Right-Wing Media Claim Obama's Address Was A “Hard Left” Speech “All About The Re-Election”

Big Government: Obama's Speech Was “A Dog Whistle To The Astroturf.” In a July 25 Big Government post, Joel B. Pollak claimed “the people [Obama] is counting on the most ... are not the general public, but the small core of left-wing activists planning nationwide protests at congressional offices tomorrow.” From Big Government:

Tonight, President Barack Obama made good on his threat to Eric Cantor to take his case “to the American people.”

The people he's counting on most, however, are not the general public, but the small core of left-wing activists planning nationwide protests at congressional offices tomorrow.

[...]

Obama could not possibly have intended his plodding speech tonight, which repeated many of the same talking points he has made for weeks, to convince the American people.

Rather than a sincere attempt at persuasion, it was more likely a dog whistle to the left-wing Astroturf-the signal to begin a carefully staged media campaign in the last days before the debt ceiling deadline, the better to position Obama politically when August 2nd passes-no matter what deal has been reached, or not, by then. [Big Government, 7/25/11]

Doocy: Obama's Address Was “All About The Re-Election.” The July 26 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends featured several segments on Obama's speech and Boehner's response. In three of these segments, parts of Obama's speech were played with a counter tracking the number of times he said the word “balanced.” Before the video was played, co-host Steve Doocy claimed, "[I]t's all about the re-election." From the broadcast:

KILMEADE: We know that Charles Krauthammer just brought it up before, as we talked about, the balanced approach being a key word to win over independents, which is the fastest growing section of the voting public, and he feels the president wanted to come off once again like the adult in the room. But it also comes off, for me, somewhat condescending. I mean, he talked down to maybe a sixth-grade level in a way of which he felt as though we had to -- so we could understand it. Like this -- like the everyday person. And I'm saying to myself, wait a second, anyone who's even got a newspaper or walk [sic] by a flier understands the context of this argument and what is actually at stake. But the president thought, if in a remedial way, he had to frame it out again.

DOOCY: Sure. But, you know, he's got all these pollsters and all these campaign people. It's all about the re-election. So anyway, let's have a little -- let's have a -- it's not a drinking game. It's an eating game. Every time the president says balanced approach, let's get our peas and count.

[...]

DOOCY: Yeah, so there you've got balanced approach. One other word that he used six times, he used the word compromise. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 7/26/11]

Verum Serum: Obama's Call To Increase Taxes On The Wealthy “Is Purely A Political Maneuver On The President's Part.” A July 25 Verum Serum post titled, “The President Returns to 'Millionaires and Billionaires' Demagoguery,” claimed:

The idea that the President thinks this is a serious debt proposal is a joke. This is only about one thing and that's using the bully pulpit to pressure Republicans to break a tax pledge that helped elect them. This is purely a political maneuver on the President's part. He is risking a default to improve his party's chances in next year's elections. It's that simple. [Verum Serum, 7/25/11]

NRO: “In Terms Of Blatant, Cynical, Political Demagoguery, The Speech Was Par For The Course.” In a July 25 post on National Review Online's The Corner, Andrew Stiles wrote:

In terms of blatant, cynical, political demagoguery, the speech was par for the course. Substantively, Obama threw his support behind Harry Reid's proposal in the Senate, but did not explicitly threaten to veto a short-term debt increase (as outlined in Boehner's plan). Either way, it's a little late in the game at this point to try to reframe the debt debate, especially with the looming apocalypse the White House insists will ensue if nothing is done by August 2. Should be an interesting week. [National Review Online, The Corner, 7/25/11]

Fox Nation: Obama “Staked Out Extreme Left Ground” In Calling For “Balanced” Approach. A July 25 Fox Nation post claimed Obama “staked out extreme left ground during his primetime address to the nation Monday night.” From the Fox Nation:

President Obama staked out extreme left ground during his prime time address to the nation Monday night...calling for higher taxes when even Harry Reid's latest proposal includes no new taxes, only spending cuts. This puts Obama to the left of Harry Reid, one of America's most liberal Senators...isolating the President in a fringe position...which poll-tested words like “balanced” tried to mask. The speech was shockingly partisan too, with recycled and anti-capitalist attacks on “corporate jet owners” and “billionaires.” [Fox Nation, 7/25/11]

Right-Wing Media Claim Obama's Address “Didn't Make Any Sense” And “Offered No Solutions”

Hoft: “Obama's Stale Talking Points” “Didn't Make Any Sense.” In a July 26 post on Gateway Pundit titled “Maybe Obama's Stale Talking Points Would Poll Better If They Made Sense,” Jim Hoft wrote:

Obama started off strong last night in his address to the nation. But, it all went down hill [sic] after “Good evening.”

