# Obama's speech at the Tuscon Memorial **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 13, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420 "2011-01-13T03:16:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/41 "2011-01-13T14:38:26Z")
The speech was very well done and moving, and it seemed heartfelt. The part where Obama discussed Christina Green was not the only time Obama appeared to get emotional. It was a good tribute and perhaps it did one of the things politicians can do at a time like this - and one of the reasons they’re asked to address this kind of thing - which is to help put the event into perspective. Time will tell whether his ideas sink in, but I’m guessing this kind of rhetoric is going to be around as long as somebody is making money from it. I don’t think there is anything offensive about the prayer comment even though it’s not accurate. Sometimes listing all the exceptions gets bulky and destroys a good turn of phrase. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/42 "2011-01-13T14:47:32Z")
he was at his best speaking about the people who died on saturday, and how we see ourselves or those close to us in them. he did have a tough spot where he was speaking of ms green. i’m sure since saturday he has been thinking of his own daughters and how close they are in age to ms green. you could see that her death hit very close to home for him. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/43 "2011-01-13T14:51:06Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > But if you have the stomach for it, check out some of the comments about Obama’s speech on the Fox News front page. There are some beauts - the hate and vitriol drip off the page. Perhaps you could cite what you are looking at. I looked for it by googling Fox News and I didn’t read anything remotely critical of the speech. What I did find on several news sites is mild criticism of the audience. Frankly, I felt quite uncomfortable with much of the cheering. I just don’t understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/44 "2011-01-13T14:55:08Z")
> [@Obama](#): > > “I hope you jump in rain puddles.” If there are rain puddles in Heaven, Christina is jumping in them today. Reaction from me :rolleyes: I was going to compare it with Bush post-9/11, but that is unfair to Obama. As mentioned, this is hardly a national crisis, and therefore if his speech is a little bathetic, that sort of fits. One of those cotton candy speeches that all Presidents give sometimes - sweet, appropriate to the occasion, gone and forgotten a few minutes after. Regards, Shodan ---
**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:** [January 13, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/45 "2011-01-13T14:57:13Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > But if you have the stomach for it, check out some of the comments about Obama’s speech on the Fox News front page. There are some beauts - the hate and vitriol drip off the page. The headline from their front page on the web: > [@](#): > > **Obama to Nation: ‘We Can Be Better’** > > The president hugs Rep. Giffords’ husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, while honoring the victims and heroes of Saturday’s shooting in Arizona, telling the thousands gathered at a memorial — and the nation — to temper the political discourse Disgusting! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/46 "2011-01-13T15:09:47Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Reaction from me > > :rolleyes: That was very glurgy for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/47 "2011-01-13T15:24:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The headline from their front page on the web: > Disgusting! **EP** referenced the comments section, not the content of the articles. I looked at a couple of articles last night and the comment sections were filled with moronic stuff like “Bam Bam was clapping for himself” and “Nobama turned it into a campaign speech.” I personally didn’t see how he politicized it or made it about himself, but that’s what the freeper types were saying. ---
**Author:** ![Galileo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Galileo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galileo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/48 "2011-01-13T15:31:49Z")
Besides the comments about rain puddles in Heaven and about all Americans joining the families in prayer, there was this: > [@](#): > > As Scripture tells us: > There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, > the holy place where the Most High dwells. > God is within her, she will not fall; > God will help her at break of day. > So deserving of our love. > … > Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, “when I looked for light, then came darkness.” Bad things happen, and we must guard against simple explanations in the aftermath. > … > May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. [http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/transcript-president-obamas-remarks-tucson-arizona\_533564.html](http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/transcript-president-obamas-remarks-tucson-arizona_533564.html) Quite a bit of religion in the speech. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/49 "2011-01-13T15:38:45Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > **EP** referenced the comments section, not the content of the articles. I looked at a couple of articles last night and the comment sections were filled with moronic stuff like “Bam Bam was clapping for himself” and “Nobama turned it into a campaign speech.” > > I personally didn’t see how he politicized it or made it about himself, but that’s what the freeper types were saying. Didn’t we just have a discussion, in several threads, about how comments on sites like that shouldn’t be taken as evidence of anything? I posted a Youtube video that grabbed up Twitter comments wishing death on Sarah Palin and was smacked down because of it. Quite rightly. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/50 "2011-01-13T15:39:04Z")
