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Judging “The Speech” — what did you think?
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Barack Obama became the first black president of the United States on Tuesday. In his much-anticipated inaugural speech, he said the “economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.”
But the new president also said the United States remained “the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth,” and that “we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.”
What did you think of the speech? Did it meet the hype? Were you moved, or dismayed?
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AND BY THE WAY !!!!!SUPPER SPEECH!!! THATS WHY HE IS PRESDIDENT!!!
I didn’t feel anything powerful or memorable in the speech at all and was very disappointed – yet that is what I expected, that it wouldn’t live up to the hype.
Now he just needs to cut through the BS and get on with the job, although I think it’s too big an ask for an inexperienced man such as he; but I am still hoping he can prove me wrong!
Moral of the Speech ” This is a new beginning for America. ”
All the best wishes for coming years.
It seems that Obama has embraced ideas that focus on long term planning. For far too long America has been focused on the short-term fast buck plan. We need officials who will behave more like parents and less like children in guiding a nation to a healthier form of prosperity. We need to have more focus on long term efforts (that will bring more lasting prosperity to more people): education, the environment, peacemaking, sense of responsibility, and the rewarding of productivity instead of the unbalanced rewarding of only wealth. More will be created and more will be produced in an environment that rewards real work, real efforts, and not fast buck oportunism.
The new President stood & embraced the whole world. He felt not like the President of the U.S. of A but the President of the free & democratic countries in the whole world.This day will be remembered not because a Afro American was sworn in but as a day when America showed to the world what Democracy means which is the rule of the people. It showed to our children & our children children’s that freedom of speech & liberty will always triumph & there’s daylight after a long night.
I hope that America realizes how lucky they are to have an individual such as Obama as their president. He could not have come at a better time. Look around the rest of the world and I believe you will not find anyone as genuine or articulate as he is at his level of power.
I shudder at the thought that there could have been soneone else in power for the next 4 years, not so much like Bush, but someone who just does not measure up to Obama. The challenges economically and socially are too great for a subpar president.
Whether the world likes it or not, it needs America, and it needs a healthy and positive one. I hope that he lives up to the hype, and he can help rebuild your country to the status it deserves.
I find it amazing that he has me thinking about what I can do for my country, and others, and I am not even American… this maybe his greatest strength, the power to bind all nations:)
Congrats from a friend up North, eh!
I thought the speech wasn’t at all memorable. No memorable quotes, it was truly quite a downer of a speech. I did not vote for him. He showed me nothing in his words of platitudes, that he will make a good president. It’s all about the government in his words. I will continue to pray for this country. Shame on those who heckled our former president.
I think he prepared a great speech, but does he really think he can change the states. The previous administration left it in such turmoil that the debt alone won’t allow him to proceed with the economic choices he wants to make. You can’t change healthcare when you’re in debt so much money. I believe he’s a great man and he’s smart which isn’t always the case for people in power. He’s educated and firmly believes he can make a difference and I hope he does, but doubt the logic of his choices.
It was a great day for America. And I as with many others posting here are truly proud to be a part of this great nation.
Sadly, there are also many sour grape republican supporters (posting here and elsewhere) that have yet to accept that their savior GW Bush was an utter and dismal failure who betrayed his conservative values and took this country to near disaster. The reason Obama had to repeat this fact to you even today is because it has not sunk into your brainwashed minds. Bush supporters can come up with all sorts of reasons to justify their deluded POV. But the truth of the matter is that Bush LET US ALL DOWN! 80% of Americans can understand this fact.
Obama has just taken office and he deserves your respect and patience. If and when he does screw up then you have the right to say what you want about it. Until such a time go sulk elsewhere and GET OVER IT!
“I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.”
WITH SUCH AN OPENING STATEMENT DIRECTED TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT
YOU COULD ONLY COME TO TERMS OF THE HUMBLENESS OF MAN THE WORLD REST ITS HOPES AND PRAYERS FOR ALL THE CALAMITIES THAT HAS HAVOCED US. PEACES BE WITH HIM IN ALL HIS ENDEAVORS TO SAVE THIS WORLD. GOD BLESS
I am a Republican and I did not vote for Barack Obama. Now that he is the President of the United States I wish him the best of luck and will support him through out his presidency. President Obama is a excellent public speaker. I can only hope he will lead instead of playing the parties off one another. I hope he can truely do what he says he can do. I had a lot of hope for former President Bill Clinton and he let the people and the country down. This country is the greatest in the world and there much work to be done. God Bless America and Good Luck Mr.President.
The speech was superb! It was a speech that showed America’s determination to change from the gung-ho political tone and destructive direction that was set by George Bush and gave it a bad image. It sought to re-assure Americans and the world that the US is set to re-align itself with the rest of world in providing proactive leadership.
