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Obama’s big speech: long on platitudes, short on credibility

Posted 29 Aug 2008 in 2008 election, Barack Obama

I found it difficult to watch Barack Obama accept the Democrat nomination last night. Not just because I think he’s a dangerous radical wolf in sheep’s clothing, but because he’s such a damned slick speaker. Whatever one thinks of Obama, one must admit the man knows how to give a good speech.

But honestly, I think that’s where his qualifications end.

As I watched and listened, I kept hearing lofty talk of “promises” and common-ground phrases followed closely by clever populist euphemisms for “I’m gonna tax the hell out of y’all to do this.”

“It’s a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It’s a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves — protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who’s willing to work.

That’s the promise of America — the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother’s keeper; I am my sister’s keeper.”

For instance, he said “I will cut taxes – cut taxes – for 95 per cent of all working families.” FactCheck.org counters that Obama voted in March 2008 to raise the taxes on individuals earning $41,500 a year and couples earning $83,000. Are 95% of “working families” making less than $83,000? Rob at Say Anything asks some interesting questions:

Why just 95% of working families? Why not all working families? Are there some working families that are getter than others? What has this 5% of working families done that Obama doesn’t think they deserve a tax break?

Also, what’s the definition of a working family? Poor and middle class families? Does that mean that rich families haven’t worked for what they have? Or even just upper class families?

Obama also made some pretty audacious claims, such as “I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.” Sounds good. But I’ll leave it to Neal Boortz to smash through that empty promise.

Obama said he was going to eliminate capital gains taxes. These small businessmen generally don’t pay capital gains taxes. They pay income taxes. Obama’s plan is to raise the income taxes on these entrepreneurs. Telling the American people that he will cut their capital gains taxes is simply a charade; a charade the uneducated will buy.

Obama’s wish list for the Democrats will come at a hefty price. Providing health care for the entire country will mean a massive tax hike for EVERYONE, not just the “evil rich” and people that Democrats don’t like. Mark my words, you’ll hear the word “contribute” thrown at you early in an Obama administration. Unless they plan on topping the Bush deficits, there’s no way to increase government spending and decrease taxes. They will have to reach deeply into your pockets in order to give everyone a pony. A run-down, governmental-red-tape pony. Just look at the Post Office. Then imagine that, added to the way downtown public hospitals run, and you might approach the horrors that state-run healthcare will be under an Obama regime.

Of course, no speech from Obama would be complete without some absolute whoppers.

  • “John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell — but he won’t even go to the cave where he lives.” [Dude, if you know where bin Laden is, kindly point him out. Otherwise, keep your teeth together. You've spent the last few years calling for retreat and have NO room to talk. - Ed.]

  • We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. [The big difference, of course, lies in the method of reduction...prevention vs. murder. - Ed.]

  • The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don’t tell me we can’t uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. [Um, sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Obama, but yes, we can. The Second Amendment is not subject to your faulty interpretation. - Ed.]

I found this next one particularly clever. It seeks to disarm those who have factual and issue-based problems with Obama’s policies by pre-emptively attacking them.

  • “… if you don’t have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.” [A little bit of irony there at the end, coming from someone with no real record of achievements. - Ed.]

Hugh Hewitt nailed “The One’s” most ridiculous talking point:

Obama sunk his own speech when he began to talk of how he would confront Russia and defeat al Qaeda. He doesn’t have the qualifications to run a battalion, much less the entire military. No corporation would make Obama CEO, and few states would elect him governor on his resume. It is all talk, all wind.

I missed the beginning of Obama’s speech and haven’t yet watched it in its entirety because I just don’t think I could stomach that much hopeychange bullsh*t in one sitting. So I’ll have to go back and check out the full transcript in smaller doses for my own gastrointestinal safety. In the meantime, for some better analysis of Obama’s platitude-laden acceptance speech, check out Michael Barone’s Obama’s Acceptance Speech Hit Some High Notes, but His Themes Won’t Hold Up
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For those of you with an iron stomach (or a taste for Kool-Aid), check out the entire speech and judge for yourself.

Posted by FullMetalPatriot
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT

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