Presidential Counter Programming: GOP Debate or NFL Opening Night

He could have just done a WH speech.

A Joint Session speech is rare. And, he already went to this well once before, with his health care speech.

You get one State of the Union per year.

And, he really looks silly trying to find a night to give a speech after being away on Vacation at the Vineyard. (And, I get that the President is never truly on vacation, but the optics are terrible.)

A WH address was the way to go.

 

yeah, well, Boehner would probably announce he had a tanning booth appointment on whatever night Obama wanted to schedule it, so Obama would apologize and reschedule ahead of time.

 

Usually your schtick is semi-entertaining. But for you to state that 98 percent of the GOPbaggers (not sure if this means the GOP or the Tea Party...not that it makes a difference) think Barack Obama is an "uppity n***r" every time he breathes is moronic. You are either trying to be clever, exaggerating for effect or the dumbest mother****r on these boards. Are you seriously saying 98 percent of either the Republican Party or Tea Party members are racist? Do you honestly believe that?

 

Hearing all this griping about presidential speeches reminds me of an "All in the Family" episode where Archie wants to watch some special show on TV, but it gets pre-empted by a speech by Nixon.

Then, after Nixon speaks, Archie gets geared up because he thinks he'll see the end of the show. But then the talking heads come on. Archie moans, and asks why are they on the TV.

Edith replies (paraphrasing here): ""They have to tell us what he said."

 

Back in the 19th century, Presidents didn't give any speeches to Congress. They sent them over, even the state of the Union, and the clerk read 'em aloud. This method, in retrospect, had its points.

 

This whole thing may be the best indicator how out of touch Washington is with the rest of America, playing political fun and games during the start of the NFL season.

 

The emperor has no clothes.

What Obama should have done is gone and stood on the Capitol steps and gave the speech. He could have started it by saying that Congress would not let him in. Other option might have been to go to an area of high unemployment and perhaps use an empty factory as backdrop.

I am going to vote for Obama in 2012 but I fear that I am backing a losing candidate.

 

Let me go ahead and ask why any of this matters.

Scheduling brinksmanship? Really?

We don't have bigger problems?

 

With Irene winding down the cables needed a new news cycle crisis.

 

Very true.

We're in a slack time until Nancy Grace gets to Dancin'.