Rate President Obama's Speech at West Point (A-F)

[jefferson_dem]

Thanks.

[Arkana]

1. Expect about 8 kabillion Fs from the Angry Dome in GD.

[jefferson_dem]

2. I'm expecting a bimodal distribution (bunches of As and Fs)

n/t

[depakid]

51. A reasonable expectation borne out by the results

Me, I'm right in the middle. A fair speech- with some things to like and some not to like.

[JuniperLea]

4. I don't think there are that many...

I think they are just loud and obnoxious.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Rhetorically. he gets an A

Content wise, it was a rehash of the same lies about wars we have heard from previous Presidents.

Since his words, and more importantly his policies, have consequences, I gave him an F in this poll.

[ShortnFiery]

5. Worst speech that he has ever given ... sounded like an intelligent Bush - 20 years ago.

:(

[mvd]

8. Too many MIC talking points

I was disappointed. Too many 9/11 references. The Afghanistan war was about the pipeline, or we would have been out long ago. Attacked by Afghanistan? Not so. No real addressing of the costs. Want to deny a safe harbor? Work with Pakistan. Hey, even Saudi Arabia could be a safe haven.

I truly think the President thought this over, unlike Bush. And he has a strategy. But he's listening to the wrong people. My worry is that things get worse, and the 2011 deadline (which already makes the surge seem like a bad idea) will be pushed back.

Hoping for the best. Maybe hoping beyond hope.

[mkultra]

31. so are you saying that al queda did not orchestrate 911?

I'm aware of several conspiracy theories regarding this I'm just curious which one you bought.

[mvd]

41. I heavily lean LIHOP, but am not sure about MIHOP

Anyway, it wasn't the country that attacked - AQ is a group.

If the President does hold to his timeline, I'll be the first to give him credit.

[mkultra]

45. While i acknowledge the possibility of LIHOP

and doubt MIPHOP, i fail to see how that or your second point matter in this equation. If Bush let it happen, then he is clearly a douche, but it doesn't change the fact that the AQ group is out to kill us and a number of other people.

Even if the Taliban tried to give up OBL before the event, they refused afterward. Even if they had still agreed afterward, i highly doubt they would have handed over the right people and thus cripple AQ.

The Taliban and AQ are like brothers. They don't always agree but they almost always will when it comes to outsiders.


None the less, Afghanistan was the ONLY place we should have gone post 911. Leaving for Iraq was stupid.

[mvd]

46. I don't doubt that there are some Al Qaeda who don't like us, but..

there will always be a bogeyman for the U.S. Also, how dangerous they are is up for debate. So I don't agree with the war strategy.

[mkultra]

47. their relative danger has all ready been shown

even if their numbers are reduced, its easy and cheap for them to recruit. This is not a phantom threat. These people are much more than just angry America bashers. Their stated intent is to kill as many American as possible. With OBL's fortune, they have the resources to do it. This war is the war that Bush should have fought completely. Its the right move.

[mvd]

48. I don't agree - sorry

Danger is overstated, and diplomacy/better intelligence is the answer. We should have actually gotten out when we drove the Taliban out; I don't even think any invasion was justified. Now they are even going back on the timeline for getting out.

There will always be some kind of threat the U.S. is facing; doesn't mean war is the answer. War IMO means more recruits.

[mkultra]

49. i personally think we should have kept going until we got OBL

Hes the key in my opinion. He is the source of funding. Even if we could just locate his funds and freeze them we could accomplish the same goal. Until then, I think he is far more than just your average garden variety "threat." War could mean more recruits, but if that is actually the case, i think we would have seen their numbers grow rather than diminish as a result of the war of choice in Iraq. That war is the finest example of the kind of intrusiveness that generates hate for us around the globe.

[mvd]

50. I just don't see the threat - don't even know if he's alive

And Afghanistan is different than Iraq when it comes to recruitment, with the population/dynamics being different. As an aside, all that time Bush spent in Iraq and it's still a shell.

One thing we can agree on - we hope Obama succeeds!

[rwheeler31]

6. He made the best case he could under the circumstances.

[avaistheone1]

7. I think factually it was ginned up. Good grief. He really lost points with the 9/11 citation.

Obama sounded too angry and which made it difficult to listen for me.