The far left Keynesian immediately pounced on his predecessor for an irresponsible spending record with the usual poll-tested sound bites “tax cuts” and “unpaid wars.” Then in the very next sentence defended his historic spending spree arguing that the recession “required us to spend even more.”

You'd think there would be one reporter in America brave enough to point out that Obama's address didn't make any sense.

[...]

No matter how many times he bashes Bush for his tax cuts it still won't change reality. [Gateway Pundit, 7/26/11 emphasis in original]

Power Line: “How Can I Say This Politely? Oh Yeah. What A Complete And Utter Crock.” From a July 26 post on Power Line:

Obama's speech last night was permeated with the comprehensive dishonesty and poll-tested euphemisms that constitute his contribution to the debt ceiling debate. Here are a few of the euphemisms Obama has contributed: revenues (taxes), shared sacrifice (taxes), asking for something (taxes), millionaires and billionaires (taxes on individuals earning more than $200,000 a year or couples earning more than $250,000 a year), the balanced approach (translation: taxes).

The euphemisms are almost laughable. Almost.

[...]

Let's see. How can I say this politely? Oh, yeah. What a complete and utter crock. [Power Line, 7/26/11 emphasis in original]

Morrissey: “Obama Offered No Solutions.” In an July 26 post to Hot Air, Ed Morrissey called the President's address a “campaign speech” that “provid[ed] no plan at all” and repeated “the same platitudes and clichés” from previous speeches. From Hot Air:

For the fifth time in three weeks, Barack Obama seized the bully pulpit in the debt-ceiling debate, this time using a prime-time speech instead of a press conference to do so. And for the fifth time in three weeks, Obama literally did nothing with it except to utter the same platitudes and clichés as he did on the previous four occasions. Obama offered no solutions, no specifics for a solution, and spent 15 minutes avoiding both. [HotAir.com 7/26/11]

Right-Wing Media Complain Obama “Blam[ed] Bush”

Carlson: “Blame Bush Was The Whole Point” Of The Address. Later on the July 26 edition of Fox & Friends, co-host Gretchen Carlson claimed “blame Bush was the whole point” of Obama's address. From Fox & Friends:

CARLSON: Actually, the second sentence was “for the last decade, we have spent more money than we take in.” Blame Bush was the whole point. That was the thesis of this speech last night. I was stunned that he got to it on the second sentence.

KILMEADE: I will argue this. That blame Bush was the subset of this speech. The first speech was blame the rich.

DOOCY: Right. And--

KILMEADE: And it was blame those people who are --

CARLSON: And House Republicans

KILMEADE: -- paying taxes and, of course, House Republicans who are off the charts. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 7/26/11 via Media Matters]

Hoft: “We've All Heard [Obama's] Cynical Bush-Bashing Speech For A Few Years Now.” In a July 25 Gateway Pundit post, Jim Hoft claimed that, unlike House Speaker John Boehner's (R-OH) website, which reportedly went down during the addresses, “Obama's website appears to be doing fine. After all, we've all heard his cynical Bush-Bashing speech for a few years now.” [Gateway Pundit, 7/25/11]

Fox Nation: “Obama Blames Bush One Minute Into Speech.” A July 25 Fox Nation post claimed “Obama Blames Bush One Minute Into Speech.” From Fox Nation:

[Fox Nation, 7/25/11]

Right-Wing Media Consistently Attack Obama's Speeches

Right-Wing Media Attack Obama's 2009 Cairo Address. The right-wing media attacked President Obama's 2009 address in Cairo, Egypt on relations with the Muslim world.

For more information about the right-wing media's attack on Obama's Cairo speech, SEE HERE.

Right-Wing Media Attack Obama's Address On Libya. The right-wing media attacked Obama's address on military actions in Libya.

For more information about the right-wing media's attack on Obama's Libya speech, SEE HERE.

Right-Wing Media Attack Obama's 2010 State Of The Union Address. The right-wing media also attacked Obama's 2010 State of the Union address.

For more information about the right-wing media's attack on Obama's 2010 State of the Union address, SEE HERE.

Right-Wing Media Attack Obama's 2011 State Of The Union Address. The right-wing media attacked Obama's 2011 State of the Union address.

For more information about the right-wing media's attack on Obama's 2011 State of the Union address, SEE HERE.

Right-Wing Media Attack Obama's Memorial Address Honoring The Victims Of The January 2011, Tucson, AZ Shooting. The right-wing media attacked Obama's memorial speech following the January 2011 shooting of Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others in Tucson, AZ.

For more information about the right-wing media's attack on Obama's Tucson shooting victim memorial speech, SEE HERE.