That may not have been the last great speech of his presidency, but I think it was surely the last great high-pressure political speech. He compiled a record for rising to the challenge in those situations that may be matchable, but it will never be exceeded. Barack Obama is the most clutch politician that any of us will ever see.
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BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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The Muhammad Ali of presidents: https:/masscommons.wordpress.com/2014/11/25/barack-obama-is-who-he-said-he-is
The display of moral force and basic human decency these past few days is a stark contrast to the fear, hate, and anger in Cleveland.
I am very proud of my party and my country today.
Me too, Spink. I’m not a fan of political speeches, but that was spectacular.
Doubt that it will ever be matchable, but definitely agree that it will never be exceeded. Barack Obama is the epitome of grace and competence.
What does clutch mean in this context? I even googled to see if there was a definition I wasn’t aware of, and that didn’t help.
“Clutch”: performance under stress, when the stakes are high. As in baseball, “a clutch hit”.
Remarkable speech, Obama once again rose to the occasion.
A quick comparison of the two conventions reveals the dark, threatening tone of fear and hostility towards non-white people at the Republican convention and the upbeat, unifying celebration of diversity and hope at the Democratic one. Night and day, fearful vs brave, monarchy vs democracy. It was crystal clear that the Republican party is in shambles, lead by an inexperienced charlatan with visions of his own grandeur in his straw-covered head.
I watched the better part of both conventions. Hands down, the Democrats did the better job of conveying the ideas of freedom and democracy. They didn’t gloss over their flaws or weaknesses, but embraced them and made a promise to do better. Speaker after speaker rose to the occasion, sharing personal insights and showing their support for Hillary and the party. And more than that, support for our country, our people, and the inclusion of all.
I wept with joy during many of the speeches at the Democratic convention. And sometimes with sadness, saying goodbye to a President for whom I have the greatest respect and a Vice President who has worked tirelessly for causes that matter. Some of the speeches were heart-breaking stories of personal loss and redemption. Everyone had powerful, uplifting messages and by the end of last night, I felt like standing and cheering. I actually clapped a few times.
So, going forward I feel a sense of positive strength and cohesion. I am excited for the Democratic party and the opportunity to make progress as a nation. We need to be motivated to keep the country together and make advances in understanding each other and celebrate our differences. That’s what makes us strong.
You said pretty much exactly what I’m feeling. I cannot recall a more inspiring or exciting convention night.
The odd thing is, if you look at much of the right wing media, and also judging from a lot of wingers who are in my social media stream, the story that is circulating in their world is that the Democratic convention has been nothing more than one big race-baiting party, an exercise in ignoring and blithely swiping away the imminent and cataclysmic dangers that are barreling toward us from outside our borders, not to mention a continuation of promises for big giveaways to ne’er do wells who flock to “Democrat Party”.
It is just amazing how they and I can both be viewing the same event. Though I suspect that few of them are watching at all, they have simply been sucking maniacally on the soda straw that is sticking out of their Big-Gulp cup of hate, aka “The Right Wing Wurlitzer”.
It is an amazing quirk of human beings that we can somehow have such diametrically opposed views of the exact same thing. There is virtually zero overlap in how we seen the respective conventions.
Agreed, and even more incredible to me is if you state the simple facts about Trump, he and his campaign are a monstrous joke. He has no discipline or tact, no moral compass, no sense of duty or a desire to help anyone but himself. He lacks social skills, he is a racist and fearmonger, and he knows virtually nothing about the Constitution or American government basics.
He’s a real estate mogul and businessman who had a TV reality show. How is he even in the running?
It’s because Republicans are adrift and have sacrificed their souls for the attention Trump could bring. They should have learned from the great Tea Party takeover that bringing in extremists is not the solution.
So, now they’re stuck with him. Good luck with that, and let’s hope he gets buried in a landslide come November.
Schism has the potential to destroy the Republic. I blame the Republicans exclusively for this partisanship and divisiveness. That it is premised on principle and values of patriotism and faith is ironic and laughable. That it is harnessed solely for the sake of selfishness is inexcusable. Seditionists and traitors.
Six more months of “friends” and enemies seeking to make his presidency a failure.
And both have the power to do it if not outmaneuvered.
Best chances to preserve reputation:
In other words, putting the brakes on Clinton’s worst tendencies before she takes office just as W and the status quo Democrats put the brakes on Obama’s best tendencies. Bernie, an independent, as Senate Budget Committee chair would be an excellent idea. And politically motivates the Berniecrats to take back the Senate. This is a time in which personal pique either way should not distract from creative political strategies. Leaving people unrepresented through actual power is dangerous for governance. We already have an entire party structure whose philosophical basis is that government is the enemy that must be drowned in a bathtub. Having the other major party follow that same direction of disenfranchisement just to hold the status quo in power makes no sense in the midst of multiple crises that require government action.
I might be alone in thinking this, but Sanders’ move back to Independence reads less as a rebuke to the Democrats and more as an indication that he may retire soon.
Depends on how personal Vermont Hillary supporters took his primary challenge. Senate Budget chair is a place of power that has handled many an alternative to retirement while creating a firewall against the opposition party so long as the party in power can hold on to it. Kent Conrad botched it by making the arguments that sunk Democratic control of the Senate.
Don’t think he’s retiring; think he’ll continue to work for his agenda from the Senate. as Independent he can work within a progressive coalition in Congress