Barack Obama did today, what I was hoping he would do all year. He gave a speech on the economy, followed by a Press conference.
Why is this important?
A speech makes makes him a Presidential candidate (like McCain), but a Press Conference, makes Obama look Presidential (unlike McCain-Palin)!
Well; first Obama's speech. In Obama's speech he was measured, serious, cautious (waiting for Paulson, etc., to come up with their plan, before he releases his) and appeared very Presidential.
He was also surrounded by noted economic experts Paul O'neil, Laura Tyson, Paul Voelker, Lawrence Summers, and Warren Buffet in the backgrond.
In his speech Obama declared no partisan fighting, world G-20 inclusion and offered an "Emergency Economic Plan for Working Families (which you can see below)" He saved his barbs for later.
What about John McCain you ask?
John McCain by contrast; appeared small, vindictive, desperate, partisan and gimmick-like in his speech, and was introduced/flanked by the fading, irrelevant, Alaska Governor/Frontier woman, Sarah Palin.
Yes, that Sarah Palin!
He also offered his plan (while Paulson, etc., are still working on theirs)!
Huh? How does he know?
McCain actually tried to blame Obama for the problems with the mortgage mess in the country, by bringing up some debunked Fannie Mae affiliations(Former Executives, Jim Johnson, Franklyn Raines)as his economic advisers.
While Bush, Paulson, Bernanke, and a bi-partisan Congress, are all sweating, locked in a bunker of bi-partisanship solutions and this simpleton lies and maliciously attacks Obama. He also attacks Obama the day some politicians call "the most important day in America, since the Great Depression or World War II".
Are they that desperate? What a mistake and waste (with Palin-McCain).
To his credit, Barack was smart. He only mentioned McCain once in his economic speech (differentiated, by his later Miami College Rally). Here's the only time Obama mentioned McCain. He smartly ignored him today, and in the process made him look small:
"John McCain and I can continue to argue about our different economic agendas for next year, but we should come together now to work on what this country urgently needs this year."
By doing that Barack made, McCain irrelevant, and elevated the country, it's finances and it's citizens as paramout. The McCain skewering could wait for his rally later in Miami (which Obama did, and laid his populist bonafides/contrasting). Barack's a patriot first, and a politician second. But he's still a smart politician, that knows what he's doing, and understands visuals.
As the Wall Street Journal Stated today so presciently:
In a crisis, voters want steady, calm leadership, not easy, misleading answers that will do nothing to help. Mr. McCain is sounding like a candidate searching for a political foil rather than a genuine solution. He'll never beat Mr. Obama by running as an angry populist like Al Gore, circa 2000.
http://wsj.com/...
Of course he can't. Because McCain is not Al Gore! Barack just needs to keep McCain pinned down (and out-flanked) by the economy till next Friday's Debate, and apply the "coup de grace via his Jujitsu-like verbal Hammer on Primetime!" We hope!
Now here's some excerpts from the more vicious, rehearsed McCain side-show/speech this morning:
We’ve heard a lot of words from Senator Obama over the course of this campaign. But maybe just this once he could spare us the lectures, and admit to his own poor judgment in contributing to these problems. The crisis on Wall Street started in the Washington culture of lobbying and influence peddling, and he was square in the middle of it."
You can skip to my comments/analysis on why Press Conferences are good for Obama during this economic turmoil (if you're tired of reading McCain's rabid attacks). McCain continued with his wild eyed partisanship below:
Two years ago, I called for reform of this corruption at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Congress did nothing. The Administration did nothing. Senator Obama did nothing, and actually profited from this system of abuse and scandal. While Fannie and Freddie were working to keep Congress away from their house of cards, Senator Obama was taking their money. He got more, in fact, than any other member of Congress, except for the Democratic chairmen of the committee that oversees them. And while Fannie Mae was betraying the public trust, somehow its former CEO had managed to gain my opponent’s trust to the point that Senator Obama actually put him in charge of his vice presidential search.
McCain continued:
"My friends, this is the problem with Washington. People like Senator Obama have been too busy gaming the system and haven’t ever done a thing to actually challenge the system."
McCain has already been slammed today by various media of trying to hustle the alledged Fannie Mae Connection, but "t'was can a desperate man do?"
McCain sputtered even more venom than this. You can read his additonal comments on the link below.
http://thepage.time.com/...
Later in the afternoon, at a rally in Minnesota, he kept up the desperate Johnson, Raines, ramblings, but this time added "Obama gamed the system" and more. That link/video is below.
http://thepage.time.com/...
But besides the above crticism. John McCain did not talk to the press at all this morning (but wants to hurl false criticism Obama's way).
