn’t make them the enemy. Domestic political opposition is opposition. An enemy is an enemy. The fact that many liberal politicians and their base doesn’t see a distinction will be explored at length in the coming campaign. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-was-obamas-iran-speech-at-american-university/727274.md?page=2)