I think we have to raise taxes and tax our corporations. The debt has to be faced again.
You got it in one.
Can’t wait to see the math…and the unemployment rate. Really, there’s a circular relationship that would have to work itself out for that strategy to be successful. First of all, the economy would have to be able to accommodate this type of tinkering. Would corporations invest in themselves while their profit margins shrank? And at the same time that they see a shrinking economy? In order for companies to invest and create jobs while being taxed at higher rates, they really need to see higher sales volume potential in their markets. Otherwise they’ll wait for a better day, and this would create even more severe unemployment issues in the present.
Obama sounds like he wants the government to be the “employer of last resort”. This strategy helped the country come out of the Great Depression. Sometimes, boondoggles are the answer. But our economy is nowhere near as bad as it was in the 1930’s.
My point is, for once I’d like to see a presidential candidate say: If A and B are happening, we’ll do Z. But if C and D are happening, Y would be more appropriate. Any time someone says that we’ll do Z no matter what, I cringe. In Obama’s case, I’ll take it with a grain of salt.
A pretty good speech, all in all, although I’d agree it wasn’t as good as either his 2004 convention keynote or his 2008 race-in-America speech. Some inspiring, lofty rhetoric, some nuts-and-bolts policy, and some acidic criticism of Bush and McCain - a good mix of each, I’d say. His “what I’d do in office” spiel got my mental calculator going, and I kinda doubt the numbers will add up when all is said and done, but at least it’ll be better than the drunken-sailor fiscal policies of the last eight years. The evocation of MLK (never by name, was it?) near the end was excellent, but the last two-three minutes of the speech seemed a little anticlimactic. It just didn’t end with the bang I would’ve liked.
I imagine we could save a bunch of money not being in Iraq. Or at least spend that money on something domestic to help the economy here.
If it’s a B speech, it’s only a B by Obama’s own standards. For most other politicians, even an Obama B speech is still better than they can ever hope to do.
The thing is, if he’d given a chant along, “yes we can,” barn burner, he’d have been accused of empty rhetoric. When he chooses prose over poetry, then he gets criticized for not giving raising the roof.
I think he gave a mature, adult speech trying to outline who he is and what he wants. Is some of it wildly optimistic? Sure. That’s why he calls it “the audacity of hope.”
As for the Fox News talking points (being reiterated here by the OP) that these are “stale old liberal ideas,” I would ask what exciting, inspiring new ideas we’re hearing from McCain.
Well, let’s see. Here’s Pat Buchanan, gushing. Watch Rachel Maddow’s face, she’s all “who are you, and what have you done with Pat?”
Alex Castellanos of CNN, definite Republican says “whoever didn’t get picked for Republican VP today might be a very lucky Republican.”
Robert G. Kaiser of the Washington Post says "I honestly think, at first blush, that this was one of the very best speeches I have heard in 45 years in the newspaper business."
Jim Lehrer and the PBS crowd seemed to dig it.
Jim Tankersley of the Chicago Tribune seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.
Chuck Todd opines that Obama left the McCain camp “speechless,” responding to this memo.
So yeah, some of you guys are a tough crowd. Me, I was clapping and squeeing like a little girl… I’ve been watching political speeches since the late '60’s and this is the best one I’ve ever seen. Ever.
Faux News pundits only get a stiffie over lime jello and cottage cheese. This explains a lot about them, really.
Then again, Juan Williams almost cried after Michelle’s speech, so there’s hope for them yet. Wonder if he’s gotten his pink slip yet? Oddly enough, several copies of that video have been removed from YouTube for terms of use violations. Embarrassment?
This made me giggle insanely, yes.
By the way, I notice it didn’t rain.
I swear I wonder if I watched the same speech as some of the other posters. Sometimes you just have to use a cliché: I thought he hit it out of the fucking park! Admittedly they’re already rabidly prObama, but I swear that crowd would have followed out of the gates of the stadium, down the mountains, and personally laid siege to D.C…
As for him being “expensive”- hell yeah. That’s one of the reasons I’m so enthused about this guy: he says “I’m going to give you t, u, v, w, x, y and z… and here’s how you’re going to pay for it”. He doesn’t promise pie ala mode with no calories, and madonna above, but hearing him speak tonight and hearing Bill Clinton speak last night, both fill me with both a mournful and a hopeful nostalgia as I remember and as I recognize again that “THIS is how a leader speaks”- intelligent, informed, passionate, clear, somebody who obviously knows what he’s talking about and didn’t come by his decisions lightly.