No eye opener that brought me onboard. I think it pretty much was an Obama puff piece. I think that is why he was trying to play the angry man to give the case more validity.

:puffpiece: :puffpiece: :puffpiece:

[Oregone]

9. The man could sell a bloodbath to a beatnick

In fact, he may just have done that a bit

[MollieBradford]

10. too much "me me me"

as usual. And I do not believe him, so not a good grade from me.

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. Guess I didn't notice the "me me me"

In the middle of all the 911911911terra911911911terra911thoseafghaniesarecomingtokillyouinyoursleepunlesswebuildapipeline911terra.

[Jackeens]

17. Welcome to DU!

** cough **

[Baltoman991]

18. Take that bullshit

somewhere else. Never does Obama put himself above anyone or anything. He's speeches are never about "me,me,me" as you put it. Why the hell do you haters have such a hard time with truth?

And what about him don't you believe? I suspect you never liked the man to start with and it will continue on for as long as he's president.

[Clio the Leo]

12. One of his best speeches ever.......

.... something I dont think we'll fully understand until years from now.

[knightinwhitesatin]

13. Of course you think that

n/t

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jackeens]

16. Em, how can someone who joined DU four days ago claim to know Clio that well?

You don't think.....no, no.

:-)

[Clio the Leo]

19. ;-) NT

[knightinwhitesatin]

20. That was not an insult

she has stated in other threads that she supports this mission. It's not a secret.

[Jackeens]

21. Oh, okay. Welcome....

...back. ;-)

[mkultra]

33. who were you before the stoning?

[knightinwhitesatin]

34. Huh?

what do you mean

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[knightinwhitesatin]

37. I love Tombstone

if and when I cross the line I will get one. Unfortunately for you being against the policy while supporting the President on this forum is not a Tombstone worthy violation.

[PBS Poll-435]

38. I have no idea what you are talking about as far as crossing the line...

I should have posted the question as a poll so that everyone would have a chance to answer.

Easy fix.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9148908

[knightinwhitesatin]

40. LOL

you're safe I have no reason to complain. Politics is a full contact sport. I hold no grudges after a good scrum.

[bigjohn16]

23. You mean history will judge his actions and prove them right? nt

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[burning rain]

22. I give him a D.

Granted, I oppose escalation, but I can still give props for an honorable and smart speech in favor of a policy I reject. There was some goodness: Obama's respectful attitude toward dissent, which favoraly contrasts with Bush & Co.'s demagoguing loyalty to country, and rejection of an open-ended military commitment. But, his suggestion that in Afghanistan, unlike Vietnam, we don't face broad-based, popular opposition, was such a ridiculous whopper that I have to dock major points just for that. There was also his suggestion that our security depends on Afghans being free--the hard truth is that Afghans overwhelmingly revile our conception of freedom.

[HughMoran]

24. DU doesn't have exaggerated "A versus F" thinking

Nah, it's just your imagination :eyes:

[babylonsister]

26. But we're a big tent!

DU is weird to me, and I'm usually happy to be here.

The hatred is hurtful to me. What or who do people prefer? He's dancing as fast as he can.

[HughMoran]

27. He is

I have proof ;)

[babylonsister]

28. Bwhahaha! Not quite what I meant, but

I had to type that 3 times I was laughing so hard!

[HughMoran]

30. :o)

See, we're not all angry grumpy people :)

[HughMoran]

25. DU rating the "content" and not the "speech"

So typical here - how "progressive"

[PBS Poll-435]

29. Which means his rASSmussen speech approval rating index is +23!!

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

[PBS Poll-435]

32. Uh oh... Down to +21

:scared:

[PBS Poll-435]

36. Back up to +23

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

:party:

[PBS Poll-435]

39. Damn. Down to +21

:grr:

[PBS Poll-435]

43. +19?

Are you friggin kidding me?

:evilfrown:

[PBS Poll-435]

44. +15 is SHAMEful.

:shrug:

[trueblue2007]

42. I'm TOTALLY against the war.... just like I was against the Vietnam war

[Blue_In_AK]

52. The delivery was good, as always,

but I didn't like the words.