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Obama's Gulf Oil Spill Speech Worked, But Message Problems Linger
Tweet Share on Facebook June 17, 2010 Comment (9)By Karen Finney, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
It’s not the president’s job to be all things to all people. You wouldn’t know that from the harsh criticism his speech received across the political spectrum and the punditocracy. Apparently, we should all be angry that there was not a transformational moment of Zen in which we all heard just the right words, in the speech, that would be the turning point and make everyone feel better, at least until the next crisis.
It was a good speech. Not a great speech. Not a historical, national galvanizing moment that we will remember as the turning point in this crisis. But who cares? Do we really need yet another big, emotional, moment? We’ve had plenty of them over the past 18 months. Most Americans living outside the beltway or off of the island of Manhattan have had plenty of drama in trying to keep their homes, or find a job. Instead of drama they want action and maybe, competent leadership. -
How Democrats Can Answer Angry Voters
Tweet Share on Facebook June 9, 2010 Comment (18)By Karen Finney, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Listen up, incumbents. Tuesday’s elections again demonstrated that you’d better have an answer to the question, “What have you done for me lately?” because all bets are officially off. Voters are again having their say and neither the political parties, nor the pundits, nor pollsters truly know just what will happen next. Despite pulling it out in the end, even Blanche Lincoln’s win, combined with the other results, reinforce the existence of a strong anti-incumbent, anti-establishment mood.
