I was reading this article on CNN, and in the opinion of the author, Obama is showing he’s out of touch with the American people and missed and opportunity in his speech because he didn’t go Trump and address the perception of negativity that, apparently a lot of ‘real folks’ feel about the US today. From the article:
I caught the speech and thought it was really good…and a good contrast to what Trump et al were peddling at the RNC. Do you agree with the CNN guy that Obama is out of touch and that the Dems should be hammering home the negativity and addressing the fears and concerns of people about the rising crime, rising murders, tanking economy, rising terrorism at home and abroad, and failing US industry and global leadership…even though none of these things are really true, especially when looked at in the context of what’s actually happening in the world?
I just don’t see it…but maybe some of you think this would have been a better course, and Obama is putting Clinton’s chance at a presidency at risk by being upbeat?
I think that the author misinterprets Obama’s speech – it wasn’t angry, but it did address the problems we have. But rather than put a rage and fear based spin on them, he put on optimistic spin on how to solve them, highlighting various achievements and improvements during his own administrations as well as what Hillary intends to accomplish.
And I realized after reading the article that it was S. E. Cupp, who has struck me as one of the least impressive talking heads of an unimpressive batch.
Republicans spend umpteen years rah-rah’ing America and they’re the only true patriots. Democrats spend a couple nights talking up how great America is and they’re out of touch and don’t understand Real People problems.
So Obama should talk more about how terrible things are, and that will convince voters a) what a success his administration has been and b) help elect a successor who would most likely continue at least some of his policies?
It’s a delicate dance, istm. Obviously the incumbent party doesn’t want to talk about some radical shakeup being needed but there’s equally obviously a restlessness that needs to be addressed. So Obama and Hillary are walking the border. They simply can’t cry about the coming apocalypse, they have to acknowledge the problem but say they’re on the right path to fixing it.
If they try to out-Trump Trump then they’ll lose their identity and most assuredly the election. As the saying goes “Given the choice between a republican and a democrat who acts like a republican, the voter will choose a republican every time.”
No, Obama’s right. Violent crime has been going down for decades. The economy is much better now than when he took office. Your chances of dying in a terrorist attack in the US are less than your chances of death by falling down the stairs.
No, that’s not at all what the guy is saying. He’s talking about addressing the fear and concern that many (most?) Americans feel right now rather than dismissing it as being simply trumped up (pun intended).
I heard a guy calling into a radio show who had what I thought was an excellent point. A large majority of Americans think we’re heading in the wrong direction, so why would they elect someone (Hilary) who is so obviously going to take us in the same direction? And this was guy with a very distinct Spanish accent, so unlikely to be some “angry old white guy”.
It could just be cognitive dissonance among the electorate, but there does seem to be a real sense of fear and anger about the future this time around that is greater than normal.
The one thing that the Democrats can never do, or they will lose me and probably the rest of their constituents along with me, is to give up reality-based thinking for truthiness.
I had an argument the other day with a co-worker that made me want to scream. I had printed out a chart of crime rates, showing their decline, and she still insisted that crime rates were going up (she cited an anecdote about one particular crime). When I pointed out that she had the actual rates in front of her, her response was, “Well I don’t believe them.”
That approach to the world, that only what you feel is important, facts be damned, can only lead to ruin. That it has taken such a hold on a portion of U.S. citizens is tragic, but supporting and encouraging it would be more tragic still. I stand with truth.
Let’s keep in mind that the author, SE Cupp is a noted conservative commentator. Check out the first few lines of the article:
I don’t think any objective observer would describe Day 1 quite like that, despite the notes of discord that were present. Day 1 had the Debbie W-S fiasco and the leaked e-mails, but it also had Michelle Obama’s speech, which is was one of the best I’ve heard in quite awhile.
I would re-post this everywhere, if I could. Truthiness surrounds us these days. Actual facts don’t matter anymore. If you don’t like them, just make up your own – and that’s good enough for who it’s for, I guess.
A 40-year war on public education has yielded rich fruit, indeed.
If they try to out-Trump Trump they will fail utterly because they are NOT Trump.
And say there IS a real sense of fear and anger about the future – are we saying that collectively as a people we have come to the point we will NOT be reassured? That anything but saying “you’re right, everything’s going to Hell and we’ve got to find those responsible and make them pay” is condescension, that it’s an offense and an insult against you to point out the facts, because it’s calling you a fool and liar?
Right. And a very troublesome aspect of it is that “what you feel is important, facts be damned” involves an attitude that somehow the contrary to what you feel cannot possibly be true… and that someone who contradicts your feelings on one thing is being deliberately disingenuous notonly about that but about absolutely everything.
Assuming you are referring to the author of the linked article, note that SE Cupp is a woman.
BTW, David Axelrod interviewed her on last weeks episode of “The Axe Files” podcast, and she seems like a reasonable person, but quite conservative on non-social issues (contra a lot of the GOP for example, she is pro-gay marriage).
“Wrong direction” is meaningless on its own. I think the country is headed in the wrong direction. For instance, the failure of the U.S. Senate to do its job and hold nomination hearings and votes for the Supreme Court vacancy.
Say America has always been great, but let’s make it greater.
Let’s especially focus on those who have gotten a raw deal from globalization and changing economic realities.
Also go as negative as has ever been in the history of U.S. politics on Trump. There cannot be enough negative ads or enough negative campaigning against Trump. Focus on all the incidents where Trump has hurt working class Americans. Focus on Trump being a Russian manchurian candidate. Also, I hope we have some serious op research. A guy as terrible as Trump, with as many years in business, likely has some serious shit in his closet, let’s find it, publish it, make it known.
It’s Sippee Cup. She’s not even worth noticing. Pseudo-“alternative” conservative who’s just as clueless as the rest of them but tries to look more tolerant of differences.
I think she ought to play it calm and quiet. She can’t bring the heat like Il Douche can, he will always be willing to go where she won’t. So, good. Let him. His whole campaign so far has depended on that, he has no Plan B. There’s three solid months left, see how far that can take him.
When he says or does something nutso, his base still loves it, sure. But every time, he loses some on the wavering edge of reason. And he does it damn near every day. His cute trick with the veteran’s donation is the best example. Sure, a lot of veterans might push that aside, but some won’t. He probably can’t really win much in the way of minority voters, but he can still lose some.
The problem with Democrats being “optimistic” is that it seems they turn Reagan’s main selling point on its head, “The government isn’t the problem. YOU’RE the problem, and we can fix you.” and “there’s nothing wrong with America that can’t be fixed by what’s right with America’s government.”