Dangit President Obama - Yell!! Bang your fists on that podium.

[jillan]

Show people just how pissed off you are at Congress for NOT passing your job bills.


Emotion sells.... Use it.
Standing up at the head of the class, speaking calmly does not get your point across. It puts people to sleep.

That's what makes B Clinton, Biden more effective - they play the audience with their voices and inflections.

Time to shed that Mr Cool image - get mad, get loud and give people something to remember - something to talk about....

how nice it would've been if the take-away from this presser was "Oh Man - the President IS pissed off at Congress".

[AngryAmish]

1. He may have just quit

Some people mentally check out of situations before they actually leave the situation (job, marriage et al).

[WI_DEM]

3. No, that has been Obama's style from the beginning--No drama Obama--they call it.

has nothing to do with checking out.

[uponit7771]

33. +1

[KharmaTrain]

2. Good Idea...Wrong Place...

He needs to get populist and mean it...but this isn't the setting. He's in a shark tank here with the corporate media looking at anything he says or does with the intent of spinning it to fit their narratives. I didn't look to kindly on the days of the boooosh "press" conferences where the questions and questioners were pre-screened and these give and takes were used as campaign events.

I'd prefer to see the President in Ohio or Wisconsin or Colorado with the fire. There's a difference between campaigning and governing...something the rushpublicans can't diferentiate (and are always in campaign mode)...right now he's in "governing" mode. Populism, yes...but we also need leadership.

[earthside]

4. Very distressing.

What is going on?

No passion, no drama, no urgency ... ?

Why is Pres. Obama letting himself be drawn into a dialogue on the 'European crisis'?

Even his voice sounds tired and disinterested.

The political situation is serious, the economy is not doing well -- and yet the President does not seem able to even figuratively "pound the podium" and challenge Congress to act.

Folks here may not like it, but I predict this press event is going to be panned because of the President's obvious lack of energy and spiritedness.

[annabanana]

5. If he showed passion at a press conference.. They'd

call him "unhinged"..

[dmr]

9. Exactly.

[earthside]

12. Well, there is NO communication ...

... in this press conference with the average, ordinary voters.

Why is Pres. Obama drifting off into rather esoteric economic statistical analysis?

And, I'm not buying this notion that if the President displayed a bit of 'fire' about the failure of Congressional Repuglicans to act that he would be accused of being "unhinged".

But the more I'm listening, I do think there is something other than normal with the President today -- he is very slow in his speech, his tone is very low, he sounds hesitant -- if he is just tired-out then he should not have done this event now.

There is clearly lack of energy in the President.

[Skidmore]

15. Really? Just really?

You must miss Bush's hysterical delivery with a passion.

The man is walking in a mine field seeded by all sides. I'd be cautious in choosing my words too, especially if I intended to address all the people.

[Dawgs]

18. I want someone who speaks like FDR, not just a little bit better than GWB. n/t

[Autumn]

27. Bush's base just loved his hysterical delivery with a passion,

they couldn't get enough of it. Bush didn't give a fuck what anyone else thought. Remember that?

[russspeakeasy]

16. Smart in school; dumb on the bus.

[jillan]

6. No energy at all - Even I am having a hard time listening....it's 8 am here

and he is putting me back to sleep.

Maybe the corporations would listen to his message if he knew how to deliver it - I'm sure they've tuned him out as well.

Every other word is "uh".

[whathehell]

23. Yeah...A little real emotion would help.

It doesn't mean he has to go ballistic, as some here feel he would be perceived.

[nenagh]

8. Pres. Obama seems exhausted..

unfortunately....

[JNelson6563]

7. I'm glad he's smarter than that.

He's done it a couple of times, I remember well all the shots the folks who definitely dislike him took due to it. Lots of "it's about time he grew some balls" type of bullshit.

It is good that he more consistently is calm, break out the angry sparingly. As I listen to this presser I notice it's all about solutions. Very little finger pointing, lots of here's how we fix it, Congress needs to get on board. My gawd it's as though he's a grown up who genuinely wants to improve things.

Julie

[Puzzledtraveller]

10. He appears tired :(

[Puzzledtraveller]

11. The leak thing seems to be getting to him.

Is this a big deal? I don't know much about it.

[siligut]

21. He is appalled that people would risk lives and national security for a small edge in politics.

Just Google "Kill list" on DU.

[rufus dog]

13. Agree

With the question on the leaks he should have pivoted.

Call them out, say "maybe Issa can waste time on investigating leaks rather than focusing on jobs, of course they are taking another one week vacation so they aren't even faking it anymore."

[OKNancy]

14. I wrote this in another thread... I am GLAD he is calm

His audience is NOT DU.

This isn't a campaign speech. In fact

his calm demeanor is reassuring to most people. Interestingly.... the markets were down and as soon as he calmly spoke about Europe and gave a positive message, the Dow is moving up nicely. I don't know if it will last through the day, but it's an interesting phenomenon.

[whathehell]

24. I'm glad he's calm in most situations

but it CAN be perceived as a lack of caring and that is NOT

just the viewpoint of DU or other progressive board.

Projecting passion does not mean you are going "ballistic".

It often means you actually CARE.

[Swede]

17. Obama is cool and calm,as always.

I like that.

[lindac007]

19. An adult

He's the adult in a room full of journo babies who would only write about his temper tantrum if he had one, not about the country's need for congress to pass the jobs bill. Personally, I was pleased with the questions ( they were intelligent and thoughtful) and noticed that he called on people NOT necessarily thought of as the main stream media, who only seem to want to goad him into saying something outrageous that they can broadcast on TV that night. That stuff should be left to surrogates and media people.

[siligut]

20. I saw his irritation and utter disgust at the idiots who are trying to ruin America

I heard and saw it loud and clear.

[NYC Liberal]

22. Um, no. Bush used to do that and it looked awful.

He looked like a child having a temper tantrum and so would Obama if he did that.

I for one would like to have more leaders who don't feel to yell and scream.

[whathehell]

25. Um, yes...Bush would look awful doing anything and

Projecting emotion does NOT have to mean temper tantrums or "yelling and screaming".

It can mean genuine CARING and not being afraid to show that.

[NYC Liberal]

26. It's not about "fear"…it's about different personality types.

I was responding to the OP, who wants Obama to "Yell!! Bang your fists on that podium." Not all of us express emotion by getting riled up like that.

[whathehell]

31. No, I never thought it was about "fear".

The "bang your fists" on the podium might be a bit over the top

but I do think expressing more emotion might help.

[kestrel91316]

28. The very second THIS president shows that much emotion the RW will tar him with the

"angry black man" label and they will never stop with it.

[bigtree]

29. you want the angry black man thing

I like my President's style. It how most of us relate to each other (outside of DU, where titles with lol, omg, and fuck attract responses like flies on shit).

[nobodyspecial]

30. Good thing he's not taking advice from you

or many of the people here. Leadership is showing calm under fire, not ranting like the average pissed off person. Sure, it gets air time, but it is not suitable for the dignity of the office. This isn't a reality TV show.

[NNN0LHI]

32. +1

[cynatnite]

34. He's called "No drama" Obama for a reason...

I'd rather not see a podium thumper as president. He keeps his cool which I like.

Besides, the right will call him unhinged, losing it, and all that. It would be used against him.

[badtoworse]

35. OK, he's pissed and has a righteously good rant.

What does he do for an encore when the House thumbs its nose at him?