When a president’s team hypes a speech that is not even designed to make news they are inviting the media to get distracted from the intended message, critique the stagecraft, or just plain trash it. And so it went with President Obama’s much touted economic speech in Ohio on Thursday.
For nearly an hour he re-hashed themes and one-liners that left the press corps reaction ranging from bored to downright snarky. “A falsehood wrapped in a fallacy,” the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wrote, especially targeting Obama’s “nonsensical claim that he has a deficit plan that would strengthen Medicare for the long haul.”
Before this speech Obama’s staff flung out notices to the press that this would be a major address framing the campaign going forward. But I knew there would be trouble when they acknowledged there would be no new ideas or announcements for fixing the economy. Just more talk.
“Between the pre-speech hype from the campaign, the lack of new material and the overall length of the speech reporters were clearly dissatisfied with the end result,” Politicker’s Hunter Walker observed, citing several unflattering tweets by reporters covering the speech.
Obama on the economy is starting to remind me of George W. Bush on the Iraq War. Whenever the Bush White House sensed it was time to boost the public mood they would announce a major address or release some new blueprint that added up to no change at all. Just more talk.
This president really doesn’t seem to understand that just the sound of his voice is not going to make anyone think things can get better.
Craig on “Viewpoint with Eliot Sptizer”
Tonight (6/15) 8:00 PM ET Current TV
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58 Responses to Obamanomics: Just More Talk
Now on The Trail
jamie, thanks for the link on the immigration announcement. this excerpt from it was interesting and should cause a few headaches for mitt.
http://www.windstream.net/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CD9VDL8080%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1018
or maybe, oh great poohbah, they were setting the distraction stage for something more exciting like today’s announcement. sort of on the order of a 3 ring circus with the ringmaster amping up the excitement.
yeah…. let’s bash the right… then go bash the left…
and in the meantime, none of this nation’s problems are being discussed… let alone resolved. It’s all one big political game.
oh how I will sorely miss Dylan Ratigan’s show where real issues were discussed. But… hey… harborwoman,
did you see his segment with Bernie Sanders this past week… he told Sanders he’d definitely be back on television, just not cable news… I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard that.
speaking of foreigners and things worthy of media attention, how about mccain’s comment last night?
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/06/15/mccain
sorry about that link. a better one is in taegan’s story on mccain at political wire
Frankly, on this one, I don’t give a shit what the press thought about it. I listened to every word with interest, was impressed by how he tied things together historically and economically, and wasn’t the least bit bored. Herr Romney doesn’t make the grade on any of those criterion.
Now I’m pissed. Mr Obama wasn’t even halfway into his lecture before the WH press corps were swooning over their tweeters. I know, I know, it was Thursday afternoon.
And, then there was Jonathan Alter crying for mommy to take him home, he hated the movie. He must have hated Newsweek, too.
For goodness sake, ‘working’ press, where’s your spunk? Obama has given you the map for the next couple of months and you’re bitching. Go home, already!
patd says “or maybe, oh great poohbah, they were setting the distraction stage for something more exciting like today’s announcement”
or maybe they jumped up the immigration announcement because the economic speech was such a flop. this was supposed to come next week just before he speaks to latino elected officials in Orlando. but now they were facing a weekend of TV talkathons about his crummy economics address
flatus, i agree. hunter’s article was mis-titled “President Obama’s Speech Gets A Thumbs Down From Political Press Corps”… imo the press corps deserve the thumbs down.
craig, could be they were trying to get it out before another biden booboo let it out of the bag like last time.
could be also that they wanted to rain on mitt’s bus tour extravaganza.
btw romneyomnics speech was no fire and brimstone barn burner either.
Always have liked Dana Milbank (it’s those baby blues) but sometimes when he’s in his snarky fits I wanna slap the sh!t out of him and then slap him for shi!tin’--just sayin’--
I heard both speeches…
and IMO, both were just practicing until the general public… and not just the media and political junkies… pay attention.
Craig,
I thought the Presidents speech
was long but good in drawing
a contrast as to what more
Republican rule would look like.
I hated his longing for his
“Grand Bargain” with Boener though!!
Why doesn’t he make a case for
getting us out of all these
Countries before he and the Republican’s
cut the least amongst us?
Pat,
I agree, Romney’s speech was
a dud!! Enough with the one liners!!
I do think Romney will not come
across as scary or extreme to
many working class people though!!
Faire,
Your post regarding Milbank made
me laugh and I agree!
I remember Patsi and how Milbank
got on her last nerve sometimes
It must be time to make mao romney register as a commie Chinese agent.