Registered Democrat-voted for Hillary then McCain. Wanted to hear some soaring oratory to uplift me so I could see why everyone voted for him. Instead-”raging storms and dark clouds”. Somehow, I thought that Obama would show the light at the end of the tunnel but his job now is to lower America’s expectations of Obama as Saviour. It is now our job to sacrifice-as if we have any choice! Maybe we can stop paying for a bail out that has yet to give any money back to the people that the financial institutions screwed in the first place. Oops Ken Lewis from BoA knew about the terrible decision to buy troubled Merril Lynch(as well as the US Govt.) but went ahead and told his shareholders it was a good idea because the US Govt. practically Begged him to save the doomed Merril. How about saving the savings of millions of Americans who actually used to trust their government to not allow greed and excesses like this to happen! Madoff-Made off with 50 Billion dollars in a Ponzi scheme? How stupid does the SEC and the US govt look when we can’t catch fraud that goes on for 30 years??? Long before Bush we did not catch this. Also-why did the idiots at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae keep lending to people with incomes that could NEVER support million dollar houses once the full principal and interest note came due?? Why is the US citizenry expected to pay for the sins of a few corporate giants like Bear Stearns, Countrywide, Wamu etc. Obviously the most basic business lesson was not learned in Government 101 which is that if it sounds too good to be true-then it it is! Obama has always sounded too good to be true to me but at this point I am praying that he takes bold action to solve our financial mess. First off-he should SEVERELY punish people like Madoff(someone please tell me why this guy is not in jail?!) Secondly-completely restructure Freddie and Fannie and change the FICO score baloney that got us in this mess with “Stated Income” Loans in the first place. God Bless you Obama-truly historic your Presidency and now we get the message from your speech that you are not a Miracle Worker. Many Americans knew this already but we still wish you the best and are Americans so of course will support your efforts. Good Luck! You are going to have a tough 4 years! Our prayers are with you!
You can only spread the BS so deep – and Obama’s attempt to sell more snake oil hasn’t been recognized by the majority of the American public for what it is …. BS. What will the citizens of the U.S. say when they finally realize “they’ve been taken for a ride” by not only the News Media but also the Hollywood crowd of “do-gooders” that think Obama can save the country from complete financial failure – but that’s OK because we have had a “love fest” at the inauguration.
The only thing that didn’t happen was for the news media to announce that “Rome has proclaimed Obama as the return of the Messiah”.
David E.
Let me get this straight: you insult Obama before he even officially takes office then you criticize others for doing the same only AFTER eight years of George W.Bush’s Presidency; you are an intolerant and unreasonable hypocrite.
pure gibberish. He is nothing more than a $600 million Hollywood creation. Good speaker, total narcissist, proof that this nation loves snake oil salesmen.
President Obama’s inauguration is a monumental milestone in our nations’s history, and that should not be minimized in any way.
As has already been pointed out, however, he is an excellent public speaker who has so far only succeeded in being very eloquent in pledging change and hope to a nation that was eager to hear anything other than the standard rhetoric of campaign politics. Promises can be made, but whether they are realistically achievable is a different story. The nation still hasn’t seen the price tag associated with actually implementing those promises and, eventually, when we become once again disillusioned with our government, the pendulum will slowly swing to the right again.
When will we ever learn to drive down the middle of the road instead of swerving wildly from left to right and back again?
did they have to included the prompter in photo, it spoils the image.he needs a new speech writer,it was boring ,i was watching his lips to see if it was recorded.
The world rejoices over his presidency, he is the man of the hour. A tough job to live up to expectation, nevertheless he has give the whole world a glimmer of hope in our drakest hour.
I am a citizen of the world (Not a US citizen) and I cannot say how PLEASED WE ALL ARE, as in everyone outside of your ‘whole world’ called the USA. When Obama was elected President Elect, I cried. Because we have been praying for your country to be guided by a LEADER. Someone with the hearts & minds of his people, vs their own political agenda (how much money did your last President make from the current war????). Our business lives, personal lives and communities do not revolve around the ‘greatest’ country in the world…they revolve around integrity, values based work, contribution to community, and leading our own ‘great’ country. The world does not need US leadership. We live in a democracy and have our own leadership. If you were a global citizen (someone who travels beyond your own fair shores) you might realise that there is life beyond America
Go Obama! We know it will be a long journey, it will be tough and you wont suceed the first time or every time, but we’re cheering for your every success. America needs YOU!!!!! (to expand their thinking if nothing else)
Quote: All it take for evil to prevail, is for good men to do nothing.
We love that Obama is doing something!!!
P.S. You don’t need a bloody parent in office, you need an ADULT with an ADULT AUDIENCE supporting him. Seems to me that he’s not that interested in all our (mine included) opinions here….he’s probably just getting on with the job…maybe the rest of us should do the same
Talk about a bunch of sour grapes. Obama is in the White House but still every nasty remark that could be made has been made about, and to President Bush, and you’re still spitting out hatred and sick venom at the republican’s. Couldn’t even have a prayer spoken without some racial statement being uttered. I think the bigot’s need to look in the mirror so they can see who they really are talking about. I think all this stupidity is more about class rather than race.
I liked what he said about the middle East problem where East and West can try to understand and tolerate each other despite its differences. He also strongly voiced his opposition to the neo-con approach of conquer and change. I also liked his message to the extremists that are leading some nations.
your people will judge you on not what you can destroy but on what you can build.
I think this line could go down in a history as a great one. Just give it time. Past lines are great because they are just that, past. Present lines never become great till they also become past. Just digest the speech a little more and there was some great stuff in there like the one above. Listen again and it will age just like fine wine.
How refreshing after having to listen for 8 years to the last president.
With the current Obama Administration, whether we like it or not, people expect immediate changes. People expect noticeable changes. People want to see the economy soar. People want foreign issues resolved. What they don’t get is that Obama will just be the beacon of change, the leader, the guiding light. America needs to work together to bring the country back to its former glory. A change in the administration does not entail problems get any easier.
To quote the President, “And this WE CAN do. And this WE WILL do.” The administration promises that the dreams and hope to do the impossible can be done if Americans come together and act on the catchphrase, “YES WE CAN”.
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Yes, his speech was moving…people are too quick to judge this president. He needs time and no one said it would be easy. After all, cleaning up after the last president is not going to be that easy!!!