[url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/29/obama-goes-to-the-gop-lio_n_442331.html]SOURCE+VIDEO[/URL]
[quote]President Obama traveled to a House Republican retreat in Baltimore on Friday and delivered a performance that was at once defiant, substantive and engaging. For roughly an hour and a half, Obama lectured GOP leaders and, in a protracted, nationally-televised question-and-answer session, deflected their policy critiques, corrected their misstatements and scolded them for playing petty politics. (Full video and transcript available HERE.)
White House officials told the Huffington Post they were absolutely ecstatic. MSNBC's Luke Russert, who was on the scene in Baltimore, relayed that a Republican official and other GOP aides had confided to him that allowing the "cameras to roll like that" was a "mistake."
So effective was the president that Fox News cut away from the broadcast 20 minutes before it ended.
It was the type of performance that Obama's supporters have long demanded and that his own aides have been eager to deliver. The question-and-answer session at the end wasn't initially supposed to be broadcast, but the White House pressured GOP leadership to bring the cameras in. They knew the optics it would generate, a source with knowledge of the planning relayed. Hours before the event began, Republican leaders finally relented.
What resulted was what one Democratic strategist described as "amazing theater" -- certainly for cable news. Standing on a stage, looking down at his Republican questioners, Obama assumed the role of responsible adult to the GOP children, or, at the very least, of a college professor teaching and lecturing a room full of students.
He chastised Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) for calling his economic agenda radical and poked fun at the GOP's own platform. "I am not an ideologue, I'm not," he said. "It doesn't make sense if somebody could tell me, 'You could do this cheaper and get increased results,' then I would say, 'Great.' The problem is, I couldn't find credible economists who could back up the claims that you just made."
He rebuked a questioner who insisted that the monthly deficit is higher now than Bush's annual deficit. "That's factually just not true," he said. "And you know it's not true." He lampooned Republican lawmakers seated in front of him for portraying his health care legislation as "some Bolshevik plot." He mocked Republicans for railing against the stimulus package and then showing up at "the ribbon-cuttings for some of these important projects in your communities." And he did it all while calling for "a tone of civility instead of slash and burn will be helpful."
Whether it was chutzpah, political savvy, or both, it certainly was refreshing. Reporters were thrilled with the British Parliament-style exchange between president and lawmakers. The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder asked that forums like these be held monthly. The Nation's Chris Hayes suggested Obama next go before the progressive caucus. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post labeled it "the most compelling political television I've seen...maybe ever. NBC's Chuck Todd added: "The president should hold Congressional 'town halls' more often. Public needs to see this if they'll ever trust Washington again."
From the narrower vantage point of the White House, the event also made for effective politics, spurring some comparisons to the type of political engagement relished by former President Bill Clinton.
"Most people thinking about this would have thought 'ooh Obama is going into the lion's den," said Dee Dee Myers, Clinton's former press secretary. "But there was a great opportunity to jujitsu that. On one level it looked brave but on another he was the substitute teacher there, lecturing the audience.
"A lot of us have been waiting for that moment, a little more fight, a little more politics," she added. "He is in a political business and he has to pay attention to not just the substance but the politics."[/quote]
He can talk all he wants.
That doesn't mean anyone will listen.
Did you watch the video?
Think before you post.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;20030766]He can talk all he wants.
That doesn't mean anyone will listen.[/QUOTE]
yeah it's pretty obvious that you posted before even reading the article
Obama, winning an argument against idiots in the GOP? Not big surprise.
Well, it wasn't even much of an argument, he kind of lectured them really.
I did read it :downs:
I dont like this guy, Obama is not gonna have a second term.
If the economy is fixed during his term, he'll probably get a 3rd. :smug:
[QUOTE=Hunterbrute;20030908]I dont like this guy, Obama is not gonna have a second term.[/QUOTE]
By time he runs for election, all this stuff in his first year will be mostly forgotten.
Obama has been on the warpath since the SoTU and I think it's fucking AWESOME!:obama:
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;20030934]By time he runs for election, all this stuff in his first year will be mostly forgotten.[/QUOTE]
Like Bush.
[QUOTE=zombiefreak;20031365]Like Bush.[/QUOTE]
How the hell else do you think that guy got elected? :downs:
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;20030934]By time he runs for election, all this stuff in his first year will be mostly forgotten.[/QUOTE]
Truth.
Obama is getting worse and worse, however, the minorities love him because he's one of them, so there's a good chance he will get reelected.
[QUOTE=Hunterbrute;20030908]I dont like this guy, Obama is not gonna have a second term.[/QUOTE]
Why not?
