RSS Feed MenuMy latest column for The Week analyzes President Obama’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
Increasingly, Barack Obama’s speaking style inspires a reaction borrowed from the narrator of the Raymond Chandler novel, The Long Goodbye: “You talk too damn much, and too damn much of it is about you.” Of the first seven sentences Obama delivered to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, the presidential “I” was the subject or direct object of five.
You can read the rest here.
balconesfault // Sep 24, 2009 at 10:50 am
That is Obama’s style. He lays out there who he is … where he is coming from … where he wants to lead, and he asks others to join with him.
Yes, it is markedly different from Bush’s style. Bush led by trying to draw a line where everyone fell in one camp or another – with us or against us. His leadership wasn’t so much a persuasion, as a threat that by not following him you would be viewed as an opponent.
Obama doesn’t rely on that threat. Instead, he relies on convincing others to share a positive vision with him. It is a rejection of the fearful tribalism of the Bush years.
I can see Frum critiquing Martin Luther King Jr. “What’s all this ‘I have a dream” stuff?
EscapeVelocity // Sep 24, 2009 at 11:42 am
Obama’s utopian visions based on fallacies and fantasies.
Global Fearmongering is not a positive vision, nor is it proven or even a preponderance of the evidence. Its a Global Doomsday Gaia Cult which promises salvation for man’s sins through pious works and sacrifices. A motivator to push Leftwing anti Capitalism, increasing government power, and limited individual rights.
And that is undeniable.
And that IS undeniable.
Observer // Sep 24, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I think it’s possible to read too much into this sort of thing.
But I also think that it’s important that elected officials feel confident that they’re speaking for the public, or for groups of people with certain beliefs, and not just for themselves unless it’s on a specific issue of opinion or conscience.
Is it appropriate for the President of the United States in a forum like the UN General Assembly to speak for America, and not just for himself? Yeah, kinda. “We, the people of the United States will not stand idly by when our friends are threatened, their historical sufferings slandered, their right to exist denied” – that’s far more powerful a statement than “I believe the Iranian government goes to far when it attacks Israel, a country I support,” etc.
So count me as merely “leaning Frum” on this issue.
Edmund Onward James // Sep 24, 2009 at 5:38 pm
There are reasons, why BO is the way he, a celebrity president that desires popularity like FDR did with hbis fire-side chats, in order to win over the masses to get his Marxist-Leninist trained agenda initiated.
Perhaps his astrological make-up (along with the Chinese year) might help the reader a bit.
Cool Cat Obama & Leo the Lion (The Royalty Sign)
http://onwardjames.blogspot.com/2009/01/cool-cat-obama-or-lion.html
Observer // Sep 24, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I dunno if that’s being fair to FDR. LOL
Much has been said then and since about how radio as a medium was a personal conversation – and in a way, it was, with a family listening to a little box talking in the living room. Regardless of goals or ideology, that’s a place where “I” makes sense now and again.
In the same vein, I’m not sure David’s point would be even fair if the speech in question was to the Wichita Bowling League. But what makes it fair is that this was in one of the world’s largest permanent assembly rooms, broadcast internationally, speaking both to scores of world leaders and to the countries they all represented. So I don’t know if you’ve helped “the reader” here.
marxst1 // Sep 24, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I think Frum is accurate in his description… I think “observer” makes a solid point about why it might be an issue. But overall, I think, “who cares.” Worse than that, I think complaints like this (while you may think they reveal something about Obama) end up just coming off like nit-picking.
I know I was certainly guilty of it myself when Bush was in office. Trying to point out flaws in every little thing the guy does just makes you a little less credible when you are trying to point out actual horrible things he’s doing. When I would complain about the patriot act or the no-bid contracts that Bush was doing, Bush supporters I know would look at me like, “yeah.. but you’re the jerkoff who made fun of Bush’s speech patterns”.
Seriously, I was a little disappointed in this article. Frum does a lot of “putting words” in the Presidents mouth. In fact, I think he could have titled this whole article “or so he invited his audience to infer.” Umm… no. It’s what you’re inferring he said. Again, you may be right on all counts, but you really are going to have to wait until there is more than lipservice paid to any of this stuff. Also, and I can tell you this from being a long time tilter of windmills, people don’t like to be told what they are inferring, thinking, doing… etc.
If your argument hinges on ” a promise to do something himself is necessarily a warning that other things will be left undone.” But, you don’t point directly at anything he is “actually” doing, or “failing” to do, you really just run the risk of sounding petty.
ottovbvs // Sep 25, 2009 at 2:11 pm
……….Face it David, Obama is the best presidential speaker since Clinton and light years in front of your former boss who would have screwed up reading the pledge of allegiance. Really David this sort of stuff is awfully juvenile, Obama has his speaking style, Churchill had his and FDR had his. He got a rapturous reception at the General Assembly, the place was packed and people were taking photos. What more can you say.The simple fact is, as Pelosi rather succinctly put it, that even if Obama was walking on water you and the rest of the ideological right would complain he couldn’t swim. It’s all awfully small and petty.
ottovbvs // Sep 25, 2009 at 2:16 pm
edmund-onward-james // Sep 24, 2009 at 5:38 pm
“There are reasons, why BO is the way he, a celebrity president that desires popularity like FDR did with hbis fire-side chats, in order to win over the masses to get his Marxist-Leninist trained agenda initiated.”
……….Reagan was a celebrity president unless you’d noticed……and all presidents, all politicians for that matter desire popularity because it’s required to stay in office……..And FDR is widely regarded as one of the three greatest presidents of the US
mknowles // Sep 26, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I guess it’s easier for Frum to criticize Obama personally, rather than discuss the contents of the speech.
I thought it was a great speech and it was totally appropriate, indeed, expected, that Obama would list his accomplishments to show he is on the job because he wants to show that America will do the work needed to get us out of this economic mess, but that we need the help and cooperation of the rest of the world so that we can accomplish our common goals.