Like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests. But it is my deeply held belief that in the year 2009 - more than at any point in human history - the interests of nations and peoples are shared.
The time has come to realize that the old habits and arguments are irrelevant to the challenges faced by our people. They lead nations to act in opposition to the very goals that they claim to pursue, and to vote - often in this body - against the interests of their own people. They build up walls between us and the future that our people seek, and the time has come for those walls to come down. Together, we must build new coalitions that bridge old divides - coalitions of different faiths and creeds; of north and south, east and west; black, white, and brown.
Health Care Speech:
Well, the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. (Applause.) Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care. Now is the time to deliver on health care.
Here we have two passages with similar language. Old divisions divert us from progress. Time to move passed them. FLG'd argue, however, that the tone of the two is vastly different. In the first, Obama's almost deferential. America has acted poorly in the past. I'm sorry. Please forgive us and let's move forward. In the second, he's somewhat bullying or condescending. You Republicans are just playing games to score political points. Time to man up and start getting to work on this.
In both cases there is some truth to it. Republicans have been obstructionist in some areas. Democratic health care reform is not really in their political interest. Also, America has acted poorly of late. Abu Ghraib and Gitmo aren't exactly examples of American values.
Nevertheless, what's both naive and nefarious about Obama's approach is the idea that cynical politics is all that's in the way. In the case of the Republicans, the proposals put forward by the Democrats for health care reform aren't ideologically congruent with Republican values. It's not that Republicans are solely being obstructionist for narrow political reasons, but many of them have a fundamental disagreement on principle with the approach the administration and leadership in congress are taking. On the other hand, and what FLG would find funny about Obama's international approach if it weren't so naive, is the idea that all people share the same interests in the international arena. It's true in large part, but states and governments don't always have interests in common with their people, especially dictatorships. What's funny is that Obama has harsher language for Republicans than dictators. For some reason, he can rationalize the motives of foreign leaders in his mind, but seems to have less patience for domestic opposition to his policies.
What's so interesting about this approach is that its a very nuanced rhetorical way of getting your goals. Obama frames his policy idea as the adult, responsible, reasonable, commodious approach, and thereby paints opposition or disagreement as childish, irresponsible, unreasonable, and incommodious. As a matter of political rhetoric, it's is fascinating to FLG.
What's most interesting is the idea that the time for disagreement has passed. Now it is the time for action. The actions that I propose.
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3 comments:
"For those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months." - Pres. O at U.N.
O needs a decent PR man. A decent PR man would have advised pulling a Jackie O and saying that tissue of whoppers in French:
"Pour ceux qui questionnent le caractère et la cause de ma nation, je vous demande de regarder les actions concrètes nous avons compris juste neuf mois."
Then today, all the world would have been enthralled at what a sophisticate he is like they still are with Jackie O some 40 years later.
Since O didn't speak in French, the only thing he could've done to not expose himself for the Prince Charles wannabe at the U.N was to have worn a dress. A simple conservative cut one...just below the knee with a boat neck...yes O could do the boat neck....navy or black...and a simple strand of faux pearls...
Even Sarko would have clapped....
Mrs. P
The dibipartite Obama, black/white, Muslim/Christian, and to whom you add the politically opposed allegiances of the Alinsky Method vs. the Chicago Way (think “Rules For Radicals” meets “Don’t Make No Waves – Don’t Back No Losers”) is certainly a fascinating character – as a case study.
Even the observer’s perception of public Obama can’t help but be split as Obama comes off as either Zelig, when among dictators or audiences hostile to the U.S. and its history, or, Chance the Gardener, when among the true believers who find even his “and”s and “but”s deeply profound.
And there may be even more personas in there. One, manifest as when he gets all morally self righteous and condescending and makes an enemy of those who disagree with him - haven’t yet figured out who that one reminds me of.
And lets not forget the Obama who flexes his pecs in public – that might be Brick, the forty-five year old cabana boy dominant.
Fascinating! (and a wee (-wee) bit frightening?)
Creepy, George. The guy has serious creep factor...
Mrs. P
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