Obama Speech To Congress: REACTION

Pundits have begun to react to President Barack Obama's speech before both houses of Congress. Below is a roundup of some of the reactions in no particular order.

Andrew Sullivan: A Tour De Force

It was perfectly pitched: a form a liberal patriotism that eschews the kind of politics the American people are sick of. A tour de force.

But look: the politics and rhetoric are superb, but all that matters is whether he can pull this off. The results are all that matter now. He has this moment; it could make him and the rest of us. It could destroy him or us. It's our job in this crisis to support him and to criticize him constructively. We need to rise to the occasion he is rising to. And maybe most of us will.

The Economist: Vintage Obama

powerfully delivered, after a slightly hesitant start, and carefully constructed. Clever because he pulled back from his previous warnings of catastrophe, but without downplaying the seriousness of the situation. Clever because he presented the Democratic agenda (particularly greenery and educational spending) as the stimulus that the economy needs. And clever because he threw a few bones to the non-liberals listening in the form of promises about charter schools. He even mentioned "entrepreneurs" no fewer than three times, on my count. It would have been nice to have heard how he plans to halve the deficit while boosting spending. It would also have been nice to have a commitment to helping those precious entrepreneurs by cutting onerous regulations (another job for Joe Biden?)

David Brooks: This "Was An Excellent Speech"

I thought it was an excellent speech. It's been a long time since I've really been able to rave over an Obama speech, but I thought this was a speech that perfectly captured the tenor of the country. [PBS, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Coverage of Presidential Address, 2/24/09]

Marc Ambinder: The Obama Synthesis

The key phrase of the speech was, to me, two words: "long-term investments." The spine of the speech holds up this premise -- the examples of Americans who've sacrificed, the history lesson, the implicit criticism of an elections-based worldview, the lensed look at the recent party-hardy past. From Obama's perspective, the failures of the past -- or the collective failures that mushroomed into today's clouds -- require a plunge into activist government.

CBS News Poll: Positive Reception For Obama Address

Eighty percent of speech watchers approve of President Obama's plans for dealing with the economic crisis. Before the speech, 63 percent approved.

Fifty-one percent of speech watchers think the president's economic plans will help them personally. Thirty-six thought so before the speech.

Seventy-five percent of speech watchers now say they were able to get a good understanding of President Obama's economic plans, compared to 58 percent before the speech.

Will Wilkinson: Dangerous

Oratorywise, so good. Ideawise, so weak. Combination, so dangerous.

David Gergen: President's Speech Was "Most Ambitious... We've Heard In This Chamber In Decades."

This was the most ambitious president we've heard in this chamber in decades. The first half of the speech was FDR fighting for the New Deal. The second half was Lyndon Johnson fighting for the Great Society and we have never seen those two presidents rolled together in quite this way before. [CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 2/24/09]

Rich Lowry: That Shout Out To Biden

Was juvenile and condescending to Biden. Speaks poorly of Biden that Obama thought it was necessary.

Josh Marhsall: Major Policy Switch On Torture

Did I get my sections mixed up or did most of the GOP legislators hop to their feet when Obama said "We do not torture"? That's a major policy switch.

Chuck Todd: Speech Hopeful, Uplifting.

I think this idea that somehow [President Obama] had not been talking hopeful enough about the situation, I have a feeling that President Clinton isn't going to be criticizing him, particularly for that last I'd say ten minutes of the speech where it was all hopeful. It was all uplifting. It was as somebody had said to me, the last part of this speech, you're going to recognize it, is Obama-esque, and I think that it's not hard to look at that last part of the speech and saying he wasn't being hopeful and talking up about the economy. [NBC, Nightly News with Brian Williams, 2/24/09]

Comments

[Freedoms Friend]

07:00 PM on 02/25/2009

Rich Lowry: That Shout Out To Biden

Was juvenile and condescending to Biden. Speaks poorly of Biden that Obama thought it was necessary.

You have to consider the source, when W made a Shout Out to someone , he was laughing at you, when Obama does it he is laughing with you.
There is a world of difference, often missed by insensitive people.

[yasmeen]

05:32 PM on 02/25/2009

biden loved every minute of it and prolonged the incident maximizing laughter and applause truly basking in the attention and praise obama constantly showers on him so as not to feel left out when people are drooling over obama.
obama is a real leader. anyone who thought biden was disrespected hadn't seen biden's face or is blind or is looking for trouble where none exists. obama has been told not to lose his sense of humour amidst the seriousnesss. he has a smile that lights up the whole world like a christmas tree.

[breathestolive]

05:05 PM on 02/25/2009

President Obama showed that he truly is the only person in the US right now who has the intellectual and organizational capacity to wrangle all the pieces of the extremely complicated puzzle that is our tortured economy together. Bush was so inept that whatever he did made things even worse; I believe Obama not only has a plan that will work, but that he can implement that plan in an expeditious manner.

