The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Olby, Matthews, Fineman Notice That Obama’s Rhetoric Is Kind of Nebulous

Posted on | June 16, 2010 | 38 Comments

I did not watch President Obama’s Big Spill speech Tuesday night because (a) I was busy on something else and (b) I can’t stand to watch Democrats talk policy.

It’s annoying enough to listen to Republicans talk policy, but Democrats are so reliably 100% wrong that there is no point watching unless I just want to feel angry. And with my daughter’s wedding just three weeks away, there are already too many annoying things to make me angry.

Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews and Howard Fineman get paid to watch Obama’s speeches, however, and their reactions on MSNBC to the Big Spill speech were interesting:

Olbermann: “It was a great speech if you were on another planet for the last 57 days. . . . Nothing specific at all was said.”
Matthews: “No direction.”
Howard Fineman: “He wasn’t specific enough.”
Olbermann: “I don’t think he aimed low, I don’t think he aimed at all. It’s startling.”

Which is to say, they’re starting to figure out that being President of the United States has not conferred magical powers on Obama, and he didn’t bring any magical powers of his own to the job.

A degree from Harvard Law isn’t necessarily helpful to fixing a mechanical engineering problem, which is what BP is dealing with in trying to cap the Deepwater Horizon well.

The Gulf oil spill is not a political problem. You can’t negotiate a compromise with a broken well. Nor is the oil spill a legal problem. You can sue BP, but litigation isn’t going to cap that well. And all the “community organizing” in the world isn’t going to fix the problem, unless you’re planning to plug the well with SEIU members.

What is Obama’s greatest skill? Reading speeches. As I remarked in February 2009, Obama could read the ingredients from the side panel of a box of pancake batter (“…dextrose, partially hydrogenated soybean oil with mono- and diglycerides…“) and inspire standing ovations from an audience of adoring Democrats.  But all Obama’s oratorical powers are useless to the task of plugging that well.

The disappointment of the MSNBC personalities at the lack of specificity in Obama’s Big Spill speech was ironic to me, because I wrote in November 2008:

Perhaps the most brilliant thing about Barack Obama’s successful campaign was its vagueness. In offering himself as the all-purpose Change We Can Believe In, Obama gave believers a blank slate and a tacit license to project upon him their deepest longings.

Obama’s shortcomings in this crisis should not surprise anyone. As was repeatedly pointed out by Obama’s critics during the 2008 campaign, he had no executive experience. His campaign was about fine-sounding rhetoric, boundless promises and grandiose symbolism. His background was as a liberal activist, an academic and a state legislator.

Most of all, we were told, Obama was qualified to be president because he had such an excellent temperament.

Too bad you can’t plug an oil well with temperament.

UPDATE: Now a Memeorandum thread. Linked by Cassy Fiano, King Shamus, Political Byline, Fausta Wertz, Scared Monkeys, Jules Crittenden and Bob Belvedere at Camp of the Saints.

Category: Barack Obama

Comments

38 Responses to “Olby, Matthews, Fineman Notice That Obama’s Rhetoric Is Kind of Nebulous”

  1. Al Gore
    June 16th, 2010 @ 4:55 am

    Well, I felt a stirring. I still have my open invite to the President to stop by with me, Laurie, and Gaia, a little wine and see where the evening takes us…

    I hate labels.

  2. Al Gore
    June 16th, 2010 @ 12:55 am

    Well, I felt a stirring. I still have my open invite to the President to stop by with me, Laurie, and Gaia, a little wine and see where the evening takes us…

    I hate labels.

  3. Mike LaRoche
    June 16th, 2010 @ 4:56 am

    What is Obama’s greatest skill? Reading speeches.

    And yet, watching a Champagne Dream video is more informative.

  4. Mike LaRoche
    June 16th, 2010 @ 12:56 am

    What is Obama’s greatest skill? Reading speeches.

    And yet, watching a Champagne Dream video is more informative.

  5. Railyards Lender Starts Foreclosure Process – KXJZ News | SaveMeFromForeclosure.com
    June 16th, 2010 @ 1:55 am

    […] Olby, Matthews, Fineman Notice That Obama's Rhetoric Is Kind of … […]

  6. Dell
    June 16th, 2010 @ 6:06 am

    “..unless you’re planning to plug the well with SEIU members.”

