State of the Union Preview
Peter Robinson ·
January 23, 2012 at 6:58pm
It pains me to say so, because the President is so blatantly using this State of the Union Address as a campaign event, but this strikes me as just about pitch perfect.
How's it strike you?
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May '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
I was going to write something about the postmodern nature of the construction of Obama campaign speeches...
But then I felt somewhat awkward because the very guy bringing this up is such an accomplished presidential speechwriter.
So Peter, back at ya... Did you ever write campaign speeches? Do you want to talk about the differences between a campaign speech and "regular" presidential speeches?
Sep '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
But is that the only factor the election turns on?
So far, only one guy has managed to launch a jaw dropping (I think Barone and Rahe agree) one week 22 point turn around based on a debate performance. He may have only 2 home runs to his name and may never score another, but when you ask me who I want up at bat in the big game when its bottom of the ninth, its not the guy who's last name rhymes with nominee.
Aug '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
I could only get 20 seconds into this video before turning it off.
His speaking style grates on my nerves just that much.
In a normal speech, I can handle it. When he's staring into the camera lens however, it's simply too much.
It feels like the torture scene from Brazil.
May '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
Like I said, I feel awkward saying this to an accomplished speechwriting professional, but what the hell...
It appears to me that every Obama campaign speech is an exercise in postmodernism. The process is simple:
The text of the speech is just words. Grammatically correct and all, but just words. The listener provides the meaning, and possibly reacts to it by jumping on the bandwagon.
So for example, if the public is concerned about government wasting money, simply insert some text about going through each bill line-by-line to remove wasteful spending. That's not going to actually happen, but accurately describing reality is not the function of an Obama campaign speech.
Mar '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
FYI, Peter Robinson is on NPR at this moment to talk about the State of the Union.
(Don't ask me how I know this).
Edited to add: That was beautiful, Peter. Great point about needing a tie-breaker.
With all respect, I think we would all benefit if you made more appearances on left-leaning media outlets. You bring patience and a sense of class to the discussion that disarms the stereotype of mean conservatives, while still sticking to your guns.
Edited on January 23, 2012 at 8:48pmMay '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
[cont'd, word limit]
"But wait, how does the candidate deliver such text with a straight face? *I* couldn't do that."
That's where the miracle of the Teleprompter comes in. The candidate is concentrating on delivering the words apace, so there's little time available to consider their meaning.
(Or maybe I'm just cynical.)
Jun '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Snake oil folks. Don't buy it.
Jul '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Pseudodionysius: The incumbent comes with an inbuilt advantage. The only thing that can knock him off his game is someone who gets under his skin like Joe the Plumber did. Some guy who looks a little like a hedgehog, a guy with a porcupine like personality, who the Chicago boyz keep riddling with bullet holes and like some kind of Halloween goalie mask wearing zombie keeps rising up and pulling his Energizer Funny schtick and won't take yes for an answer. Some guy who drops the Canadian Prime Minister's name like they golfed together last week, some guy who can rattle off 20 pages of geological assays on the Baaken shale like they're Wagner's Ring Cycle.
I don't think he has a great chance, but he has some chance. I just can't quite remember his name. Troy? · 45 minutes ago
You are a funny funny person.
Jul '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Without a doubt this election needs to be about Obama and his actions. If this election is about class and race warfare combined with feel good fluff then we lose.
May '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
What he says is just fine. Romney would be sputtering at the other podium. What he does is a major problem. Newt would cut him off at the knees. One word: Keystone.
On the third page of this NY Times article on how the US lost iPhone jobs, it tells the story of how China built a factory in hopes of winning a contract. America just threw away something central to the national interest -- national security, energy, jobs -- after dithering for over three years and bowing and scraping at the feet of the environmentalists; the Keystone pipeline. That tells you everything you need to know about America's future in the world marketplace.
Only Newt seems to possess the ability to recognize and attack premises rather than, sheep-like, simply answering the questions.
Mar '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Joseph Eagar
Gus Marvinson
minutes ago
"Worker retraining" may be a Republican issue, but it isn't a conservative one. Government needs to stay out of business's business. That includes employees' or potential employees' business. · 8 minutes ago
No, it isn't a libertarian argument. Education has always had massive conservative backing. · 57 minutes ago
I don't care who has backed it, I don't agree with it. And I'm not a Libertarian, I'm a natural law conservative. There is a difference.
