I used to get annoyed by "He needs to speak out more!"

[Chulanowa]

After all the way I figured, the president can preach his platform, desires, and views until he's blue in the face, and the Legislature would do whatever the hell it wants.

But now I look after the SOTU address. Pelosi's chewing through the bars on Health Care and Defense spending. Reid and Leahy are calling out Alito and the conservative judges. DADT is going to review...

Maybe I was wrong. If these are the results Obama gets after an hour's worth of speech, then I want that dude jawing all the goddamned time!

[Jamastiene]

1. His encouragement might help form some spines in Congress.

I think you have a point.

[gcomeau]

2. No, you were right.

You can't overdue the public sales pitches or they lose importance and people stop listenig to what you're saying and just want you to go away... even if you can give a speech like Obama.

Keep the public addresses spaced out, and when they are given they have magnified impact.

[gateley]

3. Ha! I almost came to the opposite opinion. I used to assume that if he wasn't

speaking out, then whatever it was I was concerned about wasn't on his radar. My take from the SOTU was that he IS aware of the stuff I've been yammering about, and he's given thought and taken action. He just wasn't checking in with me. :7

But you DO have a great point -- if these are the results after an hour's speech, keep talking, O!

[Zenlitened]

4. Yep. That's what the 'bully pulpit' idea is all about.

Though I'd also add it's not solely about communicating to DC lawmakers, in fact that's the least of it. The POTUS can shape and guide the national dialog as a whole, in ways that few others can, by speaking TO and FOR the American people.

But to do so, he (or she, eventually) has to choose sides, take stands and ruffle some feathers. I think we saw some of that last night in Pres. Obama's SOTU speech, when he called out bad behavior and unapologetically pointed out the difference between simple right and wrong.

It was a great start -- as you point out, it seems we're seeing some results already! -- and I hope he continues.

:)

[uponit7771]

5. Yeap, ....

[high density]

6. Don't worry, the Wurlitzer is doing its best to tamp down the speech

AP: Obama speech fails to break health care logjam

"I think it's on life support, but it still has a pulse," said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. "If there is a way forward, some of us are really committed to finding it. It doesn't look clear how we're going to move it."

Another Senate moderate, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, had a similar assessment.

Asked if it's possible that no health care bill will emerge this year, Pryor responded: "I think it is a real possibility — I don't know that it's a probability.

"It's very possible that health care is just a stalemate and you can't solve it this year," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul

*sigh*