President Obama was passionnate at times during his press conference -- but less so about the economy. | AP Photo Close
Gone, too, was a warmer, more personal approach unveiled in Cleveland, in which he referred to his family’s economic struggles — and the gritty working-class values embodied by Michelle Obama’s father.
Obama did hit all of his talking points, walloping House and Senate Republicans for bottling up his jobs bill and laying out, in rational tones, his argument for eliminating tax cuts for the top two percent of the population.
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“To borrow a phrase from Bill Clinton, the president doesn’t give people the impression that he’s ‘laser-focusing’ on the economy,” Duffy said.
Duffy compared Obama – unfavorably – to Linda McMahon, the Republican Connecticut Senate candidate often ridiculed for her up-and-down career as a pro wrestling executive.
“At least she gets personal,” added Duffy. “You hear her talking about how painful it was to declare bankruptcy and about how tough it was to have two kids and be forced to sell your car and your house. That’s a message that really resonates with people.”
On Friday, Obama did go out of his way to say his sympathies lie with the eight million Americans who have lost jobs since the recession began – and cast his policies as a way to keep more people from joining the ranks of the unemployed.
“I ran precisely because I did not think middle-class families in this country were getting a fair shake,” he said. “And I ran because I felt that we had to have a different economic philosophy in order to grow that middle class and grow our economy over the long term…Now, for all the progress we’ve made, we’re not there yet. And that means that people are frustrated and that means people are angry.”
But Obama’s own frustration and anger came through most when he talked about issues of national security and constitutional equity: The dangers posed to U.S. troops by a Florida pastor’s plan to burn the Quran, and the controversy over the Manhattan mosque.
Speaking of American Muslims, Obama said, “They’re going to school with our kids. They’re our neighbors. They’re our friends. They’re our coworkers. And when we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive, what are we saying to them?”
The answer – coming at the tail end of the press conference – caused the room full of 200 reporters to momentarily go speechless and stop their BlackBerry gazing.
“I’ve got Muslims who are fighting in Afghanistan in the uniform of the United States armed services. They’re out there putting their lives on the line for us… And part of honoring their service is making sure that they understand that we don’t differentiate between them and us. It’s just us.”
Obama did hit all of his talking points, walloping House and Senate Republicans for bottling up his jobs bill and laying out, in rational tones, his argument for eliminating tax cuts for the top two percent of the population.
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Listen “People who have lost their jobs around the country and can’t find one, moms who are sending out resumes and not getting calls back, worried about losing homes and not being able to pay bills -- they’re not feeling good right now. And I understand that,” he said.
But “I understand” isn’t quite “I feel your pain,” says Jennifer Duffy of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, who says Obama – and panicked Hill Democrats – are being hurt by his inconsistent tone on the economy. “To borrow a phrase from Bill Clinton, the president doesn’t give people the impression that he’s ‘laser-focusing’ on the economy,” Duffy said.
Duffy compared Obama – unfavorably – to Linda McMahon, the Republican Connecticut Senate candidate often ridiculed for her up-and-down career as a pro wrestling executive.
“At least she gets personal,” added Duffy. “You hear her talking about how painful it was to declare bankruptcy and about how tough it was to have two kids and be forced to sell your car and your house. That’s a message that really resonates with people.”
On Friday, Obama did go out of his way to say his sympathies lie with the eight million Americans who have lost jobs since the recession began – and cast his policies as a way to keep more people from joining the ranks of the unemployed.
“I ran precisely because I did not think middle-class families in this country were getting a fair shake,” he said. “And I ran because I felt that we had to have a different economic philosophy in order to grow that middle class and grow our economy over the long term…Now, for all the progress we’ve made, we’re not there yet. And that means that people are frustrated and that means people are angry.”
But Obama’s own frustration and anger came through most when he talked about issues of national security and constitutional equity: The dangers posed to U.S. troops by a Florida pastor’s plan to burn the Quran, and the controversy over the Manhattan mosque.
Speaking of American Muslims, Obama said, “They’re going to school with our kids. They’re our neighbors. They’re our friends. They’re our coworkers. And when we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive, what are we saying to them?”
The answer – coming at the tail end of the press conference – caused the room full of 200 reporters to momentarily go speechless and stop their BlackBerry gazing.
“I’ve got Muslims who are fighting in Afghanistan in the uniform of the United States armed services. They’re out there putting their lives on the line for us… And part of honoring their service is making sure that they understand that we don’t differentiate between them and us. It’s just us.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/41997_Page2.html#ixzz0zBlQq2nB
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