Jun '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
Rank hypocrisy. At least the 45 seconds I was able to listen to. I haven't listened to a State of the Union address since Reagan. My life has been much better.
They are the worst speeches possible--no matter what side of the aisle you are from.
Nov '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
It depends, do we get a Peter Robinson who put Ann Coulter on the hot seat in the podcast before last and doing a fantastic job of seperating fact from hyperbole, or the Peter Robinson who doesn't want to get confrontational with someone out of his comfort zone (aka Mike Murphy, David Brooks). We all know that our friends like Ann will forgive us, others are less certain and we, as decent people, don't like conflict. But that is the reason why we always seem to lose the communications battles and a total windbag like Newt seems so novel.
Aug '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
It's pitch perfect Obama, all right, and it shows the way to spit the guy. It would take a lot of money and a lot of production but I believe it would really work. Even the alternative part, which was a love pat for the hundred grand a plate crowd, is usable.
He said domestic and alternative energy sources.
There's your commercial.
Show Obama saying domestic and alternative energy sources.
Cut to: rough neck saying Obama won't allow drilling in the Gulf.
Cut to: O - domestic and alternative energy sources
Cut to: heavy equipment operator sitting on a front loader saying he and others like him will lose two years work
Cut to: O - domestic and alternative energy sources
Cut to: Headline about Solyndra loan
Cut to: O - domestic and alternative energy sources
Cut to: Headline about Canada signing Chinese oil deal
That's either a 30 second or a one-minute spot, depending. Do one every time our favorite fabulist gets a-rolling. Make them good, make them visual, good sound (CSI's sound made peering in a microscope exciting), run in a few markets and put on You Tube.
Oct '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
Troy Senik, Ed.: I'm less struck by the content (though the reference to those "trying to get in to the middle class" was a nice touch) than the image and tone. Who is this energetic, sweet-tempered young man who can't keep the smile off his face or the Al Green songs off his tongue? And what has he done with the churlish, finger-wagging fellow we've been living with for the past few years?
Something about the prospect of a new campaign seems to have ameliorated the fatigue of the last few years. That's not a good sign for our side. The energized, upbeat Obama is the electorally appealing Obama. · 3 hours ago
Edited 3 hours ago
Troy, this is exactly the impression that I got and I came here to say so where I ran into your comment. It's like he's suppressing a very goodnatured smile the whole time. What he's saying is bollocks, but his delivery is devastating. Someone finally recognized that the scolding Obama had to go. This isn't good. If we don't stop him, he'll lead this country to Hades with that sunny smile.
May '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Misthiocracy: I could only get 20 seconds into this video before turning it off.
His speaking style grates on my nerves just that much.
In a normal speech, I can handle it. When he's staring into the camera lens however, it's simply too much.
It feels like the torture scene from Brazil. · 2 hours ago
Yes! What is it with his speech pattern!? It is annoying beyond words. And the way he pronounces the "s" at the end of words -- instead of the "z" sound everybody else makes, he makes this horrible hiss. Just thinking about it is creeping me out.
Edited on January 23, 2012 at 10:22pmAug '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
It sort of reminds me of a British actor attempting an American accent.
Take Hugh Laurie's accent on House, for example. It's melodious and entertaining, but at all times feels a little bit "off". One can never accept it as an authentic accent. One is always aware that Laurie is consciously putting on a performance.
Connect the dots to Obama's speech pattern as you see fit...
Sep '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
I'm no fan of Barack Obama, but if his SOTU speech is anything like this, it will play well with most of the audience.
His spiel is cheerful, even encouraging, if one has forgotten the past three years and what he has done to bring the country down. He's counting on people to have very short memories, and also counting on them blaming the wealthy as scapegoats.
It might work. It's a preview of the next 10 months, that's for sure. What the GOP needs is a candidate who can forcefully throw him off message and remind people that he's the one who kept us down for three years.
I don't know who that candidate should be, but it's certain that Romney isn't up to it.
Edited on January 23, 2012 at 11:39pmOct '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
So about this idea that the american people are now willing to have a serious adult conversation in confronting out of control spending and debt, just looking at poll results during the debt ceiling debate (where tea party approval dropped to it's lowest) and the 2 month payroll tax extension fight shows taht is not the case.
May '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Don't look so shocked. This is the only thing he's good at--expect it to be a difficult fight.
The part that gets me is when he, as President, pimps his website with a SOTU tease. Why would he not have pointed people to WhiteHouse.gov or what have you? Was this a paid campaign spot or a publicly funded WH communication?