I like this assessment of Obama's presser: He was talking like a grownup. (Digby's Hullabaloo blog)

[gauguin57]

... not talking down to his audience. Trying to explain things in an intelligent way, rather than talking to the American people like they're little children.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/press-conference-by-digby-howard.html

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

by digby

Howard Fineman says that Obama failed to hit it out of the park in his press conference because he didn't sound enough like Ronald Reagan. He was like, totally, boring. I guess the honeymoon really is over. They're responding to him like they used to respond to Clinton. They prefer the president to speak like a six year old as Bush did or an addled elder comedian like Reagan. It's more fun.

Luckily, if actual Americans were listening they likely learned something tonight. Just as they did with Clinton, they like information and explanations that don't insult the intelligence and prefer it when the president speaks to them as if they aren't in some sort of remedial classroom.

All the gasbags can talk about is how Obama "handled" the Henry Louis Gates question, which is typical.

... Update II: Krugman recalls a famous Fineman assessment of George W, Bush. Here's another one from a Hardball appearance after a Bush press conference in March of 2003:

"If he’s a cowboy he’s the reluctant warrior, he’s Shane… because he has to, to protect his family."

[damntexdem]

1. I thought he did a good job.

It's a shame that the focus on health reform was partially displaced by the Gates discussion; but, then, this country DOES need more discussion on race issues as well.