Some brief comments and observations from his speech...
What I liked:
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.What I didn't like:
The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works...Mr. Obama made it clear that we are in rough times. I think that is fair. He indicated that there will be sacrifices. I think that is also true and that we are not collectively prepared. But, he also made it clear that government can (in his opinion) and will (by his direction) be a large part of the solution to the rough times.
This door has been open for quite some time - longer than the door of opportunity for all... Obama has marched through each door in a triumphant manner and has a world of support. I am proud to be part of an America which has allowed him to break through that door of our past racial history; I'm not so excited about the way in which America will plunge deeper into big government policy.
The implicit assumption in "efficient government" is that other people know better than you - that a small group of people can be more effective than all of us working together.
3 comments:
Pretty much everything he said, including those quotes, were things people wanted when they voted for him. For those people, I think an important question will be if he lives up to his campaign promises going forward, but so far he has (albeit very briefly). Is it not important in a Democratic society that the President listens to public opinion?Obama is miles ahead of Bush on that one.
I don't find the subject of his race that interesting anymore, except for the fact that they won't say his full name, Barack Hussein Obama. Since Hussein is a fairly common Muslim name, they should just say it all the time, and eventually people will stop thinking he's related to Saddam Hussein or whatever.
Yes. I agree that Obama is popular and that he is saying the things that most people want him to say. The things which Obama "promised" which appealed to me are going well so far too. That does not mean that I agree or should agree with everything.
Yes - polls are important in a democratic society. But, let's not forget how popular Bush was when he first took office - especially after 9/11 (almost 90%) and the beginning of the Iraq War (over 70%). See here for Bush's approval ratings.
I agree that the race thing is less interesting for our generation. I think that is why it is important. It is far more relevant to our parents' generation.
Good points my friend, good points.
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