I feel more confident in him now after that speech that I did before; this is a man I honestly believe is going to throw down the gauntlet and say “I’m not going to take any more shit from McCain” and will make him pay dearly for his silly ads, and who will take the pawn ticket of the American Presidency and redeem it from the half-tyrant/half-laughingstock it’s been in the international community for years, and who thinks five steps ahead before leaping into a major policy decision.
A pity the election’s not tomorrow as I think there’d be a slaughter. I predict hours and hours of McCain Said/Obama Said compare/contrast footage next week after the RNC convention comparing/contrasting the difference in their passion, speaking styles, plans, and crowd reactions; I just honestly don’t think McCain is capable of instilling a sense of hope like Obama just did.
And repeatedly referring to McCain as “an honorable man” and a war hero who loves his country (but is wrong) is BRILLIANT. If McCain is stupid enough to question Obama’s patriotism in his speech the he will have walked into a trap that will take his leg off before it releases him.
I agree. It’s a brilliant strategy. Y’know, every time the speakers (Clintons, Gore, Biden, Obama) reiterate how honorable and noble McCain is, I can’t help but think…
They know exactly what they’re doing, this batch of Democrats. It’s been a pleasure watching them join the battle at long last.
Me too, choie, I had to memorize that speech in high school and I keep hearing little echoes of it in my head…
If this speech can’t break the influence of polarizing politics then I can’t imagine what will.
This isn’t boilerplate democratic politics, this is something different. It is the best chance people will get to change bitter politics and get a politician that solves problems by bringing people together.
No way are we every going to solve global warming and our energy crisis by fighting over flag pins or gay marriage.
That message is what brought Obama from obscurity in 2004, to become the Democratic nominee in 2008. I hope that message finally gets to enough people so that it brings him to the White House.
What about Gore’s speech. Uh, Al, it’s the DNC, not a policy conference on global warming.
Have you been asleep the past 8 years? Bush tried that - it doesn’t work. Businesses won’t invest in production unless there is someone able to buy their products. Give the middle class tax breaks, and production and jobs will follow.
Where did he say that? He said that volunteers - military or civilian - would get a chance to go to college.
What I didn’t hear, and wish I did, though it is in his economic plan, was an infrastructure improvement effort, which would both keep our bridges from collapsing and employ a lot of people now out of work because of the housing crisis.
What the hell else should he have spoken about? You don’t ask the Nobel Prize winner – an environmentalist who’s made educating the world about the dangers of global warming his life’s work – to take the podium and expect him to steer away from the topic he’s most known for! He actually spoke about other things too, crammed quite a lot into a fast-moving speech, but solving the global warming situation is his passion, and of course that’s the chief focus of his words.
If Obama is elected, I’m confident Gore will play a vital role in Obama’s environmental policy. And thank God for that.
Even Bill Kristol (sort of) prasied Obama’s speech. I’m stunned. Oddly Juan Williams wasn’t impressed…
I just made the 3rd campaign donation of my 33 years, and the 3rd for Obama.
It was an awesome speech.
I worked late tonight so I didn’t catch it on NPR on the drive home like I’d planned to. I also ended up re-watching the documentary “Why We Fight” that had arrived from Netflix just before finally catching the speech on Youtube. What a one-two punch.
I agree. As a diehard Obama fan, even I’ve started rolling my eyes lately. You can’t just carpet-bomb the US with “hope,” “change,” and “yes we can,” no matter how much the convention goers love it.
I also think Obama has been taking one to many on the chin in his (admirable) effort to run a positive campaign. I think it’s hurt him. If Obama keeps campaigning for the rest of the season like he did tonight, I think he’s in very good shape. He looked very professional and Presidential even while having some barbs for McCain (“It’s not because John McCain doesn’t care. It’s because John McCain doesn’t get it.”). I think more of these on the road and he will regain his lead.