Grade of his Oval Speech tonight

[nmbluesky]

Poll question: Grade of his Oval Speech tonight

[Arkana]

1. This one was better than his first.

Didn't hurt that he got to give us good news, though.

[tridim]

2. Turning the page from constant, pointless war to rebuilding at home.

Perfect speech for our time. A+

[jenmito]

3. For those who voted, "war isn't over yet..." he didn't SAY it's over, but that it's changing

from combat operations to training and helping the Iraqis, there will be more violence, etc.

[zipplewrath]

6. A distinction looking for a difference

Nothing is significantly different today than at the end of July. More will die, and we'll kill more innocent Iraqis. They are changing the titles and shoulder patches. It'll be over when they're home. Then it will be up to the contractors. Why we need the largest embassy in the world here is beyond me. But I don't expect Obama to ever explain that.

[jenmito]

9. Yeah, right. Our troops will no longer be dealing with/involved in combat operations.

That's a HUGE change from the end of July.

[zipplewrath]

17. Wrong

We will be doing all the same stuff we were doing in July, it's just different folks doing it. We call them trainers now, but they were training before. We're still going on operations with the Iraqis. We're still doing counter terrorism missions. We're still providing combat support to Iraqi operations. We've just changed the shoulder patches on the troops.

[IndianaGreen]

28. Sgt. Brandon E. Maggart, 24, of Kirksville, Mo., died Aug. 22 at Basrah, Iraq

Here is reality buddy:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 759-10
August 24, 2010

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Brandon E. Maggart, 24, of Kirksville, Mo., died Aug. 22 at Basrah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13823

[hlthe2b]

4. I think he WANTED this to be low key

He did, after all, oppose this war... He certainly did NOT want to give props to Bush* or suggest that there was any kind of real "victory" in this, but rather give appropriate thanks to the troops for their sacrifices.

It was a making lemonade out of lemons kind of speech.

[Exilednight]

5. I gave him a "D" .......

it had nothing to do with the content of the speech.

It's his style that earns him such a low mark. He sounded very monotone and there were many awkward pauses. There is little in the way to compare it to. He's only delivered a handful of speeches without an audience or reporters present. Of the three I remember (his first oval office, one he gave from his home during the primary, and this one) I would say that the one he gave from his home was the best.

To be perfectly honest, he seems the most at ease when he is sitting with a reporter doing a one on one.

[nmbluesky]

10. D? MMM

I give his B, because His speech was good, but one thing is Afghanian.. We need one war more to go.. We don't have to pay another trillions for stupid Bush"s War..

[Exilednight]

48. Yep, D. But like I stated, it had more to do with style than substance ..............

the awkward pauses just made it awkward to listen to. On about four or five separate occasions I was thinking "is he gonna say something else, or is he going to continue?"

He just didn't seem at ease.

[Robbins]

7. I liked It

He was very somber.Obama also shows he Is not the picture the right wing likes to call him.This shows he Is not Bush.He points
out we will be gone by the end of 2011.And he is signaling he will keep to his timetable to afghanstain.While we all here disagree
with what he siad about Bush.Could you Imagne any Republican saying what he said about him? And he made slight jabs with regards to
all the money spent.

[Phx_Dem]

8. A+. I thought it was great, and very emotional.

He did a great job praising the troops without praising the war. It wasn't their fault their former President lied about the war he sent them to fight. They deserve credit for risking and giving their lives. Period.

[jillan]

13. That's exactly how I felt. He really did a great job letting our troops know they are appreciated.

And spoke about caring for them at home.

[IndianaGreen]

11. I didn't watch it.

I am watching 2012 on Starz.

[jenmito]

12. Funny how you made a comment about it on another thread and QUOTED him, then.

:rofl:

[IndianaGreen]

14. I didn't watch Bush either, but kept up with it by reading DU

I don't want to vomit while watching our politicians lie through their teeth.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[zipplewrath]

21. You doubt it

But you got nothing to prove it.

