Did you see Obama’s DNC speech? What are your impressions?
I was very impressed by how different today’s Obama is from the guy we saw win the elections four years ago. He has matured a lot and it’s obvious that these have been very hard four years. He has hardened but not in the sense of becoming cold and devoid of compassion. Rather, I perceived this new almost desperate decisiveness in him. I’m glad to see that he realizes how absolutely crucial this election his, how close we are to a very major transformation in this country, and how different the two pathways that this transformation can follow are.
I have read many (Liberal) sources that say the speech is boring, unexciting, and uninspired. I think what these commentators are missing is that we are not seeing a presidential hopeful in front of any more. We are seeing an acting President who is working hard and stays in control of things. The speech was realistic and didn’t promise the Moon and the Sun. And that’s how it should be.
The best thing was that Obama said very forcefully that the Republicans are planning to raise the taxes on the middle class. If this is repeated often enough, it will win him the election.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to be as impressed as I am with this speech. It is the most reassuring of all Obama’s speeches I’ve heard.
I’m really looking forward to the debates.
Clarissa's Blog 
I was extremely favorably impressed. He is too far right for my tastes, but he is so much better than the Repubenron alternative.
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This is exactly how I feel.
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Yes, I had the same reaction.
I hadn’t even thought ahead to the debates. They are going to be fascinating.
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I’m glad people started to come to this thread, too, because I was getting sad that Clinton got so many more comments than Obama.
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I have read many (Liberal) sources that say the speech is boring, unexciting, and uninspired.
As a general rule, you can safely ignore whatever political commentators (from either side of the spectrum) write. The skilled ones are quickly hired as advisors to politicians, so with very, very few exceptions you are reading analysis from the bottom of the talent pool.
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I really liked Obama’s speech also. Though my personal politics are far to the left of Obama’s, it was nice to be reminded that he accomplished some significant progressive legislation (the Consumer Protection Agency, repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, appointing Sotomayor and Kagen etc. etc). Along these lines, (with the exception of Biden’s speech) I actually was quite impressed with the whole convention. For example, I usually _loathe_ “the wife speech” at conventions. I always find it retrograde and embarrassing (like Ann Romney’s speech was TORTURE to me.) But Michelle’s speech, given the genre, was quite good.
I also find it interesting how very very different the DNC was from the Republican convention. The crowd was different; the speeches were different. I’m obviously liberal and I am of course predisposed to appreciate the Democratic convention more. But I think that if I were a conservative, I would have been really disappointed in the Republican convention. There were no inspiring speeches; no “barn burners.” It was flat (in addition to being politically distasteful!). The Republican crowd certainly seemed less engaged that the Democratic crowd. Perhaps your conservative readers think differently but I thought that compared to the DNC, the RNC was a bit of a flop.
I’m concerned that Romney has so much more campaign money to spend than Obama: but if that’s the best the Republicans can turn out, the Dems should be fine! I am frankly terrified of a Romney/Ryan presidency so I’m following the election anxiously! 😉
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Wearing my political organizer hat: Yes the RNC was a disaster. The way the stage was set up made it look like a local event rather than a national convention. Contrast this with the stadium used for the DNC. I was also shocked by how the almost complete absent of good one liners hitting the Obama administration. In fact, they were trying so many because clearly they haven’t stumbled on a winner just yet.
And Ryan absolutely bombed. He’s a poser, just like Palin, and just like her, he has been found out. Now every one knows he’s a serial liar and that his “economic plan” is an empty con job.
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I thought that Ryan was sleek (and not in a good way), shifty and somewhat condescending. I might be imagining this because I dislike him intensely. The Repubs tried to replay last year’s RNC to get the same lead in the polls with a very similar VP candidate and obviously failed. They need to start trying something new if they want to have a chance at winning.
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I also fear Romney-Ryan a lot. Romney seems a non-entity who will say anything and pay anything to get elected. But Ryan is an unbending fanatic with a terrifying agenda. I fear him and the forces that stand behind him.
The good news is that if even the RNC audience didn’t manage to get energized about Romney, then what can we expect from the voters?
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I agree. Ryan is TERRIFYING. A religious fanatic who will strip the country of any and public or social programs. Can you imagine what he would do to public higher education? (And primary and secondary education for that matter.) Shudder.
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