Obama's acceptance speech

[piercehawkeye45]

Good speech. My biggest criticism is that I did not feel he inspired listeners to make change within their own lives, but told them to rely on him. Instead of talking about the family who let in their less fortunate neighbors as if they were just someone out there, make everyone listening to want to do the same in the future. Instead of telling how he will recruit an army of teachers to educate the next generation, inspire those listening to actually join that movement. Instead of promising to raise environmental standards and push high efficiency cars, get the United States to start purchasing them.

If Obama would have spent around five minutes at the end doing that and gotten his supporters to join in with him in making change, in being revolutionary, his speech would have been absolutely phenomenal.

[xoxoxoBruce]

What are you nuts? The worst thing a politician can do is start telling people what they must do. Lead by example, but don't try dictating, because that's political suicide.

[DanaC]

I, for one, welcome our new literate overlords.

Hahaha. I liked that.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

What are you nuts? The worst thing a politician can do is start telling people what they must do. Lead by example, but don't try dictating, because that's political suicide.

I am not saying Obama should tell people what to do but I think he could have worded himself so the listeners felt more included in his "movement". There have been many speeches where I have felt inspired to do something without being told to do it and I did not feel Obama had that in his speech.

[xoxoxoBruce]

He did, he encouraged people to raise their kids instead of leaving it to the schools and TV.

He explained what he feels the right path/attitude is. If you agree, just fuckin' do it because you think it's right, not to get on somebody's bandwagon, or part of a crowd.
Stand on your own feet, behind your own ideals, and stop waiting to be inspired by the government or it's wannabes.

Ya ready now? .... change! change! change!... ya may not save the world, but ya might pick up lunch money.

[classicman]

I just watched the whole thing - again. It was a nice speech, nothing all that special to me. I am torn again as to voting for the guy who is "less bad" than who is "more qualified." I think Obama is an articulate guy with a speech, but seems to be more lacking in the immediate thought dept. This is NOT a comparison to anyone else - just my opinion on my observations of him.

Oh, I really didn't like the "nation of whiners" part at all - especially when he brought up members of the armed services.

[bluecuracao]

Originally Posted by classicman

IOh, I really didn't like the "nation of whiners" part at all - especially when he brought up members of the armed services.

You can blame Phil Gramm for that one, one of McCain's advisors. If you listen again, Obama was rebutting that remark.

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives – on health care and education and the economy – Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors – the man who wrote his economic plan – was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."

A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know.

[warch]

I just got back from the northwoods where my pal and I broke down from our vain attempt at being unplugged for a week and decided Thursday night to try and find a scratchy NPR feed from Superior, WI. I held the tinfoil enhanced antenna for the whole 45 min or so.

Pretty historic and inspiring I'd say, (but then he had me at Iowa). the visuals were pretty amazing, too.

Awaiting what the RNC will become....

[Sundae]

I watched about half of it and lost interest.

I know it's American politics and therefore of less importance to me. I know I would have watched the whole thing if it was the British equivilant.

But.

I wouldn't compare it in a lifetime with Martin Luther King.

We studied his I Have A Dream speech in Politics, History AND English Language classes. 25 years after he made it. Obama's speech will not be played to children in a foreign country in 25 years time.

I don't mean to suggest Obama's not a good orator - he is. Just that globally, the speech wa a nice puff piece, made by a would-be President. I know Americans really believe that the President of their country is the Leader of the Free World, but out here in the rest of the Free World we tend to view him as just another premier.