    Now why didn’t I think of that? Ya know, that’s not a bad idea!

  7. Dell
    June 16th, 2010 @ 2:06 am

    “..unless you’re planning to plug the well with SEIU members.”

    Now why didn’t I think of that? Ya know, that’s not a bad idea!

  8. Joe
    June 16th, 2010 @ 6:18 am

    You know what, I am no fan of Obama’s bullshit, but but I like this slam on the British.

    And Al Gore, fuck you too.

  9. Joe
    June 16th, 2010 @ 2:18 am

    You know what, I am no fan of Obama’s bullshit, but but I like this slam on the British.

    And Al Gore, fuck you too.

  10. Quotes of the Day | Political Byline
    June 16th, 2010 @ 2:44 am

    […] mono- and diglycerides…“) and inspire standing ovations from an audience of adoring Democrats. But all Obama’s oratorical powers are useless to the task of plugging that well. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Quotes of the Day", url: […]

  11. DavidL
    June 16th, 2010 @ 10:21 am

    Buck Passing Barry, does seem to have unlimited faith in lawyers. No matter what the problem, you count on Barry to send the lawyer. Illegal stream across the Arizona border from Mexico. Does Barry the National Guard. No. He sends in lawyers. The Gulf needs engineers and Barry sends more lawyers.

  12. DavidL
    June 16th, 2010 @ 6:21 am

    Buck Passing Barry, does seem to have unlimited faith in lawyers. No matter what the problem, you count on Barry to send the lawyer. Illegal stream across the Arizona border from Mexico. Does Barry the National Guard. No. He sends in lawyers. The Gulf needs engineers and Barry sends more lawyers.

  13. Virginia Right! News Hound for 6/16/2010 | Virginia Right!
    June 16th, 2010 @ 6:24 am

    […] Olby, Matthews, Fineman Notice That Obama’s Rhetoric Is Kind of Nebulous […]

  14. LibertarianAdvocate
    June 16th, 2010 @ 10:56 am

    This explains his penchant for sending lawyers to do – well, nothing useful.

    http://libertarianadvocate.blogspot.com/2009/07/lawyers-obamacare-nice-return-on-their.html

  15. LibertarianAdvocate
    June 16th, 2010 @ 6:56 am

    This explains his penchant for sending lawyers to do – well, nothing useful.

    http://libertarianadvocate.blogspot.com/2009/07/lawyers-obamacare-nice-return-on-their.html

  16. Fausta’s Blog » Blog Archive » Obama’s Big Spill speech
    June 16th, 2010 @ 8:13 am

    […] Stacy, I didn’t watch President Obama’s speech last night because I was busy on something […]

  17. Blake
    June 16th, 2010 @ 12:15 pm

    Typical leftists. They’re always surprised when events unfold exactly as conservatives warned them of.

  18. Blake
    June 16th, 2010 @ 8:15 am

    Typical leftists. They’re always surprised when events unfold exactly as conservatives warned them of.

  19. Blake
    June 16th, 2010 @ 12:18 pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5puAN1PGQw

    Warren Zevon: Lawyers Guns and Money.

    Just because.

  20. Blake
    June 16th, 2010 @ 8:18 am

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5puAN1PGQw

    Warren Zevon: Lawyers Guns and Money.

    Just because.

