Last night President Obama spoke from the Oval Office about the BP oil spill crisis. He addressed plans to contain and clean up the spilled oil, who would pay for the cleanup, how to prevent a recurrence, and a renewed call for ending our dependence on oil.
That's what I heard.
More below the fold....
Fred Whispering, Part I - What Did You Hear?
This week Morning Feature will discuss how to be more convincing progressive advocates - whispering to Fred, our archetypal median voter - with a primary focus on active listening. As President Obama spoke to the nation last night on a topic of great interest to many of us, including Fred, I thought I'd begin the series with an opportunity to discuss his speech, through the lens of how each of us listened to it.
Note: Professor of Topofclassclownistics JanF doesn't feel well and is taking some much-deserved time to rest. We'll reschedule her guest lecture on competence in government when she feels better. We miss you, JanF. Get well soon, dear friend!
This will be a short Morning Feature, as I don't want to steer the discussion too much by my own comments, and instead focus on what you heard - or didn't - in his speech:
I'll offer these questions for discussion:
- What topics did President Obama address that were important to you, and why are these topics important to you?
- What topics did President Obama omit that you believe should have been included, and why are those topics important to you?
- What topics seemed most important to President Obama, and why do you believe those topics were important to him?
- Had Fred, our archetypal median voter, said the same things in a face-to-face conversation that President Obama said in his speech, what questions would you ask to clarify #3?
A Request
I know many have strong feelings about President Obama, pro or con, and the third question invites speculation about his motives. Please remember that your answers to that question are speculation and not fact. The point of Question #3 is to get to Question #4, not to argue why you approve or disapprove of President Obama.
With that in mind, please be ready to answer "Why" questions about your responses, and please resist the impulse to argue with others about their responses. Today is an exercise in listening, not an invitation to a pie fight.
+++++
Happy Wednesday!
Crossposted from Blogistan Polytechnic Institute (BPICampus.com)