The Big Speech

I'm just back from a big fundraiser so sober-blogging is out of the question, but drunk-blogging is not my thing either. Obama is speaking, so take your fingers our of your ears (I have!) and listen up! [LINK to text of speech.]

JUST SAYIN': Don't knock those golf outings - Obama managed to appear forceful and confident. By way of contrast, many commentators reviewing Bush's January 2007 "Surge" speech thought Bush appeared, hmm, uncertain. OK, here is Howard Fineman by way of James Joyner:

George W. Bush spoke with all the confidence of a perp in a police lineup. I first interviewed the guy in 1987 and began covering his political rise in 1993, and I have never seen him, in public or private, look less convincing, less sure of himself, less cocky. With his knitted brow and stricken features, he looked, well, scared. Not surprising since what he was doing in the White House library was announcing the escalation of an unpopular war.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN YEMEN: When [Sen. Ted Cruz on Fox] and I are on the same page as Think Progress you know the White House has a problem; from TP:

In arguing that the fight against ISIS will be different than the large-scale wars of the last decade in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to excerpts released by the White House ahead of the address, the president will dismiss the potential for any sort of massive ground force. Instead, he’ll say, the U.S. will depend on using air power and supporting Iraqi, Kurdish, and Syrian rebel forces on the ground through arming and training them as the way to ultimately defeat the militants that have taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria. “This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years,” the excerpt reads.

Except this is probably among the least encouraging thing that Obama could possibly say. Yemen and Somalia have been the target of hundreds of U.S. strikes, from not just armed drones, but also Special Forces raids and missiles launched from nearby ships. After nearly 13 years of using the authority granted to President George W. Bush to destroy al Qaeda in 2001, the United States is still trying to prevent the spread of terror in those countries, making the odds that the fight against ISIS will be a short one extremely low.

Well, Obama needs a victory lap after whacking out the leader in Somalia.

NOT THAT YOU DIDN'T GUESS... Obama's speech is getting murdered on Fox News and buried on MSNBC. Maybe both CNN viewers are supportive...

NOT BEING A CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY LIKE OBAMA: From the speech:

So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East – including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region – including to the United States. While we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies.

Obama can take us to war under his CinC authority despite the absence of an imminent threat?

Comments

[peter]

core principal of his presidency. If you threaten American you will find no safe haven.

[peter]

Principle, I meant to type

[MaryD]

WOW! First.

[Miss Marple]

Well. so far this is a big nothing-burger of a speech.

Now asking for MORE MONEY.

[The Ghost of Chris Stevens]

We'll finally get that security ...

[peter]

chairing a meeting of the UN security council.

[The last thing Chris Stevens was thinking]

but, but Islam is a religion of peace ...

[glasater]

This speech is not going to make Americans feel safer.

[Miss Marple]

Yeah, that Security Council meeting will be a real scarey thing for ISIS.

[anonamom]

1st--airstrikes. We will hunt down terrorists wherever they are, Syria too

2nd--we will support ground forces, with troops, who will have to have permission slips to go to the bathroom.
Give me money Congress.

3rd--we will continue to draw on our substantial counter intelligent resources. The one that made me think ISIL was a JV team.

4th--we will support the refugees with humanitarian efforts

NOT ONE WORD ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE! How can he leave out our number one problem???

[peter]

Michelle Malkin makes a good point.. LUN

[Porchlight]

Jane is doing some excellent liveblogging on the old thread.

[anonamom]

As the Boston Globe said of the only other president who comes close:

More mush from the wimp.

[henry]

How many Americans will listen to this dreck? Cops reruns are more likely to stop ISIS.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Dear God, I'm glad I'm listening to music.

[Centralcal on iPad]

I think he is insane.

[rich@gmu]

transcript ...

http://heavy.com/news/2014/09/obama-isis-speech-transcript-video-september-10-2014/

[Jane]

Ooops wrong thread. Oh well.

