Today President Obama gave a short speech on the economy and the deaths in Afghanistan. As those of you who read my blogs know, I am a big supporter of the President. I have no doubt that he is doing all he can on the economy. But today I wanted very few things from him, and I got none of them. I wanted the President to:
1. Look me in the eye. Ditch the two teleprompters and use one that allows you to speak to me directly.
2. Talk to me directly. Don't refer to me as "the American people". Address me as "you". As in, "I know that you are worried about the economy. I know times have been hard for you. Here is why I am still hopeful...."
3. Tell me something new. I know you support increasing taxes on the rich. I do too. I know you think we should extend unemployment insurance and the payroll tax holiday. I agree with that. But today was not a day to repeat your previous recommendations. Is there nothing new to add? You said there are lots of plans but all we need is political will. Well, we apparently don't have even that, so the stock market reacted accordingly. It went further down.
4. Call Congress back to work. What's the down side of that? They get six weeks off while we are in free fall economically? I doubt that any constituents would mind if they all got back to work right now.
Is this only a cosmetic issue, this looking you in the eye thing? I don't think so. Given that there was no new news to be delivered, the medium HAD to be the message. And the medium did not do its job.
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Community organizing is an honorable thing to do--but it does not involve the skill set that we desperately need now.
I would have liked to have heard him say that I am asking Congress to return to work out more cuts or hoping to see him appear with Boehner, McConnell, Pelosi and Reid and hear him talk about everyone working together for America. ANYTHING to make me feel like he was going to use his office to work things out for us.
Heard nothing and really felt that America needed much better than it had (and I am a liberal Democrat). Wouldn't want to be around him when he gets the next Gallup Poll on his public support ratings!
I wondered this too, Linda. Anyone paying attention over the weekend knows how the WH felt about the downgrade. The president didn't say anything different than we'd already heard from others.
I'd rather he made the entire speech about the Navy Seals.....I'd like to see some outrage from him whenever our troops are killed.How much longer will we be accepting of these terrible, senseless deaths?
What the article is asking for, under this Congress/Presidency, seems nearly impossible. It is asking our politicians to stand for the American ethic which has been developed over our two centuries plus of existence. Instead, they pander to their constituencies while fires are burning everywhere.
If this were the 1960's, there would be marching in the streets! I fear too many of us have turned our marching boots in for jogging shoes. This is a disgrace!
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Republican have turned down all the reccomendation even from the Republicans on the Comnittees.
From 12 people then down to the 6 .
This has been an on going thing and here we are.
The Bill Republicans allowed to pass now gives Congress ONLY 10 WEEKS of the cuts begin automatically like a computer program !
CUTS ONLY !!!!
"Talk to me directly. Don't refer to me as "the American people". Address me as "you". As in, "I know that you are worried about the economy. I know times have been hard for you. Here is why I am still hopeful...." "
I am so sick of politicians putting words in my mouth I could scream. I guess the Tea Partiers LOVE having words put into their mouths because it saves them the unpleasantness of trying to think.