"Even a non-Obamabot like myself has to come away impressed with his sincerity and drive."

[babylonsister]

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/president-obama-rips-republicans-cam


October 21, 2010 04:00 PM
President Obama rips Republicans on campaign trail in Seattle: 'You can't drive!'
By David Neiwert
Video at link~


Well, I'm sure Sean Hannity will be as quick as ever to pooh-pooh the prospects that President Obama is capable of igniting his supporters this year on the campaign trail -- it's been a running theme at Fox, you know, that there's a big "enthusiasm gap" and that candidates are actually running away from having Obama campaign for them.

Whatever. Today I went to Obama's campaign appearance for our friend Sen. Patty Murray in Seattle at the UW campus. As Murray put it: "I've got to tell you, for all those TV pundits and skeptics who say there's an enthusiasm gap -- I've got four words for them: Come to Washington state!"

Indeed, I'd wager that the majority of the 10,000 or so who packed HecEd Pavilion walked out energized and eager to go help drum up votes for Democrats over the next couple of weeks. Because Obama was at his best.

Perhaps the best indicator of a skilled rhetorician is one who can tell the same speech/story over and over again and yet find ways to make it fresh each telling. And Obama did that -- he's been telling this story about how Republicans drove the national car into a ditch for a long time, and he's been using the punch line: -- "You can't drive!" -- since at least May 14.

But he told it again, and you know what? It still worked.

Even a non-Obamabot like myself has to come away impressed with his sincerity and drive. And since I happen to share Obama's pragmatism, I'm more than happy to do my part to likewise urge people to get out and vote. Too much is at stake. It's too important that we spend the next two years playing offense. Sitting on our hands is going to mean we'll be playing a whole lotta defense.

[Richardo]

1. K&R

:patriot:

[treestar]

22. K&R

:bounce:

[Historic NY]

2. Thanks some people realize he is all over the place trying to fix things with one hand tied.

[JNelson6563]

3. Come to DU, you'll get straightened out

You just haven't yet been convinced of how badly he sucks on how many levels (countless!). Nothing a little time on DU won't cure.

Julie

[grantcart]

13. rofl

[saltpoint]

16. LOL!

[saltpoint]

17. It's great to see Obama on a stage with Patty Murray,

and great that a whole buncha folks showed up to cheer them on.

It would be just fine with me if Rossi suffered yet another satewide ballot defeat.

Go, Patty.

[Hekate]

4. Fired up!

Ready to go! :patriot:

[impik]

5. One by one, people will get that this is once-in-a-generation president

[azmouse]

6. Amen.

[Parker CA]

19. Ain't that the truth.

[Whisp]

21. o yes indeed

one of a kind, the good kind

[cilla4progress]

7. I was there and you are

RIGHT ON! Even the buzz around the city afterwards was palpable. I found him very focused, humble, and yes, sincere and driven. He didn't bask in the extreme LOVE we sent his way...seemed a little embarrassed by it, especially when it was Patty's turn in the limelight. The guy is putting everything he has into this. He knows he's disappointed some of us in some ways, and he even explained that when he came into office, he expected, due to the severity of the crisis, that he would have cooperation across the aisle (which explained a lot to me; what I had thought of as naive, now I understand was more "circumstantial.") I get the sense that was a lesson learned.

In processing the experience this evening, one of the things that most strikes me, is that he did not seem glib or bored in any way. He is extremely engaged, and it is having its effect. I am going to lean on this experience in my GOTV calls tomorrow. Maybe I'll even ask for a 2nd list!

By the way, it was 15K in HecEd and another 10K plus in Huskies Stadium (so I heard)!!! 2008 all over again. I feel very fortunate to have been in attendance!

[babylonsister]

10. Thanks so much for your report, cilia! Excellent stuff!

:hug:

[DevonRex]

20. So, 25K. Thanks for telling us about the lesson learned.

That certainly does explain a lot.

[dionysus]

24. 25k can get you a brand new cruise missle console... or so i hear...

:hi:

[angee_is_mad]

8. keep kicking

and recommend

[Aristus]

9. I was there today! I saw you!

Not really, but I wish I had... :hi:

[cilla4progress]

11. Me too (wish I had seen you) - next time

Still on a high...you?

[Aristus]

23. Most definitely!

Let the haters hate. I think he's doing a brilliant job. And I think he's just about done trying to play nice with the repukes. He knows that effort has just brought on failure. His remarks about the pubs were NOT conciliatory! B-)

[cilla4progress]

28. I thought so, too -

it will be interesting to watch "bipartisanship 2.0"!

[nofurylike]

12. K&R that's great! thank you for posting it, babylonsister!! nt

[denimgirly]

14. I may have been Critical of Obama Many Times but the Man Knows how to Speak...DAMMMMN!!

One of the best speakers for sure. This is what breaks my heart though...i just wish we had a progressive president who would just look at repubs and say "F-U" and beat the crap out of them, rendering them afraid. But seeing as how this is all we got i feel i will be voting because our party is just hte lesser of two evils...so be it.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Laurab]

18. K&R! nt

[indimuse]

25. KNR!

;)

[ProSense]

26. The President gets a lot of credit for staying on message about the Republicans' agenda.

Greg Sargent, Think Progress, Media Matters and a few others have also been relentless in calling out RW distortions.

Too bad a lot of these messages have been met with attempts to obfuscate, even by some Democrats.

This was an opportunity to completely drown out the right, but instead the RW is being aided by the media and others who step on the Democrats' message.

If not for the President's high profile and appeal, there would be no significant counter to Republicans. None.

[AtomicKitten]

27. Nobody does it better.