8:06 PM - So far he's used the word "investment" repeatedly. So taxes are now investments in "liberalese."
8:08 PM - He's got a list of people to call on. Can't recognize the individual reporters? Or is he calling on the friendlies?
8:10 PM - Can we trust you with the authority to take over other financial institutions? No answer.
8:11 PM - Why not ask the public to sacrifice? Answer: folks are sacrificing already; we have to make sure that the "rich" make sacrifices. We're going to "invest" in the future. Don't want to return to the "false prosperity" of the last several years.
[UPDATE} Jonah Goldberg comments on sacrifice.
8:12 PM - American people must continue to "volunteer." Huh?
8:16 PM - Will you veto the budget if there is no cap-and-trade? Answer: it in Congress's hands; I'm sure they'll come through. But no threat to veto.
8:21 PM - Obama: if we don't invest, we won't grow. We'll still have trillion dollar deficits. No recognition that the deficits are a result of the spending which is occurring on his immediate watch.
8:24 PM - Don't look behind the curtain ... those future deficits are just current estimates. Next year (when no one's looking) we'll give you a better number.
8:26 PM - Now it's Mexico. Should the military be sent to the border? Uh, well, uh ... the Mexican government is doing very well.
8:28 PM - Blame Bush. "Over the last several years ... veterans have been neglected."
8:30 PM - He's now trying the Defense Department "fraud, waste, and abuse" argument. As a former Defense contractor, I've been through this before -- it's nonsense.
8:31 PM - Asked about the deficit (again), the President turned the answer to health care. If I understand him (hah!) then the health care crisis is the cause of the deficit.
8:37 PM - Did I hear him right? The deficits will persist beyond our 10-year forecast? Is he seriously suggesting running the US into complete bankruptcy?
8:44 PM - Why is the President always talking about layoffs of "teachers and policemen?" What about people employed in the private sector? So far, I can't recall him ever saying word one about secretaries and plumbers.
8:55 PM - It's over.
9:55 PM - Two last thoughts. First, the arrogance. Approaching the podium, President Obama didn't walk; he strutted. Second, no matter what the question, the answer was "investment" in health care, energy, and education. The financial crisis is just an opportunity to invest.
Say what you will about the man, he knows his audience. Be vague, use words that mean different things to different people (but almost always something they believe is good), call up the bogeymen on both sides just to dismiss them both (Hey! Bi-Partisan!) blame the past juuust enough that people go "Hey, wait a minute," and head to their books for reassurance, nope yeah, that's a lie, Whoop, too late! He’s moved on to a new talking point, then promise for the future knowing that people won't remember what you said or promised the next year, and you can always spin the past again.
ReplyDeleteFascinating to me? Yes, but I do think in a horrifying way. Like the difference between admiring a leader’s suit during a lecture and being terrified when there’s no leader there, just the suit waving manically.
I love your comment, but I'd make one change.
ReplyDeleteHere it is: "Say what you will about the man, his suit knows his audience."
Ha! Exactly.
ReplyDelete