  21. steve in tulsa
    June 16th, 2010 @ 12:29 pm

    We are NOT out of oil in shallow water or on dry ground. Obama lies again. And there is no question he is lying. Everyone knows ANWAR is on dry ground. There are thousands of dry ground and shallow water locations that are full of oil. But Obama has put those locations out of bounds and then he turns around and says, “No oil is left on dry ground”. Lie after lie after lie… He cannot stop lying about every damn thing he touches. He lied about healthcare saying it would reduce costs and cover everyone and you could keep your plan and your doctors. All lies. over 15 million people still will not be covered, Costs are being forced up by mandated higher costs foisted by the government. You cannot keep you insurance or your doctors. All lies. Everything he says is a lie and the results are always the same, higher prices, higher costs of living, less prosperity, fewer jobs, no hiring, a collapsed economy created by democrats starting in 2007 when they got their majorities. Before Dem control the deficit was 167 billion and unemployment was 4.6. Dems took control in 2007 and unemployment has steadily risen as a result of minimum wage hikes and other democrat policies. By 2009 after several years of democrat budgetary control the deficit was 400 billion. But is 20 10 the deficit is one trillion and seven hundred billion dollars. This isn’t Bush’s recession, it is the democrats in congress since 2007 that have crippled the economy. Democrats constantly lie. they CLAIM they passed the Civil Rights act but the truth is democrats fillibustered the Civil Rights act and fought very hard against it passing. Republicans all voted for it and passed it in spite of democrats objections. And there are people who beleive the revisionist lies of the democrats. They try to paint republicans as racists but the party was founded on the anti-slavery platform. Democrats always lie or parrot the lies they have been taught.

  22. steve in tulsa
    June 16th, 2010 @ 8:29 am

    We are NOT out of oil in shallow water or on dry ground. Obama lies again. And there is no question he is lying. Everyone knows ANWAR is on dry ground. There are thousands of dry ground and shallow water locations that are full of oil. But Obama has put those locations out of bounds and then he turns around and says, “No oil is left on dry ground”. Lie after lie after lie… He cannot stop lying about every damn thing he touches. He lied about healthcare saying it would reduce costs and cover everyone and you could keep your plan and your doctors. All lies. over 15 million people still will not be covered, Costs are being forced up by mandated higher costs foisted by the government. You cannot keep you insurance or your doctors. All lies. Everything he says is a lie and the results are always the same, higher prices, higher costs of living, less prosperity, fewer jobs, no hiring, a collapsed economy created by democrats starting in 2007 when they got their majorities. Before Dem control the deficit was 167 billion and unemployment was 4.6. Dems took control in 2007 and unemployment has steadily risen as a result of minimum wage hikes and other democrat policies. By 2009 after several years of democrat budgetary control the deficit was 400 billion. But is 20 10 the deficit is one trillion and seven hundred billion dollars. This isn’t Bush’s recession, it is the democrats in congress since 2007 that have crippled the economy. Democrats constantly lie. they CLAIM they passed the Civil Rights act but the truth is democrats fillibustered the Civil Rights act and fought very hard against it passing. Republicans all voted for it and passed it in spite of democrats objections. And there are people who beleive the revisionist lies of the democrats. They try to paint republicans as racists but the party was founded on the anti-slavery platform. Democrats always lie or parrot the lies they have been taught.

  23. Jules Crittenden » When The (Leg) Thrill Is Gone …
    June 16th, 2010 @ 9:16 am

    […] The Other McCain goes deep on the shallowness: “What is Obama’s greatest skill? Readng speeches.” And when you can’t do that convincingly anymore … […]

  24. They Said What!!! MSNBC Trashes Obama BP Oil Spill Speech, Compares to Carter … “I Don’t Sense Executive Command” | Scared Monkeys
    June 16th, 2010 @ 9:41 am

    […] was not lost on The Other McCain that Matthews, Olberman and Fineman were less than impressed with Obama’s […]

  25. Bob Belvedere
    June 16th, 2010 @ 1:44 pm

    The Tall Cool Detached One is not even that good at reading speeches. He has always struck me as a poor man’s MLK. Barry ain’t got nothing on Herman Cain.

    The fact is he has no talent or skill other than the vagueness you reference.

    I did the same thing when I was playing in bands – the silent, mysterious man-of-few-words, dressed all in black. But, at least, I could play guitar and write good songs. And I did it to get women in an ultimately frivolous situation [it worked].

    There’s the key: for this narcissistic spoiled rotten brat who’s been coddled all of his life, this is whole President-thing is just really super-duper play-date.

  26. Bob Belvedere
    June 16th, 2010 @ 9:44 am

    The Tall Cool Detached One is not even that good at reading speeches. He has always struck me as a poor man’s MLK. Barry ain’t got nothing on Herman Cain.

    The fact is he has no talent or skill other than the vagueness you reference.

    I did the same thing when I was playing in bands – the silent, mysterious man-of-few-words, dressed all in black. But, at least, I could play guitar and write good songs. And I did it to get women in an ultimately frivolous situation [it worked].