[jenmito]

23. I have her quote and comments from another thread.

It's all there.

[zipplewrath]

30. Nothing there

You implied someone was a liar based upon a quote that could come from several different sources.

Is that really all you have? You wanna apologize to them now, or wait for a while?

[jenmito]

31. She did much more than that...

she accused Obama of recreating "one of the many Vietnam War speeches we heard from previous Presidents..." For someone who didn't even WATCH it, that's a heck of a statement.

[IndianaGreen]

34. and Petraeus is another Westmoreland

I have been down this primrose path before and, unlike you, I served in the military at a time when my Commander-in-Chief was a crook and a liar.

[jenmito]

35. You shouldn't comment on a speech you claim you didn't watch.

It discredits your comments about said speech. ;)

[IndianaGreen]

36. I didn't have to watch the speech to tell you that Petraeus is another Westmoreland

It was the Suni Awakening that lowered the violence in Iraq, not Petraeus's surge which came much later.

We already lost the war in Afghanistan, while Petraeus is giving us his version of "light at the end of the tunnel."

[jenmito]

37. You brought up Petraeus in response to my post about your comment about

Obama recreating "one of the many Vietnam War speeches we heard from previous Presidents..." You tried to change the subject.

[zipplewrath]

41. So now I'm confused

Did they watch or didn't they? You seem to be waffling now, or maybe you just change your accusations as a function of the point you want to make. Which is it?

[jenmito]

42. Yes, you ARE confused...

I'm saying that "They" DID watch the speech because of "their" comments about it, and if "they" DIDN'T watch it, it's pretty irresponsible to make such comments.

[zipplewrath]

52. How could they not watch it if they did?

You seem to standing firm on your accusation that they are lying. Yet you want to accuse the of being irresponsible based upon having told the truth. You want to eat your cake and have it too.

[IndianaGreen]

25. 2012 was on Starz during Obama's recreation of one of the many Vietnam War speeches

we heard from previous Presidents. And the quote you referred to, was posted by a DUer that actually watched the dog and pony show.

Did you know that one of our GIs was killed in Basra just this week?

A U.S. soldier was killed in the southern Iraq province of Basra on Sunday.

US Soldier Killed in Basra, Attacks Continue in Iraq

August 22, 2010

U.S. soldier killed in Basra

August 22, 2010 - 03:17:52

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

A U.S. soldier was killed in the southern Iraq province of Basra on Sunday, the third fatality in August, upping to 4416 the total number of U.S. servicemen killed since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, according to the U.S. army in a statement.

“A U.S. soldier was killed today (Aug. 22) in Basra,” read the statement as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

The death has brought to 4416 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, including 46 in 2010 and150 in 2009.

http://www.aljazeerah.info/News/2010/August/22%20n/US%20Soldier%20Killed%20in%20Basra,%20Attacks%20Continue%20in%20Iraq,%20August%2022,%202010.htm

[tridim]

16. Bam!

:nuke:

:toast:

[IndianaGreen]

20. Did you watch Bush's speeches or did you just follow the narrative in DU?

I followed the narrative in DU while watching a movie with my kids. Good way of avoiding throwing something at the TV out of anger.

[tridim]

24. It doesn't matter, just the fact that you didn't watch it floors me.

I mean, WTF? This is our President talking about very important things in very desperate times.

It's living history. Turn off the movie and watch it with your kids.

[jenmito]

27. She claims she was watching a movie with her kids yet she was also supposedly

following comments on DU and writing posts about them? AND commenting on the entire speech, calling it a "dog and pony show" without watching it? Hmmm...

[IndianaGreen]

32. Did you notice that I did not vote in the OP's poll?

Why is that, pray tell? Could it be that I didn't vote because I didn't watch the speech?

Or I could have given Obama an "A" without watching the speech and without no thinking whatsoever.