The Mittchurian Candidate
We could have avoided the 2010 disaster if the Prez had made a Grand Bargain with the Democrats.
President Obama on the economy is starting to remind me of a bowl of Rice Krispies cereal, lots of snap, crackle and pop, but not much taste!
In a seperate opinion, I concur with my distinguished colleague, Mr. Bova.
It was rice. Now, where’s the beef ?
My distinguished colleague, xrepublican, is exactly correct, maybe if Obama had actually “cut some deals” with the Democratically controlled House and Senate back in 2009 and 2010, “midterm electiongeddon” would not have happened!
Let’s see: Obama makes Economic speech -- GOP goes crazy. Obama announces no deportation of illegal children -- GOP goes crazy.
Lindsay Lohan found unconscious -- America stops paying attention to politics.
what??!!!!
Lindsay Lohan found unconscious…STOP THE PRESSES!
————————————————————————--
Billy Bova,
The failure of prosecution of the parties responsible for the Financial Crisis shows the tremendous influence or control Wall Street has over the Government not only in the United States but in the world. I do not recall any country that has imprisoned or confined any high level bankster. During the Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s the United States government put over 3,500 bankers in jail including 1,000 senior insiders.
There are a number of Trailmixers that are and have been pushing for a Constitutional Amendment for Federal Campaign Finance Reform but because of Democratic voter apathy in 2010, where Republicans picked up 680 seats in state legislatures and the GOP gained majorities in 14 state house chambers. The GOP now have unified control — meaning both chambers — of 26 state legislatures. That should doom any chance of getting the 75% state ratification.
Justice Democrats take on big banks [Just not any more, they have been compromised.]
By Matt Stoller, October 3, 2011 9:31 PM EDT
Inside Job -- The Shocking Truth Behind The Economic Crisis of 2008
Full text of “Inside job : the looting of America’s savings and loans”
Obama gets heckled in the rose garden, say what!!??
Who knew the white house press corp was such a tough crowd?
Think they are smelling blood in the water?
Jack
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/obama-immigration-reporter-heckles-speech_n_1600860.html?utm_hp_ref=the-backstory
Johnson would’ve invited the heckler inside for an exclusive interview—to be held in the downstairs private bathroom while the president was taking a dump. There’s more than one way of getting even.
Yeah, LBJ could be rude and crude when it served his purpose. but he always understood the power relationship. He was never anything but polite to those more powerful than he was.
But a piss ant reporter?
lol,
Jack
so how much coverage will be spent on the heckler rather than on the impact of deportation relief of tens of thousands?
craig, will this deportation relief solve the problem and care of the person you told us about sometime ago?
If I was Prime Minister of Canada, I’d say, if you don’t want these people who are clearly English speaking North Americans, send them here. We’ll grant them asylum. Oh, Canada!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/utahs-gop-attorney-general-obama-immigration-move-totally-within-his-power/2012/06/15/gJQAcwWUfV_blog.html
What was that about Lindsay Lohan????
:
I quit listening to economics speeches a while ago. while they might give some insight into the psyche of the speaker, they are not very useful now are they?
With respect to immigration enforcement, that falls to a cabinet department -- Congress makes laws, Administration implements them. Can’t enforce every law, gotta make choices. At least this one seems to have a tinge of rationality and humanity.
pogo at 4:45, roflol
yeah, what’s more important to our msm, 800,000 young people or 1 lousy looney (take your pick as to the aging starlet or the so-called reporter)?
Flatus
Canada is already building our infrastructure, we can’t ask them to take our educated unemployed as well.
Jamie, I was simply thinking that our trash just might be their treasure, as it should be ours.
ALERT ! BROADBAND VIOLATION AHEAD ALERT !
MEANWHILE, IN THE NORTH STAR STATE
The MN republicans, led by the cheapskate teabagger and wrong pol faction, are so fiscally responsible that they now have to declare bankruptcy. Ya sure, you betcha, these guys are the super duper deficit hawks.
THE RIPPER SECRET PLAN TO WIN THE WAR ON DEFICITS :
default
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elsewhere, the ripper-led MN Senate will meet next week to consider paying $46,000.00 in legal fees rung up so far to defend against a lawsuit brought by former Senate File employee & and rip up lican family values guerilla, michael brodkorb. brodkorb was fired from the Senate when it was discovered that he and his boss, ripper family values expert & Senate Majority Leader amy koch were f*cking behind her husband’s back. Fortunately,the medical insurance package for State Senators and employees includes birth control, so these two CONSERVATIVE ADULTERERS won’t be adding a tiny puguglican to the taxpayer’s burden on top of all the legal fees. (Did I mention her strong Catholic credentials ?) That notwithstanding, for getting caught koch’s caucus made the combo family values expert/Senate Majority Leader step down.
brodkorb is maintaining that the firing has hurt his republican finances, so he has retained a litigious litigator to clog the court system with his whining. This sort of suing is okay with republicans, first because it is a republican suing, and second because the respondant is not a corporation.