It's very strange. It's as if everyone in America has forgotten the years 2000-2008. The president at that time reacted to quickly and got us into an unwinable war in Afghanistan. Then, when it looked like we were [I]actually [/I]going to win that war, he lied to the American people and to the rest of the world and started a [I]second[/I] war that was unfounded and needless, thereby causing us to loose footing in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, he did a little deregulating (not blaming him solely for our economy, notice), did some tax cutting, but ignored the writing on the wall . . . the housing bubble and the energy bubble. Gas prices rose the fastest and the highest during his 8 years than they had at any previous time, including the gasoline shortage of the 70's. Not to mention the torture scandals and the attorney general scandals.
And yet, we hired that guy for 2 terms.
Now we have a president that's trying to fix all this mess the best way he knows how, and everyone hates him.
Imagine what this country could accomplish if everyone would stop playing the political game, stop bickering over small stuff, stop waving a democrat or republican flag like its a hockey team, and actually worked together to get shit done?
/pro-Obama rant
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;20031450]Truth.
Obama is getting worse and worse, however, the minorities love him because he's one of them, so there's a good chance he will get reelected.[/QUOTE]
I predict a
"He got elected because he's black!"
"That's bull and racist!"
thread argument now.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;20031495]I predict a
"He got elected because he's black!"
"That's bull and racist!"
thread argument now.[/QUOTE]
He did get elected because he's black. Everyone knows it.
Ever ask a black person who they voted for? (or who they would've voted for?)
Then ask what that candidate's platform is.
I know here it goes like:
1)OBAMA!
2)Err.. saving the world..
And I don't mean all black people, just the people who would've never normally voted, went out and voted for him.
this is retarded, this is why it's bad to have a democrat for a president, he has no balls.
its also bad to have a republican for a president because he has no brains.
either way, unless we have an independent for president, we're fucked.
We need to [i]change[/i] to having a dictator, that dictator being me of course.
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;20031520]He did get elected because he's black. Everyone knows it.
Ever ask a black person who they voted for? (or who they would've voted for?)
Then ask what that candidate's platform is.
I know here it goes like:
1)OBAMA!
2)Err.. saving the world..
And I don't mean all black people, just the people who would've never normally voted, went out and voted for him.[/QUOTE]
people's vote dont matter for shit, it's the electoral ones.
[QUOTE=lolwutdude;20031564]people's vote dont matter for shit, it's the electoral ones.[/QUOTE]
And who makes the electoral votes?
People's votes.
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;20031656]And who makes the electoral votes?
People's votes.[/QUOTE]
those people who makes electoral votes is smarter than "vote for obama cuz hes black" people.
So, if you want to talk about how awesome or shitty the president is doing, you really should watch the video in the OP.
If you don't want to watch the video because you're used to a filtered reality and you want some one else to tell you what happened (because it's easier), then here:
[url]http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/mon-february-1-2010-austan-goolsbee[/url]
[QUOTE=lolwutdude;20031667]those people who makes electoral votes [U][B]is[/B][/U] smarter than "vote for obama cuz hes black" people.[/QUOTE]
:science:[I]are[/I]
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;20031520]He did get elected because he's black. Everyone knows it.
Ever ask a black person who they voted for? (or who they would've voted for?)
Then ask what that candidate's platform is.
I know here it goes like:
1)OBAMA!
2)Err.. saving the world..
And I don't mean all black people, just the people who would've never normally voted, went out and voted for him.[/QUOTE]
Well bush got elected because people wouldn't mind having a beer with him..
So what, black people voted for Obama. It doesn't matter (at all).
The 'Black Hype' is just plain stupid.
It's not like Obama [i] started [/i] this period of Recession once he took the Oath of Office, I doubt he could even try to right the wrong's of this country before his first term ends.
[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;20032699]The 'Black Hype' is just plain stupid.
It's not like Obama [i] started [/i] this period of Recession once he took the Oath of Office, I doubt he could even try to right the wrong's of this country before his first term ends.[/QUOTE]
no shut up, this is like tropico where every change in the government can be instantly done with a click of a mouse
it's not like Obama has to go through hundreds of different clusterfuck departments to make changes.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;20030766]He can talk all he wants.
That doesn't mean anyone will listen.[/QUOTE]
How childish are our fucking politicians?
Every president is shit. Obama's just that much less shitty than Bush.
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;20031450]Truth.
Obama is getting worse and worse, however, the minorities love him because he's one of them, so there's a good chance he will get reelected.[/QUOTE]
yep them minorities all act the same way, I agree with you my non-racist compadre
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;20031520]He did get elected because he's black. Everyone knows it.
Ever ask a black person who they voted for? (or who they would've voted for?)
Then ask what that candidate's platform is.[/QUOTE]
brb, going out to ask a black person a question and then base my entire opinion on both black people and the reason they voted for Obama on the answer I get
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