[BR]

Tkuuuuu for the live blogging! Jane, Anonamom, and anyone else from the last thread, your add-ons are hilarious!

[Miss Marple]

Hey, Cantralcal, did you like the part at the end when he starts emoting like he's been coached by Alec Baldwin?

I despise him.

Ed Henry reporting aides said he only decided to get tough the last couple of days. Well, that certainly makes me feel better.

Henry also says this is a mulligan.

[BR]

Garbo Laughs :)

[Jane]

He sucks.

[Miss Marple]

Jane,

Succinct and astute observation at 9:17.

[BR]

Is it over already?

[Miss Marple]

BR,

Yes, it is over, because God is a merciful God.

[anonamom]

August 8th--JEF says the Syrian opposition guys area bunch of doctors, dentists, lawyers.
Now he's telling us that they will be the ground troops.

I'm going to sleep so much better tonight, knowing he's got the big picture and is on top of it all.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Go the dreck is ended.

Thanks be to God

[BR]

Well, we'll have the last laugh, then :)

Garbo Laughs with sound :)

[Sandy Daze]

The evil eye should just STFU.

It is painful to listen to him, because you know everything he says is a lie...

[anonamom]

We don't care for Megyn's hair either. I think she's got extensions.

[rich@gmu]

>>>Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not “Islamic.” No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state.<<<

can't believe he actually said that ... was joking early that he would say something like that ... so there you go.

(and isn't this a classic example of the No True Scotsman fallacy).

[Miss Marple]

anonamom, I got extensions once, to make my hair look thicker.

AWFUL. Uncomfortable and after a while I was creeped out by having someone else's hair on my head, so I had my beautician take them out.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Is he having a meltdown and everybody's pretending he's not? Because that's how it seems to me judging from the disconnect his words have with reality.

[Centralcal on iPad]

He sounds like a 4th rate wanna be actor auditioning for the role of President.

And bombing, miserably. Great orator?

HA HA HA HA snort choke gag

[rich@gmu]

or he's channeling Voltaire (had to look that up)

odd my other comments have vanished.

[Miss Marple]

Well, I stand by my prediction. This was a big flop.

And the pundits are trying to pull a lot of theorizing from a few phrases that weren't ridiculous, like most of the speech.

[rich@gmu]

>>>Posted by: Captain Hate on the iPad | September 10, 2014 at 09:25 PM<<<

It looks to me that he is in month 2 of a 3 month coke binge.

It looked like his make up artists caked on the concealer on the right side of his face to hide a bruise. Maybe The Klingon Warrior Princess slugged him because he is screwing up so badly.

[Jane]

Britt Hume is on a tear. You have to love him.

[Miss Marple]

http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2014/09/what-do-they-know-what-we-dont.html

Pictures are interesting.

[Dave (in MA)]

CH, what's on the victrola tonight?

[Eric in Boise]

Surgical incisions to cure a metastasized cancer.

Sounds like that will work just fine.

[narciso]

Yes, that look doesn't work for Megyn, comeon did we expect him to get a clue?

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

from Rich's link -

This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years.

Did he end up really saying that?

I missed listening because I figured it would start 20 minutes late.

[Dave (in MA)]

"ISIL is not Islamic".

The 'I' stands for "Pro-Life Tea Party Lutherans" or something.

[Eric in Boise]

Oh, and Mr Maguire:

sober-blogging is out of the question

Pro tip: you're not really drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.

[rich@gmu]

more from the speech:

>>>Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.<<<

clear objective -> degrade ... not unlike the Clinton Administration degrading Saddam's capabilities with the NFZs and degrading bin Laden's capabilities with cruise missile strikes.

wouldn't a "clear object" be like a strong, simple declarative sentence.