> [@Galileo](#): > > Besides the comments about rain puddles in Heaven and about all Americans joining the families in prayer, there was this:[http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/transcript-president-obamas-remarks-tucson-arizona\_533564.html](http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/transcript-president-obamas-remarks-tucson-arizona_533564.html) > > Quite a bit of religion in the speech. Sure, but that is SOP. But then again, I am Christian myself, so I thought this in particular - > [@](#): > > Bad things happen, and we must guard against simple explanations in the aftermath. was kind of insightful. YMMV. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/51 "2011-01-13T15:41:16Z")
Given that a lot of people turn to religion at times like this, it’s not a surprise at all that there was a significant amount of religion in there. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/52 "2011-01-13T15:49:58Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > **EP** referenced the comments section, not the content of the articles. I looked at a couple of articles last night and the comment sections were filled with moronic stuff like “Bam Bam was clapping for himself” and “Nobama turned it into a campaign speech.” > > I personally didn’t see how he politicized it or made it about himself, but that’s what the freeper types were saying. The “campaign speech” comments that I have seen on websites are mostly in regards to the applause/cheering at solemn moments, which you yourself admitted was “weird.” Otherwise, even rightwingers have been saying the speech was well delivered and accomplished what Obama needed to do. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/53 "2011-01-13T15:57:09Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Didn’t we just have a discussion, in several threads, about how comments on sites like that shouldn’t be taken as evidence of anything? I posted a Youtube video that grabbed up Twitter comments wishing death on Sarah Palin and was smacked down because of it. Quite rightly. It’s evidence of how the rank and file is reacting, and some of it’s being driven by sites like Drudge, who is trumpeting some headline about T-shirts with a “political theme” being given out at the service. The T-shirts apparently said “Together We Thrive: Tucson & America,” I don’t see what’s political about that (and I doubt Obama had anything to do with them in any case), but the lemmings are jumping all over it, calling the service “Wellstone II,” etc. They’re grasping at straws, I guess. They basically just seem really upset and fearful that Obama might have made himself look good last night. I’ve seen some nice racist complaints about the American Indian blessing too - “witch doctor” and the like You can always depend on the freepers. Britt Hume ridiculed that guy on Fox News last night too. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/54 "2011-01-13T15:57:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The headline from their front page on the web: > Disgusting! “Comments”. As in Comments from readers of the page. Not “Headline” ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/55 "2011-01-13T16:01:12Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The people who died deserve and got our sympathy but they didn’t deserve an Air Force One salute to environmental waste. Wow **Magiver** , I did not realize you were such the environmentalist! I’ll look for you a the next Greenpeace rally. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/56 "2011-01-13T16:10:33Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Didn’t we just have a discussion, in several threads, about how comments on sites like that shouldn’t be taken as evidence of anything? I posted a Youtube video that grabbed up Twitter comments wishing death on Sarah Palin and was smacked down because of it. Quite rightly. Comments left by others are not necessarily indicative of the views of the website. They are however indicative of the views of the posters themselves. It would be wrong to say that FoxNews was responsible for comments left by its readers. It would not be wrong to say that “people are saying nasty things in the Comments section of the Fox website”. (It would be even less wrong to say “Never read the comments section of any website - 99% of the comments will be idiotic”.) ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/57 "2011-01-13T16:19:26Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > (It would be even less wrong to say “Never read the comments section of any website - 99% of the comments will be idiotic”.) Have to agree that the comments section can’t be taken as fairly representative of a much larger group served by the particular website. They tend to distill the basest of common opinions of the larger group into a gooey mass of undifferentiated Dumb. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/58 "2011-01-13T17:09:16Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I find annoying this idea of President as national priest or national counselor. What happened in Tuscon was a tragedy, but I don’t think it’s the President’s job to go around making people feel better. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. If he didn’t do or say anything, people would have been furious about that too. I would be willing to bet the people are are pissed off at him for doing this would have been calling him an uncaring phony S.O.B. if he hadn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/59 "2011-01-13T17:20:51Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. If he didn’t do or say anything, people would have been furious about that too. I would be willing to bet the people are are pissed off at him for doing this would have been calling him an uncaring phony S.O.B. if he hadn’t. I’m not pissed off at him. I know he didn’t have any choice but to do this. I’m pissed off. . .actually, pissed off is too strong a word. . .I’m slightly sad about the nation that we make our presidents do things like this, and that we consider it appropriate for them to do so. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420/60 "2011-01-13T17:24:44Z")
I watched, but mostly because they pre-empted what I was going to watch. Didn’t much care for the raucous cheering here and there, this isn’t a pep rally, folks. But for the most part, I think he hit it out of the park. Except for that bit about the child jumping in rain puddles in Heaven. That bit of Norman Rockwell piety damn near had me doing the technicolor yawn. Whoever wrote that line should be taken out and…uh, sternly lectured! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speech-at-the-tuscon-memorial/567420.md?page=4)