The speech just ended, and my immediate reaction is that Obama is the weakest link in an otherwise fantastically smooth-running campaign operation. Sure, he gives/reads a speech well; but the speech itself says very little.
In fact, this speech had a laundry list of clever lines which attempt to make divisive issues, i.e. abortion, gun control, go away pfffttt . . . all through the magic intervention of Barack Obama.
Well, these issues are much more complex that Obama portrays them and both sides represent huge chunks of passionate Americans. The gaps between us are real — and are not going to be bridged because of Obama hype and media fawning.
He came off as an empty suit. A nice guy. A nice smile. Not a bad guy. But not a president and not a leader either.
The media comes off as pathetic. None has the guts to criticize Obama; in fact, most of them have invested themselves in this whole Obama Dream. They don’t want to do anything to get in the way of a potential Obama Presidency.
The smartest thing Obama can do, and he did it in this speech, is to go after George W. Bush and then link McCain to him.
Let’s face it: Bush has been a complete and utter failure. And now Obama is going to attach McCain to Bush. Thus the “he supported Bush 90 percent of the time.” This is going to be the heart of Obama’s campaign from now until Nov. 4. Soon every TV ad will feature those pictures of McCain hugging Bush.
Obama is like Chinese food: It fills you up and you feel great — for about two hours.
You’re left wanting something else.
He may yet win because of Bush and because McCain is an awful candidate. But something says Obama is all fluff and hype and, as Gertrude Stein wrote of Oakland, Calif., “There is no there there.”
More analysis to come.
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