Athena Calls Speech at her Temple a “Flop-a-lini”
When I watched Obama’s speech, my initial reaction was that it was one of his worst. Still, he had greater fluency that does George W. Bush in most of his addresses.
The Democratic nominee came across as distance and, at times, angry. He didn’t seem to connect to the crowd, though I have read reaction online that many at Invesco Field were move by their candidates’ remarks.
In listening to television commentary and reading blog and pundit reviews of the speech, what struck me was the great diversity of views. On FoxNews, Dick Morris called it one of the greatest speeches ever. Charles Krauthammer, with whom I normally agree on most things political, thought it wasn’t a great speech but a smart one. He thought it worked.
Bill Kristol offered a similar assessment.
Michael Barone was not so impressed. While less critical than yours truly, he thought the speech was “workmanlike rather than . . . inspirational.” He also pointed out that it’s “pretty easy to refute” Obama’s “notion that John McCain is the (90 percent) same as George W. Bush.” Thus, he concludes “that the major themes of Obama’s speech . . . may not be sustainable.”
In a similar vein, Athena (AKA Peggy Noonan) doesn’t think that “six months from now,” people are “going to remember what he said.” Well, she did say they’d “remember the Parthenon” which, after all, is her temple.
Simply put, “there were things about it that didn’t work.”
Noonan said those who described the speech as symphony were engaged in “fatuous suck-upping.” And Peggy has crafted some pretty symphonic addresses of her own.
Well, with Peggy calling the speech a “flop-a-lini,” I think I’m on pretty solid ground with my criticisms.
(Via a reader who found the link here.)
More commentary here as well as the video which I couldn’t manage to upload.
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40 million plus watched or heard. one hell of a failure.
Comment by michael — August 30, 2008 @ 8:05 pm - August 30, 2008
sorry bruce, can’t let this one slip by…..everyone one in the bush family has, ” greater fluency that does George W. Bush ” as do most of us.
Comment by michael — August 30, 2008 @ 8:22 pm - August 30, 2008
And 20 million turned to the other 20 million and said, “*That’s it? That’s what the hype was about?”
There was a certain Matrix Revolutions quality to the ratio between hype and what Obama delivered. As with Matrix Revolutions, it was obvious a lot of money went into the production, but the product was talky, unfocused, and contained nothing memorable.
[And I'll leave aside the topic of michael pining for the days when inferior children were put to death so that the genetic purity of the Fatherland was protected for another time.]
Comment by V the K — August 30, 2008 @ 8:39 pm - August 30, 2008
you are such a brownshirt vinnie, dismissed. this election is over. i do remember your comments when i reported in to report that gonzo was toast and your denial. good luck bud.
Comment by michael — August 30, 2008 @ 9:05 pm - August 30, 2008
Actually, michael, I believe you and Barack Obama are the ones arguing that Sarah Palin is bad because, quote, she “knowningly lets a genetically defective child into this overpopulated world vs a redo on the pregnancy. ya, a clear thinking woman…”
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — August 30, 2008 @ 9:51 pm - August 30, 2008
When did barack obama make any comment on Sarah Palin’s baby?
Um never, douche.
Comment by Tim O — August 30, 2008 @ 10:04 pm - August 30, 2008
It’s his *supporters*, Tim O. You know… people like you.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 30, 2008 @ 10:15 pm - August 30, 2008
(or in fairness… like michael… and some of the Daily Kos types)
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 30, 2008 @ 10:16 pm - August 30, 2008
so like you are telling me NDT that it is saner to give birth to a trisomy and waste the resources than abort and try again.
Comment by michael — August 30, 2008 @ 10:40 pm - August 30, 2008
“michael’s” same logic would apply to a child who was born congenitally deaf as well.
Here’s a pic of the baby michael thinks should have been killed for the good of the genetic purity of the Fatherland.
Comment by V the K — August 30, 2008 @ 11:00 pm - August 30, 2008
sorry V, 403/404.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 30, 2008 @ 11:13 pm - August 30, 2008
Yes, michael, for one simple reason; I have never met a person with Down syndrome that I, or their parents, would call a “waste of resources”. The Democrat Party and Barack Obama do, but I don’t.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — August 30, 2008 @ 11:42 pm - August 30, 2008
OMG! I can’t believe comments regarding the “trisomy”.
Did everyone forget the genetic testing that was being promoted to weed out the homosexuals!
I am offended and embarrassed that someone here is justifying the idea of a “do-over”.
GOD help us all.
jeb
Comment by jeb — August 30, 2008 @ 11:45 pm - August 30, 2008
Safire on The Speech:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/opinion/31safire.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Read the whole thing. Just one very small tidbit I hadn’t realized. Apparently,
Delusional?
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 31, 2008 @ 11:07 am - August 31, 2008