A Democratic lawmaker has blocked any use of taxpayers’ money to pay the Senate’s attorneys without first holding a public hearing on the matter to inspect the former Senate Majority Leader’s stained underwear, and to air the puguglicans’ vaunted family values. The big question is, why should the MN taxpayer have to pay for republican sin and corruption? By blocking the payment, the Dem lawmaker and guardian of the taxpayers against rip up lican fiscal and sexual promiscuity put the present Senate Adultery Leader in a really tough spot. Expect the Dems to demand that the bankrupt puguglican party shell out the money for the attorney fees.
Finally, it should be noted that all through this entire obscene affair, from its revolting beginnings in brodkorb’s crotch until this minute, not once did rush limbaugh call Senator amy koch a slut.
ALL CLEAR. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE
XR,
Many thanks for not introducing the word ‘vagina’ into your report.
If the Queen won’t take us back, maybe Canada would consider annexing the southern territories.
Flatus,
I rather doubt that Mr. brodkorb is interested in vaginae. Besides being a strong proponent of family values, Mr. b is a fundamentalist. I presume he is attracted to the former Majority Leader’s fundament.
Jamie,
If Canada were to annex “the southern territories”, it would free the East, Midwest, and West from having to bear the cost of those dreadful dixie deadbeats.
We would be forever in Canada’s debt.
Disgraced anti-gay Majority Leader amy koch
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=amy+koch&view=detail&id=0C3E9028A95A5451CBB18993FDDEDA65FB0A70B9&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR
I couldn’t get that line any shorter no matter what I tried.
Professional pro-family adulterer michael brodkorb
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=amy+koch&view=detail&id=A7B5EDDFA9E3DBA48F95BBE33E11FF2FF544160F&first=301&FORM=IDFRIR
X,
Thanks for the links! Well, another Repug high and mighty
falls, no surprise! Interesting read…
Craig,
Good appearance on Spitzer tonight. As usual you were making a great deal of sense. No wonder you have trouble getting steady work in politics.
Tonyb -- I saw that report about John Bolton on The Young Turks live a day or so ago and I am still shaking from it.
I am surprised that no one has said anything about the ridiculous Game of Thrones controversy. A controversy, which only tells you that everyone angry about this, has never visited Universal Studios Hollywood. If they had gone, they would know that Hollywood recycles everything…EXPENSIVE prosthetics, sets, etc.
Diane Sawyer and ABC are kissing 41′s butt
he is not the epitome of political civility --omg Lee Atwater Willie Horton
what a pile ABC is
The President did a good job handling the moron from The Daily Caller today…
I was very pleased with the President’s actions today…
Bankers fighting plans for online consumer complaints about credit cards
http://craigcrawford.com/2012/06/15/obamanomics-just-more-talk/#comment-291395
Jaslf,HI
I know, my god, Bolton! I know FOX has him on constantly and yes its mostly always about Iran..I’m sure Bolton’s advice would be to invade and have endless wars..Scary, oh god, for sure! The whole GWB head on Game of Throne’s is such a non-controversy! I watched the episode way before this and never even noticed the so-called Bush severed head..
Hi OD,
I know, right! I thought the president handled The Daily Caller heckler with grace…My gosh, a part off me wishes Obama would have gotten angry and had him escorted out of the Rose Garden..Obama’s way was much better..
bolton is the VP for Marketing at Iran War, Inc.
The Secret Service detained hundreds of people during the last two presidential conventions just for wearing Anti-Babybush or anti-Iraq Fiasco II t-shirts.
By that standard, the Daily Caller guy and his employers ought to be detained, too.
Fair and balanced, my ass.
People were herded into chain link cages and kept in the blistering sun for hours.
So, how was the daily caller treated ?
lindsay lohan unconscious ?
Well, it wasn’t noon yet, was it ?
Tonyb -- I agree I am addicted to the series myself, and have watched the episode several times to sort of wash my pallet from the bad taste that comes from the Republicans, Obama, the banks, and Wall Street. In fact, I have watched the episode several times. I do notice prosthetic faces but, I still do not really see Bush’s face unless I force myself to see it as Bush. If it hadn’t been pointed out, it would never have been a controversy. HBO’s pulling of the episode on HBO GO and stopping the creation of the BluRays and DVDs is money needlessly wasted.