OK. I just watched the speech again.......

[FrenchieCat]

and I must say that this was definitely his best speech to date.
What he had to say was what we needed to hear.

I suggest those who have only watched it once,
to watch it again.

It is superb.

[FrenchieCat]

1. and please note that part of his genius is that

all of his speeches are fitting for the occasion.

You are not always going to get what your predetermine you "want" to hear,
because he's gonna tell you what you "need" to hear.
He told us this many times.

[Solomon]

2. I wouldn't say it was his best speech, but certainly much

better than is being panned. Obama's speeches tend to sink in after a day or two and this one is no different. I thought he has given more rousing speeches in the past. But you are absolutely right about his speeches fitting the occasion. He's a master at that. He's not campaigning anymore and has gone to the sober mode, and that is most definietly appropriate.

:hi:

[Democrats_win]

3. The best part is that he scolded bush and bush had to sit there a take it.

I know, I shouldn't say that, but that's the way I saw part of what Obama said. I needed that as much as the rest of the speech which was very good.

[Solomon]

6. That was the best part of the speech for me as well.

Bush was chastized, and I'll bet he's an empty man tonight.

[OneBlueSky]

4. one thing in the speech I didn't care for was Obama's pledge to . . .

protect the "American way of life" . . . the American way of life is wasteful, profligate, and based on limitless growth and consumption . . . if he really means to preserve that, he's in for a rough haul . . .

better he should look carefully at why a nation with 5% of the world's population consumes 25% of its resources and contributes most egregiously to degrading its environment . . . invading foreign lands to ensure access to their oil is the epitome of the kind of old thinking that needs to change . . .

we need to start exploring a better way, one that allows us to be comfortable but also demands that we be responsible and respectful . . . in the long run, it's the only thing that will save us . . .

[Solomon]

5. I agree with you if you took it that way, but I thought he was

referring to our ideals and the rule of law. That we can both protect ourselves and still uphold the Constitution. I didn't mind it as much as I would have in the past because it also occurred to me that he was throwing a bone to the neanderthals.

[FrenchieCat]

8. He refuted what you are saying he meant.....

He said in his speech....."nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

[AndyTiedye]

9. He Said All of That Too

better he should look carefully at why a nation with 5% of the world's population consumes 25% of its resources and contributes most egregiously to degrading its environment . . . invading foreign lands to ensure access to their oil is the epitome of the kind of old thinking that needs to change . . .

we need to start exploring a better way, one that allows us to be comfortable but also demands that we be responsible and respectful . . . in the long run, it's the only thing that will save us . . .

All of that was in his speech, though he phrased it better than you or I could.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

7. President Obama's speech will be appreciated as more profound in time.

The very mention of "non-believers" may be a prolific statement suggesting a true separation of church and state, as one example.
Nothing this man does is ordinary or lacking historical purpose and precedence.

[cooolandrew]

10. I think the most important part was reaching out to nations setting a new era of co-operation.

[Connie_Corleone]

11. The pundits wanted to hear soaring rhetoric and something like a victory speech.

Obama gave the right speech at the right time.

[FrenchieCat]

13. Exactly.

Folks set up their own expectations.....and Obama warned us about that.

How many times has he said.....I will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

Guess this is what he meant.

[BlooInBloo]

12. Seems to me he was torn between delivering a blue-collar "let's get to work" speech...

And a soaring-rhetoric/historical-acknowledgment speech. When you do a little bit of both, the result tends to not be quite as good as if you just chose one, and ran with it.

Among other things, he's probably just tired of doing the "soaring rhetoric" thing. He's champing at the bit to get to work, and I think his speech reflected that.

But whatever criticisms I might have with it, I of course realize that they take place in the context of comparing them to his *other* speeches, which rank among the best ever made. So not quite reaching so high a standard is a FAR cry from being remotely close to a failure.

[FrenchieCat]

14. I suspect that some set up their own expectations,

and many who have cried due to one of his speeches, believe that they should cry at the all.

I think this occasion was enough for tears without him trying to have that effect.

I say this because I didn't initially like his Denver convention speech as much as I "expected" to.....but after listening to it again, I realize that it was actually the perfect speech for that venue....and now, it is one of my favourites.