"We will destroy them."

clear, to the point ...

another thing I was thinking about ... wasn't one of the anti-war criticisms during the Bush Administration was that eliminating Saddam would deliver Iraq to Iranian hands. Now that we are gone and Obama is in charge isn't that what Obama himself is doing ... delivering Iraq to Iranian hands (which I think will fail ultimately). anyway, don't think I have that thought out all the way.

[Dave (in MA)]

20 minutes late? Don't be silly, there's no golf at night.

[BR]

It was probably pre-recorded, canned, that's the only way he could be on time.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Dave, I was listening to disc 3 of the Barry Guy New Orchestra Small Groups "Mad Dogs" and now I'm listening to an old Keith Tippett Group "Dedicated to You But You Weren't Listening".

[Dave (in MA)]

I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counterterrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partners’ forces on the ground."

[rich@gmu]

Janet-

He did say that towards the end of the speech. The definition of winning when the strategy consists of Yemen and Somalia (or we might as well go home). It was also part of the early release of the text.

YIKES!!!

[Neo]

I suspect that this incredibly inspiring speech by the President will rally scores of social workers to his aid.

[glasater]

Why did Obummer have to lead off this speech with getting out of Afghanistan.
That's going to be another statement he'll have to walk back.

[daddy]

A falseness was inherent in almost every word that came out of his mouth. I don't believe what he says and I don't believe he believes what he says.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

rich, he has looked out of it for a long time. First Preznit to OD in office?

[narciso]

Yikes, that's my line, Rich, as the interlocutor in this new Iraqi govt, we have Jaafari as foreign minister, the one that put the Shia militias in the cabinet.

[Dave (in MA)]

I've been listening to a lot of King Crimson in anticipation of seeing the latest incarnation (a 7-piece with a 3 drummer front line) when they hit Boston next week. They are revisiting repertoire that they've not played for 40 years, including some stuff from the album that Keith Tippett played on.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

The Black Hawk Down strategy.... :(

[Jane]

The comparison to Yeman and Somalia blew my mind. As did the reference to Isis not being Islamic.

Gimme a break.

[Cecil Turner]

Good: started on time, only 15 minutes long.

Bad: just about everything else.

Look, you can't run a war on opinion polls. Either you're willing to do what it takes . . . or not. If you start with "no boots on the ground," what your enemy hears is: "not." I don't have any idea what he's actually going to do, but the goal here was to impress, and he didn't.

[AliceH]

sober-blogging is out of the question

On a whim, I went to the archives to see what Tom posted on this date last year. It's surprisingly apropos:

September 10, 2013
Live From DC...

Live from DC, it's Tuesday night! I can't wait to hear Obama's latest brainwave at 9 Eastern. The NY Times attempts to annotate the laughtrack and includes this:

White House speechwriters have been revising their drafts as a plan put forward by Russia for Syria to relinquish control of its chemical weapons has gained international support. Mr. Obama is now expected to say that the threat of military action has led to the diplomatic opening, and to urge Congress to keep the pressure on Syria even as his administration examines whether the Russian proposal is serious or a way to obstruct military action.

Yeah, its up to Congress to keep up the pressure. While Team Obama pretends the Russians and Syrians are serious.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

"ISIL is not Islamic".

The 'I' stands for "Pro-Life Tea Party Lutherans" or something.

Too funny, Dave!

[Cecil Turner]

And what was that crap about job creation? It just underscored that this President views national security as a (domestic) political issue, not as an end in itself.

[Danube on iPad]

Interesting that he would allude to the "success" of our air campaigns in Yemen and Somalia, and not a peep about the air campaign that ousted the Taliban from power in 90 days.

Complimentary words toward George W. Bush simply cannot pass his lips.

I think this speech is going to get panned.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

I've never knowingly listened to a note King Crimson has played but I'll bet a lot of musicians I like were in the group.

[Dave (in MA)]

anonamom:

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

TM's update is pretty funny.

[clarice]

Cecil, it'll be fun-like another video game. Yeah, let's call it ISIL Missile.

