Political & Elections

Obama, Michelle, and their children have been viciously attacked by a combination of Palin and her Fox colleagues over the last couple of years
Examples of attacks on those beautiful girls please.

Zooser:  This is not the memorial service.  I wouldn't speak this way at a memorial service.  This is a political blog where things like presidential speeches about memorial services come up, and interested parties post about them.  Clearly, our thoughts are not in harmony, but enough with the "tone deaf" and "ever have a nice thing to say stuff."  You find it odd that I have focused on criticising Palin - I find it out that you focus on the appropriateness of my posts.  C'est la vie.

In descrying the "obsessing" about Palin, you down play her. Private citizen?  Hardly!  She is one of the most visible public figures in the nation.  Her speech was "fine and appropriate" for "any celebrity"?  She is not any celebrity, but a major political player.  I agree that she should not be, but unfortunately she is.  As for critiquing her speech, Colbert did an excellent summary on last night's show.   It wasn't a total disaster, but talk about tone deaf and self-absorbed.  She could not resist a jab at her critics, and it did not work.  It fell far short of Obama's speech.

Woodwork, trying to excuse Palin's failure to rise to the occasion, as Obama did, because she has been attacked about this subject over the last few days, and Obama has not is pretty weak.  Obama, Michelle, and their children have been viciously attacked by a combination of Palin and her Fox colleagues over the last couple of years, but he took the high road, which is presidential and appropriate for a memorial service for a nine year old girl.  Palin took the low road and played the victim card in a questionable way, when there are real victims.  She could have truly elevated herself to a higher plane with the right speech, but she was true to her nature - which is good for the left.

 

-- Edited by Bogney on Thursday 13th of January 2011 09:21:20 AM

Why do you take umbrage at me bringing up Palin on this site?  Did I do it in a disrespecful manner?  My comment seemed pretty innocuous to me.

I guess it just seems a bit tone deaf in a thread  congratulating Obama from both the left and right.  Like a wrong note in a song, if that makes sense.  If we can't all just receive comfort and extend pride to the President together when we all agree that he's done a masterful job as President, is there any circumstance under which the left and right can just agree without nastiness, snarkiness and partisanship creeping in?  It just makes me wonder of you "does he ever have anything nice to say?"

I was proud of and comforted by the President last night.  I do NOT want Sarah Palin to be President (although I'm really not sure she would run) and would never support her. 

I agree with Zoosermom...and there is no way to predict what President Obama's reaction may have been if, like Sarah Palin, he was being doggedly accused by the political gluttons of being in some way responsible for the death of a congresswomen, a 9 year old girl and 4 other innocents, but I would like to think that if Sarah would have spoke at the wake she would have also risen above even such creepy accusations as were heard ad nauseum by those that prefer ideological division to national healing.

I am glad he was not. Neither was Nancy Pelosi or bomb-throwers like Alan Grayson or James Clyburn accused by the politically gluttonous on the Right, as far as I know.


Ironic that those that were so quick to go rhetorically nuclear after this tragedy did so to decry devisive rhetoric. You can't make it up.

Because I do not want her to be president, and she remains a potential candidate from the right.  Also, who else has made a "speech" related to the events in the past few days that received national media coverage?  I can think of two.  Therefore, it seems natural to compare and contrast.  I like Obama and I think he shines even brighter when his speech is contrasted to Palin's speech.

Seriously, why would that not be relevant, and why are you the arbiter of relevant? As far as I can tell, this is the politics and election thread, where we talk about politics and elections.  Do you believe that Palin is not front and center in American politics and election?  As to this particular thread, Obama gave a speech addressing the subject as did Palin - seems in the ball park to compare.

Why do you take umbrage at me bringing up Palin on this site?  Did I do it in a disrespecful manner?  My comment seemed pretty innocuous to me.

Now, contrast that with Palin's speech.
Why?  Seriously.  Why is that even relevant?  Mr. Obama is the President of the United States.  Mrs. Palin is a private citizen. There is no reason to contrast anything that they do.  I would really love to know why she is so important to you.

I have never doubted President Obama's good intentions, and have never really questioned his character...a few peculiar freinds, but I have some rascal freinds as well.

Last night, he acted like a man with a sincere heart; and as Zoosermom says, as a father, a husband and a symbol of American compassion. Something I expected that, apparently, many on the Left did not...or at least could not emulate in their own behavior following this American tragedy. He was, in his speech, the antithesis of so many of his supporters on the blogesphere and the neck-strechering knee-slappers in the MSM. He presented this tragedy as heartbreak, not as a political feast. Hopefully that will end the scurrilous accusations that have raged in public debate in the wake of this tragedy.

As the President said, "scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, 'when I looked for light, then came darkness.' Bad things happen, and we have to guard against simple explanations in the aftermath, for the truth is none of us can know what triggered this vicious attack...or what thoughts lurked in a violent man's mind....but what we cannot do is use this tragedyas one more occasion to turnon each other. That we cannot do. As we discuss these issues let each one do so with a good dose of humility, rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame let's use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations."

Words to live by, wouldn't you say.

The best news is that Rep. Giffords opened her eyes, and reached up towards her husband when he asked her to.  Very affecting and encouraging.  

Most of his major speeches have been very good.  He generally appeals to reason and decency far more than to passion, which is one of the reasons I liked him.  I am less keen on how he has run things since elected, but his speeches have been hard to criticize - though true disbeleivers will always find a way.  I didn't actually hear this speech though.

-- Edited by Bogney on Wednesday 12th of January 2011 09:43:43 PM

Excellent speech by the President!