Some Thought On Last Night’s Presidential Address

 

I don’t normally watch presidential addresses.  I try to tune out any time a politician is flapping their gums, especially on television.  However, if I’m going to write about this kind of thing, I guess I have a responsibility to watch them.

I have a few thoughts, in no particular order:

  1. I couldn’t help but think of Rush Limbaugh’s compliment of Obama that he says nothing better than anybody else. Obama has lost his sparkle, so he didn’t do it that well. But he said a whole lot of nothing.
  2. He announced he’d be bombing Syria and arming Syrian opposition forces. You know, the stuff he wanted to do a year ago, but got shouted down on by the public.
  3. He claims the authority, but it’d be nice if Congress agreed with him.
  4. He got kind of far afield. It’s not 2012. He’s doesn’t need to brag about how well he thinks the auto industry is doing.
  5. And somehow this is about Ebola too?
  6. And the plan is to do this by arming Syrian opposition (aka: God knows who) and using airstrikes? To me, that sounds like a recipe for dragging this out for a decade. But who knows, maybe Obama has the magic touch.
  7. There’s a few episodes of 30 Rock where Queen Latifah play a Congresswoman named Bookman. Bookman goes off on these riffs where she just starts talking about the flag and the troops “and the flag troops” and says a whole lot of nothing in a preacher voice. Mrs. Cole, after hearing President Obama’s speech tonight, mocked it by making reference to that. It was a fair shot. He’s bombing Syria and arming Syrian rebels. That’s it. But he went on for 15 minutes about it and said nothing else.
  8. Barack Obama continues to look like hell.

That’s it. Those are my raw thoughts in no particular order. He gave no details. It was all fluff.

Thank you, President Obama, for reminding me why I don’t watch these things.

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  1. user_653084 Inactive
    user_653084
    @SalvatorePadula

    Did you know that the Islamic State isn’t Islamic?

    I’ve found that I’m generally more sympathetic toward Islam than many on this site, but that was just ridiculous.

    • #1
  2. user_653084 Inactive
    user_653084
    @SalvatorePadula

    Also, were you guys aware that the economy is pretty awesome? We’re on track to defeat the Islamic State with our job growth!

    • #2
  3. Son of Spengler Member
    Son of Spengler
    @SonofSpengler

    Every time Obama started sounding sensible, he would undermine it by claiming something utterly delusional. By the end, all I could think was that every Obama commitment has an expiration date. I can’t imagine Our allies are feeling any better or that our enemies are any more fearful after hearing that speech.

    • #3
  4. Julia PA Inactive
    Julia PA
    @JulesPA

    Fred Cole: 8. Barack Obama continues to look like hell.

    foreshadowing?

    • #4
  5. Julia PA Inactive
    Julia PA
    @JulesPA

    Salvatore Padula: pretty awesome?

    did he really say “pretty awesome” ?? I bet it was more like “um—pretty—-um—-awesss-umm” ?

    I guess he is the vernacular president who wants to identify with the likes of us, you know, um, in, the umm, vernacular.

    • #5
  6. Albert Arthur Coolidge
    Albert Arthur
    @AlbertArthur

    Fred Cole: 2. He announced he’d be bombing Syria and arming Syrian opposition forces. You know, the stuff he wanted to do a year ago, but got shouted down by public opposition.

    He didn’t want to do it, which is why he didn’t. He still doesn’t.

    • #6
  7. Albert Arthur Coolidge
    Albert Arthur
    @AlbertArthur

    Julia PA:

    Salvatore Padula: pretty awesome?

    did he really say “pretty awesome” ?? I bet it was more like “um—pretty—-um—-awesss-umm” ?

    I guess he is the vernacular president who wants to identify with the likes of us, you know, um, in, the umm, vernacular.

    He said that it “bounced back.”

    • #7
  8. user_280840 Inactive
    user_280840
    @FredCole

    He didn’t wanna do it? You coulda fooled me.

    • #8
  9. Albert Arthur Coolidge
    Albert Arthur
    @AlbertArthur

    Fred Cole:He didn’t wanna do it?You coulda fooled me.

