The president’s speech on the debt that he’s done more than any previous president to rack up is set to begin shortly. Oddly enough, he’s competing with a press conference about the Long Island serial killer case, which may hit at the same time Obama takes the stage to talk trillions. I guess it beats trying to compete with Dancing With the Stars. The president already surrendered on that one for his Libya speech.
Looking at the speech just from a communications angle, scheduling it after last week’s tussle puts the president in reaction mode. No matter what he says, he won’t appear to be leading, because the fact is, he isn’t leading. He’s talking. Just talking.
Update: So far the message is: Blame Reagan, and then blame Bush. Both of whom were pikers on debt compared to Obama. He gives Clinton a pass for purely partisan reasons — the GOP Congress balanced that budget, Clinton just happened to be there, Chauncy Gardner style, to benefit from it. If you don’t know who Chauncy Gardner is, btw, just highlight his name.
Update: Still not hearing a plan.
Update: Turns out, he has a plan: Be China and Brazil. But — they’re plotting a course together, today, without the US. Otherwise, he’s mostly whining about having to cut spending, after whacking Reagan and Bush, on spending. And he thinks no one will notice this?
Update: Shorter Obama — we can’t afford debt but we can’t afford not to keep spending ourselves into debt. So let’s tax the people who own and run America’s small businesses.
Update: Who had “win the future” at 2:11 eastern time? Claim your prize.
Update: He just pushed accountability for his plan off to 2014, after the 2012 election. Either he’s out of office or just about out of time in the WH by the time his plan has done anything.
Oh, and more class warfare/tax the rich talk. Gotta fire up the base.
Update: Oops, as the president is speaking, AP releases a new poll showing support for ObamaCare dropping to just 35%. You know who this hurts the most (besides the president)…
Update: Well, that was something other than leadership. Full text of the speech is over here. It’s pretty much an “I’m running for president again” speech, though CNN won’t pull the same shenanigans on him that they pulled on Pawlenty.
Update: After that wall of noise, I have to break out the Zo.
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