"What do I do, Mr President?"
Driving home from work this afternoon, I caught parts of President Obama's town hall meeting in Orange County. While I missed parts of it, I did come away with a definite impression based on the parts I did hear.
The man has no clue.
First of all, it is undeniably true that once you take that telePrompter away from him, he is lost. The great oratorical skills vanish into thin air as he is reduced to a string of verbal tics and joking asides as he attempts to formulate an answer.
The first portion I heard was when someone asked him what he was going to do about immigration reform. Obama, realizing that his questioner was for a lenient policy, proceeded to wander through every talking point on both sides of the issue in an effort to please everybody. He wanted "comprehensive reform"-but not amnesty, mind you. He expressed concern about undocumented workers being exploited. He referred to a path to citizenship-again assuming they all want to be US citizens. He said they had to go back to the end of the line. They had to learn English. he's going to Mexico to meet with President Calderon, etc. etc....... Bottom line?
Hell if I know. However, if you read between the lines, don't look for this president to seal that border or put a stop to illegal immigration.
Then I heard the final question from a man who had lost his job (auto worker) and was unable to find another job because he had committed a felony 20 years ago.
"What do I do?" asked the man.
Unfortunately, he asked the wrong guy because Obama had no idea what to tell the man. As he began his long, tortured reply, Obama talked about how the man had obviously put his past mistakes behind him. He talked about the bad economy. He talked about the "programs" he wanted to initiate. He talked about the need to build environmentally friendly cars, solar energy, wind-something-or-others. He asked the man what company he had worked for, and the reply was "Toyota". (Too bad Obama couldn't mention any bailouts). Finally, the President wished the man well and said goodbye to the crowd.
"What do I do?"
President Obama must be thinking the same thing right about now.
9 comments:
It's a shame that President Bush couldn't serve another term. Now THERE was a great speaker and completely competent President!
Lance,
Show me a great speaker, and I will show you....a great speaker.
My point is that what Obama says is cripted and delivered well with the Teleprompter, but without it he is lost.
Bush was terrible off the cuff because he did not have the ability to use the English language effectively. He was not, however, stupid because of that.
It will be up to history to judge Bush once the all the people with passionate opinions about him are gone-same with Clinton. I think history will judge Bush much more kindly. I didn't like everything he did, but he did do some things right.
This present administration is looking like the Katzenjammer kids.
(There's a google assignment for you.)
Hey now, that was Bryan, and not me.
I will say, however, that I disagree with your assessment of the way Obama speaks. True, he's not as good as when he has the teleprompter, but he's nowhere near as bumbling as you make him out to be. Honestly, he comes off as being thoughtful, as though he's carefully weighing everything he says - which I personally find refreshing to statements like "Bring 'em on!"
Sorry Bryan, You still have a homework assignment, however.
Lance, you may be correct, but Obama comes across as omeone who's trying to think of what to say rather than being thoughtful.
I seriously think he's in over his head and realizes it.
Obama does come across as being thoughtful and Bush was the one who never realized that he was in over his head.
I am afraid you will never see Bush as the walking desaster that he was.
Ingrid,
Time will tell on Bush. I suspect it will be a long time to properly judge his presidency.
With Obama, I think we will know pretty much as it happens.
Time will tell on Bush. I suspect it will be a long time to properly judge his presidency.
With Obama, I think we will know pretty much as it happens.
How do you figure that? Or is this another one of those conservative assertions that's right simply because it FEELS right?
No Lance,
It's my brilliant brain that tells me that.
Ingrid,
I couldn't match up your latest comment with the post so I will respond here about Israel.
Yes, I am biased in favor of Israel. I think she has a right to exist and defend herself. Its not that Palestinians don't have grievances, it is that they have resorted to terrorism for the past several decades. Why is it that a tiny sliver of land can't be left alone in peace in the Middle East?
Because they are Jews and not Muslims.
I also strongly believe that the international media (like BBC) has purposely distorted the reporting from Gaza by allowing Hamas to dictate the reporting.
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