    That’s not hard.

    • #9
  10. Julia PA Inactive
    Julia PA
    @JulesPA

    Albert Arthur:

    Fred Cole:He didn’t wanna do it?You coulda fooled me.

    That’s not hard.

    yellow flag on the play…

    • #10
  11. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    I simply cannot stand that man’s voice.  When it comes on the radio, I change channels.  I would never voluntarily watch any of his speeches or any other public appearance.

    • #11
  12. user_280840 Inactive
    user_280840
    @FredCole

    Thats kinda how I feel. This was the first in a while.

    • #12
  13. Julia PA Inactive
    Julia PA
    @JulesPA

    Fred Cole:Thats kinda how I feel. This was the first in a while.

    Thank you for doing our penance, and for the summary. I also don’t watch or listen.

    • #13
  14. philo Member
    philo
    @philo

    I didn’t watch…I didn’t listen…as has been my policy since early November 2012.  (I sat through every minute of every Clinton State of the Union speech but I just can’t do it anymore.)  However, I do hope that this speech is still a relevant news topic 24 hours from now…I fear it won’t be.

    • #14
  15. EThompson Member
    EThompson
    @

    RushBabe49:I simply cannot stand that man’s voice. When it comes on the radio, I change channels. I would never voluntarily watch any of his speeches or any other public appearance.

    I feel the same way; I’m as bad as the infamous ‘lo-info’ voter in this regard. It is however, a waste of time to listen to him. We know what he thinks about the Constitution and was glad to hear Rand Paul pick up on that tonight.

    • #15
  16. Drusus Inactive
    Drusus
    @Drusus

    Please, Fred. This is leadership at it’s best. I know, because he told me.

    • #16
  17. She Member
    She
    @She

    Salvatore Padula:Did you know that the Islamic State isn’t Islamic?

    I’ve found that I’m generally more sympathetic toward Islam than many on this site, but that was just ridiculous.

    I think that someone, somewhere (can’t remember who, or where) made a perspicacious comment about this sort of thing the other day, to the effect that pretending that all of this has absolutely nothing to do with ‘real’ Islam essentially gives the so-called ‘moderate Muslims’ the license to ignore it, and also frees them from any obligation to condemn it.

    • #17
  18. douglaswatt25@yahoo.com Member
    douglaswatt25@yahoo.com
    @DougWatt

    First of all I pay no attention to President Hussein. Second of all I don’t pay any attention to people who can’t find the will to kill people who behead children or cut them in half but somehow are outraged at the death of journalists. I find both groups to be reprehensible cowards. I do not need Congress to tell me what is evil and what is not.

    • #18
  19. Albert Arthur Coolidge
    Albert Arthur
    @AlbertArthur

    She: I think that someone, somewhere (can’t remember who, or where) made a perspicacious comment about this sort of thing the other day, to the effect that pretending that all of this has absolutely nothing to do with ‘real’ Islam essentially gives the so-called ‘moderate Muslims’ the license to ignore it, and also frees them from any obligation to condemn it.

    Who’s on first.

    • #19
  20. Byron Horatio Inactive
    Byron Horatio
    @ByronHoratio

    Ah, the vaunted “vast majority of moderates” will be the only ones we arm in Syria surely! Because we are such experts at distinguishing the mdoerates from extremists!

    On a different note, I wonder if Obama realizes that he would be riding a tidal wave of support for unchecked bombing if he had stated something to the effect of “ISIS’ kidnapping and murder of American citizens is a declaration of war, and I call upon Congress to authorize unlimited devastation of ISIS controlled areas until their armies, infrastructure, and fighting capacity are wrecked and ground into dust.”

    But I think bellicose language is utterly impossible for such a professorial temperament.

    • #20
  21. Albert Arthur Coolidge
    Albert Arthur
    @AlbertArthur

    Byron Horatio:Ah, the vaunted “vast majority of moderates” will be the only ones we arm in Syria surely!Because we are such experts at distinguishing the mdoerates from extremists!