[rich@gmu]

Posted by: Cecil Turner | September 10, 2014 at 09:51 PM-

hadn't seen your comment before I made mine ... I should just pipe down and let everyone else here talk.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

this is funny...

from the speech - "This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years."

Mark W. on FB wrote - "You keep using that word ["successfully"]. I do not think it means what you think it means." (HT - The Princess Bride)

[daddy]

Jay Carney who works for CNN says that "Obama has been Relentlessly Aggressive" and "his words were very strong and very aggressive."

Now Donna Bazille says that the Prez laid out a very clear strategy and Congress should be able to have a vote on this.

Anderson Cooper is saying a lot of words but I can't figure out what he thinks.

Newt says that Radical Islam is a worldwide problem equivalent to Ebola.

Jake Tapper is saying that thousands of young men are flocking to ISIL to join up. Says it will be hard to stop the funding of Madrassa's by the Saudi's.

[anonamom]

Thanks Dave. We lived there then, and my husband deeply regrets not saving the paper from that day.

We could have recycled it tomorrow morning.

[rich@gmu]

lets see if I can rewrite that comment that vanished ...

Posted by: Captain Hate on the iPad | September 10, 2014 at 09:46 PM-

scary thought.

Janet-

Good example and another scary thought.

narciso-

I just borrowed YIKES!!!, you can take it back whenever you need.

[insert something here about the economy part of the speech ... non sequester, offkey ...]

[Cecil Turner]

I should just pipe down and let everyone else here talk.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Cecil Turner]

About me, not you.

[GMax]

My record remains intact, I have not listened to word this partisan lying bastard has said in at least two years. I take I missed not a thing other than avoiding raising my blood pressure?

[daddy]

CNN says that people really liked the speech by over 50%.

Said the Dems liked the speech but the Independents and the Repubs were closely matched dislike of the speech.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Don't pipe down, rich; an explanation of the Voltaire comment would be appreciated.

[Miss Marple]

McCain is now on Fox making the point about Obama not leaving a force behind in Iraq.

[peter]

Prayers for the safety of all my fellow JOMers tomorrow, and for the families of those lost 13 years ago. Never forget.

[CR]

Just saw a brief clip of the speech. I never watch him on tv because I can't stomach it. I'm pretty shocked at how bad he looked physically.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Same here Gmax; although reading Jane's drunk live blogging I can affix his annoying voice and cadence to her script.

[rich@gmu]

CH-

"This agglomeration which was called and which still calls itself the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire."

[Miss Marple]

Nytol.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Ah thanks rich.

[narciso]

Wait aren't the Saudis our BFF's (sarc) they wouldn't be funding the madrassas would they,

Somalia's a bad example for another reason, they blame the rise of Al Shabaab on the proxy Ethiopian invasion, that was advised by some Special Forces,

[AliceH]

CNN says that people really liked the speech by over 50%

I suspect most of those people who say they like it do so because they think it is what we racist warmongers want, which puts us in a bind: either we clamor to support Obama and his new sort-of-like-war footing, or we're hypocrites/racists/clingers. That's wrong all around, of course - but they don't consider that possibility.

[daddy]

Wolf Blitzer on now with "CNN's Team Of Experts."

Jim somebody: The prez was really aggressive tonight.Up until tonite it was just protect US interests and Humanitarian stuff, but now he is going to ramp it up to really go after ISIS, but no US guys--only locals on the ground. It'll be a big Coalition hosted partly by the Saudi's.

Wolf: Did the Prez make his case?

Dem Congressman Schiff: This was just an opening statement, noir a closing argument. The Saudi role will be significant.

Repub Congresswoman Blackburn: He left out a lot that my constituents need to know.

Wolf: Do you buy his argument that he does not need Congress approval?

Repub gal. We would rather see more. The prez currently has all the money he needs. he does not at this time need the extra 500 Million he is asking for. This should not be down quickly.

Dem guy? I have been skeptical to vote for arming the rebels previously so I am still undecided. I want to see what happens with the Saudi's and the Coalition.

