What conservatives said Obama's speech didn't sound like: Churchill, Henry V, Gettysburg Address
In their analyses of President Obama's December 1 speech outlining his Afghanistan strategy at the U.S. Military Academy, conservative pundits complained that the speech didn't sound like speeches previously delivered by political figures including George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and Henry V.
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Speech didn't sound like "Henry V or Churchill," "not exactly the Gettysburg Address"
Krauthammer: "It's not exactly the kind of speech that you would have heard from Henry V or Churchill." In a post-speech panel, Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer said, "It's not exactly the kind of speech that you would have heard from Henry V or Churchill. And it's not exactly the kind of speech you that heard from George Bush when he announced his surge."
Krauthammer's "Henry V" reference is an apparent allusion to the St. Crispin's Day speech given by the title character to his troops in William Shakespeare's play Henry V.
O'Reilly: "[N]ot exactly the Gettysburg Address." On The O'Reilly Factor following the speech, Bill O'Reilly said: "I did not see a Winston Churchill-type performance," adding that the speech was "OK, but not exactly the Gettysburg Address."
Hannity: "I didn't hear Winston Churchill, I didn't hear Ronald Reagan, I didn't hear George Bush." On a post-speech edition of Fox News' Hannity, host Sean Hannity said, "I didn't hear Winston Churchill, I didn't hear Ronald Reagan, I didn't hear George Bush. I didn't hear a level of commitment that instilled in me the confidence that this president realizes the absolute necessity of victory and the devastation it would cause if we're not completely victorious."
Douthat: Speech didn't sound like Bush's surge speech. In a December 1 blog post, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat wrote:
Indeed, in this regard I think it's worth comparing tonight's speech, unfavorably, to George W. Bush's address announcing the Iraqi surge. Whereas that speech was tightly focused on the shift in military and diplomatic strategy, Obama's remarks tried to cover the history of the American involvement in Afghanistan, the state of our domestic politics, and even the nature of America's mission in the world, while pre-butting various possible attacks on his decision-making. Obama was more comprehensive; Bush was much better. And now we have to hope that the President's strategy is more successful than his speech.
NRO's Hanson: "[N]ot Winston Churchill." In a December 1 post at National Review Online's blog The Corner naming "typical Obama talking points" in the speech, Victor Davis Hanson wrote:
Stanley Baldwin, not Winston Churchill. Not a word about the horrific nature of al-Qaeda and their nightmarish Taliban sponsors, and why both of them are going to fail in the manner that the terrorists and their supporters lost in Iraq. Somewhere in this cerebral but flat speech there is the good news that we won't quit Afghanistan - at least for 18 months - but otherwise it was the sort of talk a college provost gives to the faculty at the September back-to-school assembly.
Heritage Foundation's Gardiner: Obama "needed to display some Churchillian grit, but there was none on offer." In a December 2 UK Telegraph blog post, Nile Gardiner, director of the Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, wrote:
Speaking at West Point last night, Barack Obama badly needed to display some Churchillian grit, but there was none on offer. As Commander in Chief President Obama has to project leadership, strength and determination before his country and his foes, as well as offer reassurance to Washington's international allies. All were in short supply in front of the assembled cadets.
That said, it is completely unsurprising that Fox News wasted nary a minute with their pre-written criticisms. I guess we should be glad O'Reilly dropped the "boring" meme he had adopted earlier this year every time the president spoke.
If so, it's in bad taste.
If not, then my apologies.
I was actually referring to Fox putting him on this intellectual pedistol, limbaugh does too. Brit Hume is another one who is regularly asked for his opinion, without rebuttle, as if it were scripture.
He moaned and groaned repeatedly that Mr. Obama should be listening to his Generals and now he complains that he didn't sound like Henry V in his speech!!
No, Major Tom, Krauthammmmmer is a very BAD person, not you!!
I don't recall Krauthammmmmer complaining when Bubble Boy didn't listen to General Shenseki's recommendation pre-Iraq invasion . .
I am not a Krauthammer fan at all, but in the interest of full disclosure, I have heard him say some positive things about Obama from time to time.
Given pundits' penchant for making glib "Messiah" references to Obama, I am surprised no one said "Well this was no Sermon on the Mount speech."
Because we keep hearing perhaps the biggest myth of all the Obama myths..that he is a great speaker. He isn't.
id like to see if you can name me three people who are better speakers than president obama that are alive today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtkPIG3xP7Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtkPIG3xP7Q&feature=related
It didn't sound like Chris Rock in Lethal Weapon either.
Just to save y'all some time, I'll post the quote so you don;t have to go look it up:
"Somebody took my phone number and called Afghanistan. Afghanastan. I've never talked to anyone in Afghanistan, I don't know nobody in Afghanistan, and even if did know anyone, I wouldn't talk to that Afghan ass for three hours. I won't talk to my daddy for three hours."
Forrest Gump is George Bush
Goofy is Cheney
Alright I give up, who is Yosemite Sam?
Rummy is Yosemite
Randy
Plus, what the hell difference does it make how it's delivered.
How about what Eisenhower said about war :
“I hate war,” said Dwight Eisenhower, “as only a soldier who has lived it can, as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.”
He also said, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.”
He also said, Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed
The right simply can't deal with a president who THINKS and debates as opposed to "going with his gut."
What I found lacking was his trademark spiels "Yes, we can" and "I'm all fired up"...when he speaks passionately about certain subjects.
This came across as a droning lecture...one that he was forced to give...while holding his nose because of the subject matter.
Please stop the whining.."chorus of naysayers" Washington is controlled by the Democrats and they backed the stimulus and the bailouts wholeheartedly.