    There’s the key: for this narcissistic spoiled rotten brat who’s been coddled all of his life, this is whole President-thing is just really super-duper play-date.

  27. The All-Purpose Flower Child « The Camp Of The Saints
    June 16th, 2010 @ 10:23 am

    […] must partially disagree with The Great One: The Tall Cool Detached One is not even that good at reading speeches.   He has always struck me […]

  28. Cassy Fiano » Obama is STILL campaigning: on last night’s Obamatrina address
    June 16th, 2010 @ 11:10 am

    […] Olby and Matthews weren’t impressed, and that says a […]

  29. Barack Hussein Obama’s Gulf Oil Leak Speech: Reactions « Blog de KingShamus
    June 16th, 2010 @ 11:11 am

    […] Robert Stacy McCain: Obama’s shortcomings in this crisis should not surprise anyone. As was repeatedly pointed out by Obama’s critics during the 2008 campaign, he had no executive experience. His campaign was about fine-sounding rhetoric, boundless promises and grandiose symbolism. His background was as a liberal activist, an academic and a state legislator. […]

  30. VIDEO: Mike Barnicle Criticizes Obama, Gets ‘Castrated’ by Mika Brzezinski : The Other McCain
    June 16th, 2010 @ 12:12 pm

    […] this exchange on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” :Barnicle was parrotting the decidedly negative reaction from MSNBC-oids to Obama’s Big Spill speech, and Mika fired back:BARNICLE: I’m wondering why he […]

  31. Bob Belvedere
    June 16th, 2010 @ 6:09 pm

    Thank you, Stacy.

  32. Bob Belvedere
    June 16th, 2010 @ 2:09 pm

    Thank you, Stacy.

  33. Obi's Sister
    June 16th, 2010 @ 11:23 pm

    I ate BBQ at Wallace’s with the boy-man child and his ginger girlfriend.

    Listening to The One makes me feel like I’ve been abducted by aliens and results in what Special Agent Mulder used to call “missing time.”

  34. Obi's Sister
    June 16th, 2010 @ 7:23 pm

    I ate BBQ at Wallace’s with the boy-man child and his ginger girlfriend.

    Listening to The One makes me feel like I’ve been abducted by aliens and results in what Special Agent Mulder used to call “missing time.”

  35. The Oil Spill Speech « Olliander
    June 16th, 2010 @ 11:31 pm

    […] commentariat have spoken.  The most spot-on assesment I’ve seen so far however, comes from Stacy McCain: The Gulf oil spill is not a political […]

  36. Estragon
    June 17th, 2010 @ 7:04 am

    It isn’t as if BP were just out thrashing about the ocean and caused a leak – this is THEIR OIL that is leaking at the rate of millions of dollars every day. Do you really think they need Obama or anyone else with nothing concrete to offer meddling in the process of stopping that bleeding?

    BP stockholders should sue. There is no basis whatever in law for giving $20 billion to some “fund” at the mercy of some unnamed “third party” when the law caps their legal liability at $75 MILLION. Now, anyone hurt by the leak can also sue, which is why we have courts. But giving $20 billion away doesn’t prevent anyone from suing! It’s a gift, paid as extortion, and stockholders should stop it.

  37. Estragon
    June 17th, 2010 @ 3:04 am

    It isn’t as if BP were just out thrashing about the ocean and caused a leak – this is THEIR OIL that is leaking at the rate of millions of dollars every day. Do you really think they need Obama or anyone else with nothing concrete to offer meddling in the process of stopping that bleeding?

    BP stockholders should sue. There is no basis whatever in law for giving $20 billion to some “fund” at the mercy of some unnamed “third party” when the law caps their legal liability at $75 MILLION. Now, anyone hurt by the leak can also sue, which is why we have courts. But giving $20 billion away doesn’t prevent anyone from suing! It’s a gift, paid as extortion, and stockholders should stop it.

  38. Steynian 413st « Free Canuckistan!
    June 21st, 2010 @ 5:51 pm

    […] THE OTHER McCAIN– Olby, Matthews, Fineman Notice That Obama’s Rhetoric Is Kind of Nebulous; 9/11 families’ […]