My Way or the Highway

I didn't watch any of the DNC last night (I watched the Cincinnati/Pitt game instead), but I did watch about half of President Obama's speech this morning.  I had to stop it in the middle because the of the numerous straw men and the overall shrill tone.  Hearing the argument that it's either his way or some Republican-created anarchy state where government is abolished and everyone is left to fend for themselves just really gets old after a while.  

Charles Kesler, who has a new book coming out that you should pre-order immediately, sums up Obama's speech:

As for its larger themes, the speech showed a president very much on the defensive. One reason it didn’t soar is that he had to insert many proleptic passages, reassuring his audience that despite what the Republicans are saying and what an innocent listener might gather, he’s all for inalienable rights, responsibilities, individual initiative, free enterprise, citizenship, Israel, and God. Amid such an elaborate smoke screen, little in the way of offensive operations could be conducted. 

Connected to his defensiveness was his new false humility. His old false humility recalled the classic joke about conversing with an egotist. “But enough about me,” says the egomaniac. “Let’s talk about you. What do you think about me?” I’m the indispensable leader, Obama used to say, but I depend upon you the people to hope that change is possible, and so follow me. Together, we will be the change we’ve been waiting for. 

In the new version, the mood is significantly darker and the choice starker. The people face “two fundamentally different visions of the future,” and if they don’t choose the right (Left) one, it’s not his fault. He admits he, like Lincoln, is not perfect. But the choice is clear. “My fellow citizens,” he says, “you were the change,” in the past tense, notice. But “if you turn away now, if you buy into the cynicism that the change we fought for isn’t possible, well, change will not happen. . . . Only you have the power to move us forward.”. In other words, don’t blame him if the country goes to hell under Romney-Ryan.

And the overall problems that plagued both conventions:

Grammar and style were problems for most speakers at both party conventions, alas, but a bipartisanship of low standards is not good. The president said, for example, “when you pick up that ballot to vote [what else would you do with it?], you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation.” Strike “of any time,” please. I’m reminded of his speech a few years ago when he hailed ordinary Americans’ “doing their business.” He meant “attending to.” Has he never walked that expensive dog of his?