Neither McCain, nor Palin are taking questions on the road, or having press conferences. But (McCain)had no problem dragging out the totally inept Palin. She read a statement, amounting to a five minute dog and pony show/attack that preceded him. So our nations economy is going down the rabbit hole, and McCain's thinks it's cute to drag out a known liar and mental midget like Palin? What exactly is McCain trying to tell us about a future McCain-Palin Administration. Didn't he get the latest polls/memo on the alledged "Palin Effect?"
McCain actually tried to similtaneously mix partisan hackery, along side "reaching out". Well. It didn't work! Are these guys really that stupid and out of touch, like Barack's tell us they are?
On the contrary, Barack's speech was empathetic, concerned, sober, serious, but also optimistic and non partisan. But it was his Press Conference, I feel that's more important, and will gain points, and hopefully help win him the election.
We here at Kos know that, McCain-Palin, will never give a press conference and take questions. They're to scared! This works out great for Obama.
By giving Press conference, Barack shows the country and the world that he's the serious candidate, that can answer reporters questions and provide true interaction with the candidate. People want to see and hear these politicians in times of crisis/desperation.
We all know that McCain Palin are to incompetent, unprepared and unqualified to that.
I think that this is a strategy that Obama should employ more, and anytime he can. A press conference always gets more coverage than a speech, and a speech, followed by a press conference, is a reporters wet dream. I'm not saying he should do it often. But only when it's timely, neccessary or needed (by his account).
We all know Barack Obama is the only candidate that has the discipline, knowledge, temperament, confidence and ability to hold a press conference in these tough times; plus he has some of the smartest financial experts in the world, proudly standing behind him.
Where's Mccain's experts that stand next to him? Sarah Palin, Carly Fiorina and Phil Gramm are all in hiding!
If Obama keeps embarassing McCain like this. He will gain the publics trust (from the shear fact that's he's answering questions and being a calming influence) and prove that he's the man for the job.
He'll also get some people who don't know him, to possibly get to know him better, who may be watching in a supermarket or in their doctors office, etc..
In comparison, McCain-Palin, are just a circus side show in hiding.
Here's the video of Barack's statement:
Obama responds to earlier McCain attacks:
Here's the Obama teams, brand spanking new"Blueprint for change video", that was just released today.
This video will be very helpful in highlighting Obama's economic plans to the uninitiated. Spread it around and make it viral guys!:
Now! As an added bonus. Here's one of the best Obama commercials you'll ever see. It's about equal pay and stars equal pay champion Lily Ledbetter. Please click on this link to the article and the video. You won't regret it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Even good ol Pat Buchanon agreed Obama had a good week:
Here's Obama's Emergency Homeowners plan, he outlined today:
In the same bipartisan spirit that is being shown with regard to the crisis on Wall Street, I ask Senator McCain, President Bush, Republicans and Democrats to join me in supporting an emergency economic plan for working families – a plan that would help folks cope with rising gas and food prices, spark job creation through repair of our schools and roads, help states and cities avoid painful budget cuts and tax increases, help homeowners stay in their homes, and provide retooling assistance for America’s auto industry. John McCain and I can continue to argue about our different economic agendas for next year, but we should come together now to work on what this country urgently needs this year.
The second principle I would like to see in the emerging plan from the Treasury and the Fed is that our approach should be one of mutual responsibility and reciprocity. It must not be designed to reward particular companies or the irresponsible decisions of borrowers or lenders. It must not be designed to enhance the personal gain of CEOs and management. The recklessness of some of these executives has helped cause this mess, even as they walk away with multimillion dollar golden parachutes while taxpayers are left holding the bag. As taxpayers are asked to take extraordinary steps to protect our financial system, it is only appropriate that those who benefit be expected to contribute to the protection of American homeowners and the American economy. Just as support is not designed to payoff egregious executive compensation, it should not reward those who are ruthlessly foreclosing on American families.
Third, this plan must be temporary and coupled with tough new oversight and regulations of our financial institutions, and there must be a clear process to wind down this plan and restore private sector assets into private sector hands after restoring stability to the system. Taxpayers must share in any upside benefit that such stability brings.
Fourth,this plan should be part of a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20. This is a worldwide issue, and while the United States can and will lead in stabilizing the credit markets, we should ask other nations, who share in this crisis, to be part of the solution as well.
You can read the rest of Obama's speech on the time link:
http://thepage.time.com/...
Here's Obama's full prepared remarks this morning:
http://thepage.time.com/...
"What a plan, what a man, what a mighty good plan, man!"