[jenmito]

33. I have no way of knowing whether you voted in the poll or not. But I DO know you

criticized his speech that nobody here transcribed word-for-word as recreating "one of the many Vietnam War speeches we heard from previous Presidents..." That's way more of a statement than giving a grade.

[jenmito]

22. ...

BUSTED! :toast:

[Beacool]

39. Neither did I, I was at the gym.

:-)

[demwing]

15. More fawning over Obama's "skill" as an orator

when these days, every one of his speeches sound the same. Same cadences, sames inflections, same generalizations, same speech.

Different day.

I am no longer inspired, because I know that I am just one of the 300+ Professional Lefties at the government tit.

[Beacool]

38. Doesn't sound like I missed much.

Same cadences, sames inflections, same generalizations, same speech.

Now, that sounds familiar........

:D

[jefferson_dem]

45. You totally missed it.

"The sky opened, the light came down. Celestial choirs began singing..." It was glorious.

[Beacool]

47. Yeah, well, may be to his ardent supporters that how he always sounded.

:7

[jefferson_dem]

44. "I am no longer inspired,.."

:rofl:

[WorseBeforeBetter]

19. I laughed out loud at "end our dependence on foreign oil."

How many presidents have now said that -- at least 6, spanning about 4 decades?

Praise of troops, good; praise of W and his love of this, that and the other, bad. I didn't hear mention of dead Iraqis, but I went to grab something out of the oven at one point and may have missed it. And any mention of Iraqis "stepping up to secure their own country" is cringe-worthy to me. I opposed the war from the start and am concerned about Iraq's future, but we'll see. Hope and change, baybee.

I'll rate it a C.

What's an Oval Speech?

[KansasVoter]

26. Too much Bush ass kissing for me. nt

[DFab420]

29. I voted A

and this is why. He did a very good job speaking to the respect the country owes our troops. I like this "sacred trust" phrase he uses when talking about it. Used it a couple times
but if the shoe fits. Also this is one of the few times I've seen Obama be visually emotional on television during a prepared remark since his speech in Philly. When he got choked up toward then end talking about the sacrifices so many shouldered...It was good to see him speaking from the heart.

Yes he uses the same cadence when speaking, so do most public figures, and actually most people. Do you randomly change your inflections and vocal ticks every morning??

I also liked the way he finally sat down and said looking into the camera that the economy and creation of jobs is his number one priority. I think it has been all along but now people won't be able to say he isn't focused on helping anymore...

anyways I guess I gave it an A cause I still like the President and have been lurking here now for neigh 6 months and think it's about time to for me to pipe up again.

[TheKentuckian]

40. The war goes on and I heard long term commitment and "advisers"

I heard "turn the page" and no accountability for this ballbusting debacle.

I heard standard bushshit war on terror garbage.

No grade, the war is still going and it sounds like we're never really leaving but rather subbing soldiers for mercenaries to handle the long haul.

[jefferson_dem]

43. Ten DUers give this Democratic President an "F" for that speech.

Please, let's start putting names next to votes. I would love who these funny folks are.

[Whisp]

49. not hard to figure out. :)

same olds.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[backscatter712]

46. Very good speech. I give it an A.

Delivering from the Oval Office was appropriate - no "Mission Accomplished" banners, flight suits or codpieces - he set the appropriate mood.

He pretty much told it the way it is - yes, there are troops still there for now, but our involvement in Iraq is winding down, and the nation can move on to other things.

[impik]

50. It was great. Left me at tears

[Vinca]

53. It was a very good speech, but I was disturbed by a line that made me think

he sounded like George Bush. Maybe I didn't hear it correctly, but it seems he said the war was a response to 9/11 (which, of course, Iraq had nothing at all to do with). I could be mistaken and will have to look back on the text of the speech.

[peekaloo]

54. I think he had shifted to Afghanistan at that point.

I could be wrong but there seemed to be a funky blur of war fronts at that point.

My head was still spinning after the Bu$h props.

[bigwillq]

55. Didn't watch

Was at the Yankees game! :)