Who’s been watching Bob the Builder?
I’ve got to say I’m loving this. The speeches just get better. This guy can run up or get run up a hell of a speech and read an autocue like there’s no tomorrow
Who’s been watching Bob the Builder?
I’ve got to say I’m loving this. The speeches just get better. This guy can run up or get run up a hell of a speech and read an autocue like there’s no tomorrow
Yea, I loved that speech as well, that’s why I threw it up over at LP.
I think that speech finally convinced me that I prefer Obama to Clinton.
just wow.
very kennedy.
strap in for Feb 5.
I suspect west wing like battle all the way to the convention it self.
The eloquence of his oratory skills may be the key.
I don’t think he was reading any of it. From the heart, which will always trump reading from an autocue. Like I said in a previous thread. Hills represents the status quo, this guy wants to make a clean sweep. Interestingly, but I guess not so surprisingly they are facing very similar issues in terms of the entrenched arrogance and behaviour of their government bureacracies. He is indeed a good orator, great timing.
Just hope he doesn’t get shot.
He is up there with the best of them BUT why is he so bad at ‘debates’.
I guess another quaetion is why is hillary sogood at debates but no good at speeches.
Mind you Willaim Jennings Bryan was a great at speeches so was Ike’s opponent
Caroline, I’m 99% sure he’s reading an auto-cue.
Two major giveaways.
1) He’s reading from two autocues – just off camera – just like he did at the Democratic convention in 2004. One to the left, one to the right. Notice how he looks to one side and then to the other – he’s got it down so pat he can do it mid-sentence, but he hardly looks anywhere else at all but two quite specific places. This was the same in his victory speech in Iowa.
2) He slightly fluffs the beginning of one sentence – about two thirds of the way through – and that makes it clear he’s slightly misread the autocue and then he gets back on track.
But noth’n wrong with reading a speech.
Homer, very interesting observation. If you read this pretty interesting profile of Obama, and of how Hillary was a kind of mentor, you notice that he doesn’t much like the one liner (though his speeches are full of them, they’re also full of something more).
You’re probably right Nicholas, I did notice the side to side head movement, and if he is reading a speech, which I agree–nothing wrong with that, I am nevertheless somewhat less impressed. Oh yes, its a good speech an all I agree and he does it well.
\
Caroline,
You are dead on in your characterization of the speech as like unto the Kennedys. Like the Kennedys, Obama is brandishing a classical education, using figures of speech that hark back to Cicero, the Roman Senator and orator. In my experience, one doesn’t learn to write like that in college; the cadences need to be ingrained in more formative years, such as high school.
So, I needed to check his biography, where I found this:
This would have to be the most asinine and vacuous commentary I witnessed on US politics for many a long day (and night).
I must admit to being quite surprised at the political naievity being displayed. Sure, Obama possesses fine oratorical skills but to this point in time little of substance has been shown. In fact, the way he played the ‘racist’card over the King/LBJ episode was more reminiscent of Howard’s technique when playing the early Hansonite card in Oz politics a decade ago. There are many examples of Obama failings but it appears some amongst are more interested in the superficiality of form rather than doing some hard yards in the search for substance. “one autocue or two” now there’s substance.
With due respect I would suggest you guys stick to your day jobs
Graham,
Get up on the misanthropic side of the bed? I don’t think you’ll find ANY commentary on politics in this thread aside from your own post. Perhaps on a second reading you’ll see that all of the commentary is precisely about oratorical skills.
Good luck with the sleep issues.
Jim
OK! OK! Perhaps I was a touch ‘poltico-miserabilist’ so to speak – but ‘misanthropic’ that’s a little harsh. Your reasonableness will force me to have a second read – and get more sleep.
Another small miracle at Troppo. People are snarky and then become nice! They undertake to get more sleep. Is this the real world or are these just bots out there?
If only the evil dictators of the world would just follow Graham’s example.
Sigh . . .
Btw Jim,
This kind of thing happens all the time in Australia. You seem to have caught the hang of how to get it happening. You should pop down. I can show you some of the architectural delights of Melbourne!
Nicholas,
I’ll be over on the next boat. While I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Melbourne, I have made a couple of trips to Sydney and got up to Cairns and the Hunter Valley as well. As James Farrell pointed out, we’ve as many Irish cousins in Australia as we have in Ireland and while the accents change a bit from place to place, the subversive wit of our heritage has survived its various expeditions and exiles.
Please look me up if you’re ever coming back this way.
Jim
Will do.
Blogocracy has posted the latest incarnation of that speech:
http://blogs.news.com.au/news/blogocracy/index.php/news/comments/obama_campaign_ad/
The music video was originally published here:
http://www.dipdive.com/
It’s become something of a hit – so much so that Obama has now posted it on his website.
Correction: the above video is a reincarnation of the Iowa victory speech.