He was not "forced" to do anything. Bailouts and the stimulus were WRONG and are proving to be so by the toal lack of a recovery.
why are we still in iraq and afghanistan....trying to finish up something that was started 8 and 6 years ago respectivly.
i wonder what would be said by the neo cons if the president decided to leave earlier hmmmmmm.......
i mean your doppleganger has already accused the president of treason.
yeah the bailouts that were engineered by president bush right? or did time somehow jump?
Most pundits are totally clueless about the relationship between very senior military and CINCUS. CINCUS makes broad policy that takes into account the nation's other needs - the domestic economy, foreign affairs, health insurance reform were but a few he mentioned. He gives a broad charge to the generals and they do the planning for Afghanistan or Iraq within the framework of that charge. Television bobbleheads insisted Obama follow the Bush model of giving the whole task, national strategy and military strategy and tactics over to the generals. This gave Bush more time to smirk and clear brush.
Alright. I'm with you.
Good. A sound and engaging dissenting opinion. Acceptable.
Aw now see there Wes, you just couldn't resist getting sardonic, could you?. You would eat your own boogers just to gross us out.
This came across as a droning lecture..."
Gee, imagine your reaction if, while giving an Oval Office address of this seriousness, Obama did say "I'm all fired up."
Randy
No, Churchill was talking about fighting organized, official national militaries, ones that were invading other nations, capturing and killing huge numbers of people, all while representing their recognized countries. The "War on Terror" is nothing like that. Churchill also had an accent of some sort.
I didn't hear Ronald Reagan,
That's a good thing.
I didn't hear George Bush."
Even better.
churchill, lincoln, henry v, caesar, fdr, all of them faced great danger and their speeches gave inspiration.
just a thought that came to my head
Oh, great, another right wing chickenhawk speaking for the military. PLease don't insult our troops by connecting them to you in any way, Plowedcon.
Since you are omniscient, perhaps you can be so kind as to reprint for us Mullah Omar's comments on December 17, 2001 or perhaps March 19, 2003.
It also begs the question, "Why is Mullah Omar still around to make comments?"
Exactly. Oh yeah and this guy.
http://mediamatters.org/research/200410140007
How soon the chicken hawks conveniently forget.
That you read rushlimbaugh.com? Or you think it is real? Can you wink or smiley face for us to let us in on the joke?
To compare any sentient being to W is just funny in my book. I actually felt sorry for the poor guy when he spoke. You could see the strain on his face of how much physical effort it required just to form sentences. If you listened carefully you could hear the gears grinding in his head.
There were two George Bushes, so which one was Hannity referring to?
If he was referring to George W. Bush, then he should be deported. If it was George H.W. Bush, then he simply needs to shut the f up.
Everyone on the right just nods as though Rove said something profound as opposed to the reality of the situation which is that Rove just said something idiotic.
If Bush & Company had actually gotten the Taliban out of Afghanistan, why would we need to have more troops in that country so many years later?
In fact, they took their eye off the ball (Afghanistan), invaded Iraq (a country that had nothing to do with 9/11) and left the entire mess for the next president to clean up.
Hey MMFA...good to point that out to the uneducated Liberals who visit this site.
one fact about that address being given to the troops of henry v. he was staring down the throat of a french army that had him outnumbered 5-1. henry had to say soomething to keep his men together.
I guess you believe that all of those viewers knew the referral about Henry V....99.9% of those repubs were probably looking at one another wondering who is Henry the Vee was. Rmember, most of them think Roman numerals are numbers in Italian. I've read a lot of your barbs but this one wasn't so good. I'll look forward to the next one...shopuldn't take long.
Stay the Dick that you are...
I think they prefer to go by "Conservatives". Fewer syllables .
In other news, water is still wet, the pain still hurts, and Bill O'Reily is still a moron.
Nevertheless it was a good speech about an unfortunate situation.
What was said in the speech is what counts, not how it was delivered, although both can be appreciated by Scholars.
Fox News commentators are sooooo predictable and devious. They criticize large things, small things, petty things and EVERYTHING the President does.
Would it not be clever to take a strategist approach to criticizing the President?
That is what mature people do.
Not Fox News' hosts, they are redundant and relentless in their pursuit to undermine this President.
Fox News runs the risk of losing credibility, at least, with thinking people.
As of now Fox News cater to the ignorant and mentally-challenged.
This is why they have no intentions of changing their ways or acting like mature, intelligent adults.
I truly wonder how any of the self-proclaimed geniuses would react in a debate outside their safe zones.
Thank Goodness that a site like this exposes these little men...which is why they hate MMFA.
If Obama had attempted to overstate the case, he would have come off as insincere and a bad actor (like Bush and Reagan). His speech is perfectly appropriate and matched the historical context of this war. These guys are really stretching on this one. Careful Fox clowns, you guys just might pull a hamstring.
I go to some right wing sites to read the comments, and there's this creepy glamorization of war, these almost erotic descriptions of the sounds of weapons and the description of killing, mainly by people sitting safely at home.
I never served in the military, but I've talked to enough people I know who have been in combat, that I have a pretty good idea that it's only wonderful and magical to those who haven't been there.
This President is sending more people off to war...
My last night in states before going to Nam they showed the 1100 of us the movie "THE WILD BUNCH"..how appropriate. Maybe the Cons would've been happy if Obama would have shown that movie instead of being straight with Americans.
You know, it makes sense that GOP/FOX like to cite fiction like "V" (the show, not the king) and Jack Bauer, and now Shakespeare.
He forgot to include 10,000 lawyers in the surge to Myranda's those perpetrating man made disasters against our troops.