Wolf Blitzer: Sounds like neither one of you are yet ready to vote for the funding.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Yep AliceH, Bobby Fischer 404 has checkmated us again. Welp he's got the jooooo hating down pat...

[rich@gmu]

Posted by: Cecil Turner | September 10, 2014 at 10:02 PM-

I found that econ part of the speech really weird. The intro was about a statement about the 9/11 attacks, then he launched into this:

>>>Next week marks 6 years since our economy suffered its worst setback since the Great Depression. Yet despite these shocks; through the pain we have felt and the grueling work required to bounce back – America is better positioned today to seize the future than any other nation on Earth.
Our technology companies and universities are unmatched; our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving. Energy independence is closer than it’s been in decades. For all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history.<<<

Forgetting that most of those statements are false, I don't see how it has anything to do with a national security crisis (and one of mostly his making ... didn't he draw then undraw red lines all over Syria, now to prop up Assad he is going to start bombing ISIS ... good grief).

[AliceH]

Thanks CH for asking and thanks Rich for answering re: Voltaire allusion. I wrongly assumed it was a reference to Candide and "Best of all possible worlds". Woops!

[daddy]

Wolf: Did the Prez convince the American people?

Tapper. The American people were already there, so they are in support of calling for strikes and no boots on the ground. The question is the details of the plan that we did not hear. That's the work in progress that we ned to know hear.

Gloria Borger: lets step back. The Prez did not want to give this speech tonite. he then came in and said that this might go on for years so this was a difficult speech for the Prez to give. He was in a difficult position.

Wolf: Did the Armed Fiorces get the clarity they needed and wanted.

General Herting: You want us to expand into a country that is having a Civil war, to train rebels for that, to bomb pin point targets. I think it was a clear mission given to the Generals tonite.

[rich@gmu]

Posted by: narciso | September 10, 2014 at 10:09 PM-

iirc The Pentagon's New Map, Barnett predicted that Islamic terrorism over the course of the war on terror would migrate to Africa as domestic and international pressure built to shut down terror networks. Can't say the administration wasn't warned.

[Stephanie accidentally OnT?]

He's just asking for the funding so that when we get hit, he can blame it on that evil congress that wouldn't give him the money...

[rich@gmu]

AliceH-

oddly it is a formulation that my dad sometimes makes as a joke and a verbal tick I picked up ...

[GMax]

Jay Cost goes through the NBC/WSJ poll in some detail. No real surprises, but his insight is always good and worth the read:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/poll-offers-brutal-news-obama-democrats_804700.html?nopager=1

[Rick B]

So, Libya redux. We arm the Ali Babas again but with much bigger prizes for those who prevail. I thought we worked a bit on "training" the Iraqi Army whose performance is surpassed only by the French when facing the Wehrmacht? Will the militia training focus on wind sprints or are we going for marathon type endurance?

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

"...America is safer."

safer?...than when?...or because of what?

America is safer...than when Bush was President?
America is safer...now that we have open borders?
America is safer...now that Libya is in chaos?
America is safer...because I released 5 terrorist leaders from Gitmo?

[rich@gmu]

Stephanie-

Or he figures that with the policy being debated in Congress he won't have to do much of anything. His existing authorities (resolution on AQ and the AUMF regarding Iraq {which he was trying to get Congress to revoke, weird}) probably give him enough latitude to bomb whatever ISIS targets present themselves anywhere in the world where rubble makes no trouble.

[daddy]

Wolf played a clip of McCain earlier tonite going after Jay Carney and the conversation getting a bit heated.

Carney obviously now trying (with McCain gone) to support the President. Has brought up Bush a bit and blamed the drawdown on Bush all over again. Wolf asks him if it would have made a difference if the US troops in Iraq had not been drawn down. I feel stupider for listening to Carney and Wolf. That's all I can take. What a mess of a network.