I wasn't around for FDRs fireside chats but

[malaise]

these Obama town hall meetings are a perfect way to engage citizens.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. And he's so damn good at them,

isn't he? Isn't he just a goddamn pleasure to watch, to listen to?

His personal touch, so articulate and informed and thoughtful, is driving the rightwingnuts insane.

They cannot lay a glove on him, and he knows it.

I love it.

Don't forget - he's on Jay Leno's show tonight.

And Bruce Springsteen is on The Daily Show tonight, too!

[malaise]

8. He's really good

and he has the most infectious laugh on the planet.

He's also excellent at raising the issues that concern people. The way he dismissed Kyl's comment about Leno by mentioning the number of issues average citizens have to handle at one time was brilliant. I was howling with laughter and the people at the Town hall meeting loved it.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

16. He's a master at turning it around,

and pointing it in a relevant and pertinent direction.

Remember when he took the outrage about Jeremiah Wright last summer and made his now-legendary speech about race in Philadelphia?

The guy is all guts. I mean, he's fucking fearless.

I absolutely, madly, insanely, truly love this guy. And, malaise, HE'S OUR PRESIDENT!!!!!!

[Wetzelbill]

2. the guy is excellent at reaching people

He's going to be tough to ever beat in a public relations battle over policy, let alone an election.

[malaise]

11. Agreed

:hi:

[Wetzelbill]

21. hey malaise!

How are you? :)

[liberal N proud]

3. Modern travel makes them work

It would have been very difficult for FDR to do the travel Obama can afford. The fireside chats were the best method of communication at the time.

Had Roosevelt had the means and ability to travel as Obama does, he might very well have held similar meetings to engage the people.

[southernyankeebelle]

4. WELL GOOGLE FDR AND AM SURE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR HIM SPEAK. I

AM 61 AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT 8 YRS OLD AND WE LIVED IN GERMANY I REMEMBERED LISTENING TO THE LONE RANGER ON RADIO. WOW IT WAS SO GOOD TO HEAR IT. NOTHING BETTER TO LISTEN WHILE MOM WAS COOKING DINNER. MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS WOULD SIT QUIETLY. BOY HAVE TIMES CHANGED. I REMEMBER WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE STATES I WAS 14YR AND GOT TO WATCH TV AND WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE FLINTSTONE, THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB. GREAT TIME OF MY LIFE.

[malaise]

7. Good idea

I'll try that

[leftyclimber]

14. A belated welcome to DU, ma'am.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but posting in all capital letters in an Internet forum is considered the equivalent of "shouting" at someone, which I'm sure is not your intent.

I plan to take your advice and find some of the Fireside Chats online. My 14-year-old stepson is a history buff and it would be good for the family to listen to them together. Thank you for the suggestion! :)

[TahitiNut]

5. I think Eric Lopez would make a good cop ... or even a better lawyer.

What a great kid!

[malaise]

9. Wasn't that cute

Smart kid.

[TahitiNut]

13. He's a winner! (I wonder if Sasha's got a dance coming up soon.)

:evilgrin:

[global1]

6. I Bet McCain Is Thanking His Lucky Stars That Obama Didn't Take Him Up......

on his call to do 'town hall meetings' together. He knows now that if he did go through with them - that McCain would have lost by even a wider margin.

[malaise]

10. LOL

Yah think!!! :rofl:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

17. Every time I think of "town meeting"

and "John McCain," I'm reminded of that brilliant SNL sketch that had "McCain" wandering in front of the camera, over and over.

God, that was funny.

Then, they did the same thing with NY's governor Paterson, which was equally hilarious, PC be damned .........................

[malaise]

19. Well he did that for real in the debate

That was freaking priceless - both the real thing and the SNL skit.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

20. That's what made is so damn funny ..........

They had him doing it over and over, which got funnier and funnier as it went on.

Nothing succeeds in LaBambaWorld like excess. "Abuse it or lose it" has always been Tangerine's personal mantra, and it's worked awfully well...................

[ihavenobias]

12. Agreed.

100%.

[Rage for Order]

15. This place would've gone ballistic over the fireside chats

Especially the infamous Christmas fireside chat. Do you know how often he mentioned God in his fireside chats? And not an ambiguous God, but references to an obviously Christian God.

http://www.mhric.org/fdr/chat27.html

<snip>

Tonight, on Christmas Eve, all men and women everywhere who love Christmas are thinking of that ancient town and of the star of faith that shone there more than nineteen centuries ago. American boys are fighting today in snow-covered mountains, in malarial jungles, (and) on blazing deserts, they are fighting on the far stretches of the sea and above the clouds, and fighting for the thing for which they struggle.(,) I think it is best symbolized by the message that came out of Bethlehem.

On behalf of the American people -- your own people - I send this Christmas message to you, to you who are in our armed forces:

In our hearts are prayers for you and for all your comrades in arms who fight to rid the world of evil.

We ask God's blessing upon you -- upon your fathers, (and) mothers, and wives and children -- all your loved ones at home. We ask that the comfort of God's grace shall be granted to those who are sick and wounded, and to those who are prisoners of war in the hands of the enemy, waiting for the day when they will again be free.

And we ask that God receive and cherish those who have given their lives, and that He keep them in honor and in the grateful memory of their countrymen forever.
God bless all of you who fight our battles on this Christmas Eve.
God bless us all. Keep us strong in our faith that we fight for a better day for human kind -- here and everywhere.

[malaise]

18. Well I have no gods

but I would still have loved to hear all of them and plan to listen to them as soon as I have some time.