He has restored my faith in the American system, and I will do everything in my power to support him and his efforts.

[Altruth]

06:47 PM on 02/25/2009

Amen, Amen, Amen!

[HeartT]

04:43 PM on 02/25/2009

Conflict. It's the only part of the story arc that some reporters can hear. And when it's not there, they make it up. Obama and Biden seem to have a good relationship that includes a little of what we in the black community used to call "ribbing." Obama is such an intense guy, it's good to see that Biden offers him a humorous outlet just as it's good for "Joe" to be party to the seriousness of Obama.
This reporting is another example of not listening. The President listens and what this reporter doesn't get is that now, so do we.

[spartanmom]

03:53 PM on 02/25/2009

Ok, I know the Economist is a UK periodical but "(particularly greenery and educational spending)" GREENERY? That is like the ferns that come with your long-stem roses!

[earlyautumn]

03:50 PM on 02/25/2009

If you're a Limbaugh/Reagan/Bush/Bush Die-Hard GOP fan, nothing Obama does will engender any praise.

We are in the military/economic state of suffering and embarrassment because of the errors of those brainless "leaders", who are still advocating lowering taxes and keeping the government out of the crisis.

Insanity has been described as continuing to do the same things which have proven to be a failure.

In 2010 the GOP will lose another thirty seats in congress. I love to observe their march to obscurity.

[Altruth]

06:49 PM on 02/25/2009

from your mouth to God's ears

[NotMcCain]

03:42 PM on 02/25/2009

David Gergen needs his own show.

His comments are always insightful, memorable without sounding contrived, and--above all--honest.

He's head and shoulders above his colleagues on CNN.

[Dabo415]

04:17 PM on 02/25/2009

I agree but the show should definitely be something on PBS or NPR... he's far too dull for network/cable... Like watching paint dry.

[TovSquirrel]

05:50 PM on 02/25/2009

His style is almost non-emotional, which is as it should be. He is there to inform and engage you, and if that is not entertainment enough . . .

[gdkzen]

03:37 PM on 02/25/2009

I love the irony of Rich Lowry calling the President Of The United States "condescending" because he gave a shout out to his VP using his shortened given name. This is the same man who basically said that Sarah Palin put starch in his boxers every time she winked at the TV camera.

The National Review was supposed to be the place where serious discussion of conservative philosophy could take place. Mr. Lowry is a disgrace to the memory of Bill Buckley

[baumgrenze]

02:58 PM on 02/25/2009

Did anyone else hear this phrase the way I did?

"The only way this century will be another American century ...."

I heard this as a coded jab at the Project for a New American Century, the great neocon proposal whose greatest contribution to the last eight years was war in Iraq.

Just a thought.

baumgrenze

[PDXKevin]

04:09 PM on 02/25/2009

Pretty perceptive.

[ptseti]

02:51 PM on 02/25/2009

To me the most impressive thing was for the first time in 8 years u could listen to a President and actually underatood every word he said - no baffling- no miss reads, in short no Buishism!

I have three words for Rich Lowery- get a life! if you dont have nothnig to say - then say nothing !

[nirek]

02:40 PM on 02/25/2009

I have not been this inspired in 8 years. Our President is AWESOME, he gets his points across and is a great leader. He inspires America to reach for the goals that have been forgotten the last 8 years. America will take it's rightful place as leader of the world and help everyone improve their lives.

[Phxflyer]

02:34 PM on 02/25/2009

Bobby who?

[pineapplegal]

01:22 PM on 02/25/2009

Re: Marc Ambinder's comment "long-term investments", while most of us understand that, I'm afraid the generation of 25 on down only understand "instant gratification". Not insulting anyone - my generation has raised you like that and provided the technology for you to only understand that. I just paused on that and wondered what THEIR world will be like when patience is REQUIRED.

[JPC463]

01:04 PM on 02/25/2009

Juvenile and condescending. That pretty much describes Rich Lowry and his punditry.

[janpradder]

03:12 PM on 02/25/2009

Lowry doesn't get the humour and good will in Obama's comment about Joe. It was given with warmth and respect, and was a feel good moment. When you are looking for negatives and don't find them you make them up.

[zippywpinhead]

04:14 PM on 02/25/2009

he needs to put down his Sarah Palin calendar and go clean up...

[mmz]

12:23 PM on 02/25/2009

Good that David Brooks knows what the President is capable of --breathtaking intellectualism with unfathomable depth. To put that kind of omnipotent ability into a comprehendible speech for the upright, two-footed species is more than brilliant.

Amazing.