    On a different note, I wonder if Obama realizes that he would be riding a tidal wave of support for unchecked bombing if he had stated something to the effect of “ISIS’ kidnapping and murder of American citizens is a declaration of war, and I call upon Congress to authorize unlimited devastation of ISIS controlled areas until their armies, infrastructure, and fighting capacity are wrecked and ground into dust.”

    But I think bellicose language is utterly impossible for such a professorial temperament.

    It might mess up the crease in his pants.

    • #21
  22. Whiskey Sam Inactive
    Whiskey Sam
    @WhiskeySam

    Salvatore Padula:Did you know that the Islamic State isn’t Islamic?

    I’ve found that I’m generally more sympathetic toward Islam than many on this site, but that was just ridiculous.

    Normally only those in a group are allowed to determine who is and isn’t a member of the group.  Therefore, Obama must have been signalling that he is in fact a Muslim.

    • #22
  23. Albert Arthur Coolidge
    Albert Arthur
    @AlbertArthur

    Whiskey Sam:

    Salvatore Padula:Did you know that the Islamic State isn’t Islamic?

    I’ve found that I’m generally more sympathetic toward Islam than many on this site, but that was just ridiculous.

    Normally only those in a group are allowed to determine who is and isn’t a member of the group. Therefore, Obama must have been signalling that he is in fact a Muslim.

    You are an exceptionally handsome man, would you like to join the exceptionally handsome man club?

    • #23
  24. Concretevol Thatcher
    Concretevol
    @Concretevol

    Fred, I had the good excuse of sitting with a friend at the hospital tonight but have to admit I probably wouldn’t have watched anyway.  I rarely talk to and/or listen to people that I know are liars.  I did however read up on his comments and it really seems to me that the overall strategy to deal with this JV Terrorist Team is:  Obama is going to annoy the crap out of them until they are contained and manageable……is this about right?

    Was shocked to learn he didn’t address the minimum wage or income disparity!

    • #24
  25. Concretevol Thatcher
    Concretevol
    @Concretevol

    Salvatore Padula:Did you know that the Islamic State isn’t Islamic?

    I’ve found that I’m generally more sympathetic toward Islam than many on this site, but that was just ridiculous.

    It’s comforting to know that B.O. is a great theologian now and is the final word on what is actaul Islam and what isn’t!

    • #25
  26. kylez Member
    kylez
    @kylez

    Barack Obama continues to look like hell.

    The picture of him on Yahoo looked weird to me, and I see Alfred E. Newman almost every time I see him these days.

    • #26
  27. x Inactive
    x
    @CatoRand

    RushBabe49:I simply cannot stand that man’s voice. When it comes on the radio, I change channels. I would never voluntarily watch any of his speeches or any other public appearance.

    Agreed.  I have to read about them.  Can’t sit through them in the original.

    • #27
  28. Son of Spengler Member
    Son of Spengler
    @SonofSpengler

    Is this a peacekeeping operation? Or does that man have to give back his Nobel peace prize?

    • #28
  29. user_280840 Inactive
    user_280840
    @FredCole

    EThompson:

    I feel the same way; I’m as bad as the infamous ‘lo-info’ voter in this regard.

    Ugh.  I wish I could unindent this.

    Look, you shouldn’t feel bad.  Watching some politicians flap his gums, or even watching the news, doesn’t make you a low information voter.  You’re under no obligation to watch these things or even read the transcript after.

    What the president say on any given address will be turned over and discussed, if he said anything of interest.  If you’re open to it, you’ll gather the information.

    Frankly, if you care to seek the information and your mind can handle it (which it can or else you wouldn’t be on Ricochet) you’re not a low information voter.

    • #29
  30. user_280840 Inactive
    user_280840
    @FredCole

    And also, I don’t know what any of you are complaining about.  You got what you wanted.  We’re bombing ISIS.  We’re bombing Iraq.  We’re bombing Syria.  We’re arming Syrian moderates.  And the President is doing it on his own authority which a lot of you claim he has.

    • #30
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