President Obama channels Elizabeth Warren in Kansas speech

[babylonsister]

President Obama channels Elizabeth Warren in Kansas speech
Posted by Chris Cillizza at 03:52 PM ET, 12/06/2011



In a nearly hour-long speech that had a distinctly political feel to it, President Obama borrowed rhetorically from Massachusetts Senate candidate — and liberal heroine — Elizabeth Warren to make his case on the economy in Kansas today.

Warren, who helped Obama create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, drew national headlines earlier this fall when she insisted that “there is nobody in this country who got rich on his own” as a way to rebut charges that Democrats were engaging in class warfare (The video of Warren’s remarks has been viewed more than 807,000 on You Tube.)

There were echoes of that we-are-all-in-this together economic philosophy everywhere in Obama’s speech today.

“This isn’t about class warfare, this is about the nation’s welfare,” he said at one point. At another, he insisted that “rebuilding this economy based on fair play, a fair shot and a fair share will require all of us to see the stake we have in each other’s success.”

This focus on fairness is part of a broader Democratic messaging strategy aimed at turning the economic debate in 2012 from one that asks the question “are you better off than you were four years” to one focused on inequality and how how entrenched (Republican) interests are doing everything to widen the gap between the haves and have nots.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/president-obama-channels-elizabeth-warren-in-kansas-speech/2011/12/06/gIQAWjGIaO_blog.html

[Enrique]

1. he's also channelling Teddy Roosevelt

Obama must have stereo. :-)

[Matariki]

2. Smart.

"This focus on fairness is part of a broader Democratic messaging strategy aimed at turning the economic debate in 2012 from one that asks the question “are you better off than you were four years” to one focused on inequality and how how entrenched (Republican) interests are doing everything to widen the gap between the haves and have nots."

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. Randi's playing the entire speech on her show. It's a real barn burner.

:bounce:

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Obama gets no credit at DU for passing three of his four jobs bills!

Free trade with Korea, Colombia, and Panama - lots of new jobs will be created.

I'm sure that Elizabeth Warren is very excited by these bills.

[jwirr]

7. Those of us who do not think that is true know HE got them passed

we just do not think they are going to be any better than NAFTA. Globalization is our problem not our solution.

As to channeling Elizabeth Warren - that is good. I hope everyone begins to understand where she is coming from. Wouldn't hurt if he read a bit of Naomi Klein either.

[grasswire]

5. I would feel happier about Obama in 2012 if Warren was 2nd on the ticket.

Then she could run in 2016. Wow.

[DCBob]

8. I would be happy with that.

That would be a strong ticket. It would piss off the RW but it would be worth it!

[TheWraith]

6. Oh please. Obama is channeling himself.

Too many people haven't been actually listening to his speeches over the last few years, if they think this is a change in tone.

[frazzled]

9. +1000

I listened to the entire speech and felt the same thing: I've heard much of the same from him over the last several years. People like to think that because they weren't listening it never occurred. But the themes have all cropped up in his speeches on specific topics before. Framing it within the Roosevelt speech was new and lent historical force (though even that he's done in different ways before, focusing on how "doing things together" to better the nation and doing things that help everyone, not just the few, is good for everybody). Each time he gives a speech focusing on stimulative matters he has invoked this populist spirit.

[babylonsister]

10. If you think that's an insult, it isn't. Personally, I like the fact

that he can gather and use different opinions and povs that are good and incorporate them into the fantastic speech he gave. For instance...

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2011/12/invoking-teddy-roosevelt-obama-finds-his-voice.html

Invoking Teddy Roosevelt, Obama Finds His Voice

snip//

Like many people who voted for Obama in 2008, I have been critical of some of his actions and inactions. What has bothered me most has not been any one thing in particular, but his overall failure to articulate and defend the vision of an activist government tackling market failures and protecting the public interest, which Teddy Roosevelt helped to create. Yes, the President has done some positive things and made some good speeches, and, yes too, he has faced enormous difficulties, but all too often his heart hasn’t seemed to be in the fight.

Today, at last, he found his voice, or Teddy Roosevelt’s voice—or, as some are suggesting, Elizabeth Warren’s voice. Any way, it was a big improvement.

[joshcryer]

11. While I agree with you his tone hasn't changed, this is still a good piece.

It going to at least contribute to destroying the anti-Obama meme that the left has perpetuated due in part to right wing infiltrators and PUMAs.

[zalinda]

12. Fine, he is channeling himself.

Big deal! He still has all the 'to the right of Nixon' advisers. This is an election stump, pure and simple. All the crap that has been pulled on the 99%, and all the milk and honey fed to the 1%, says more than anything that comes out of his mouth.

zalinda

[AtomicKitten]

13. I hope to see them campaigning for each other. Nothing but win in that for both of them.

I couldn't have thought up a better candidate to win back Teddy's seat.

[tfsoccer]

14. Great words, MORE EMOTION, PLEASE!

..not the scream either, but just some more repeating key phrases with a little more anger!!! He needs to get people more fired up with his own fire!

[AtomicKitten]

15. Seriously? Some reporting is calling it a "fiery" speech.

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

16. Angry black man? I don't think so. imo, he's doing fine. I hope

you saw is speech. I like the brilliant Prez myself.