A Presidential Obama...

polifrog

(As commented at The Spag Report. This is better than my first attempt last night. Ferment?)

I did not watch the memorial or Obama's speech due to the inherently tedious nature of such events. I did, however, read Obama's speech as it was the linchpin of the memorial. It is unfortunate that those who truly mattered were upstaged, but that was a necessary cost for what was needed. I had feared based on history that Obama speech would not be worth that cost. That fear was not met.

Like others here, I believe Obama was presidential. I would add, though, that this is perhaps his first foray into such territory.

It appears that Obama recognized that the self inflicted damage being done by some Democrats had to be stopped for the benefit of his party, and although I doubt he understands the resultant outrage from the right at being falsely accused of murder, it was an aspect to the bargain he had to accept in an effort to protect his own party.

It also seems that he may have accepted the fact that he no longer has a tyranny of the majority within governance from which to govern, and must now govern from that new reality. Shades of Clinton three?

What ever the calculus, where he could have been partisan he was not. In that, this speech stands in stark contrast to those delivered over the past few years.

Lastly, this was not governance in a pen to paper, law making, bill signing way, but rather, governance through theater and, although Obama struck the appropriate chords last night he is anathema to American success.



[Edited "As posted at The Spag Report" to "As commented at The Spag Report"
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