Ay-Ay-I-I
Peggy Noonan nails a few problems with President Obama’s speech (eech-eech-eech):
But there was too much “I” in the speech. George H.W. Bush famously took the word “I” out of his speeches—we called them “I-ectomies”—because of a horror of appearing to be calling attention to himself. Mr. Obama is plagued with no such fears. “When I took office . . . I approved a long-standing request . . . After consultations with our allies I then . . . I set a goal.” That’s all from one paragraph. Further down he used the word “I” in three paragraphs an impressive 15 times. “I believe I know” “I have signed” “I have read” “I have visited.”
I, I—ay yi yi. This is a man badly in need of an I-ectomy.
Is that a threat? I would suggest someone notify the Secret Service, but the president deserves better than that.
She also steals some of my material:
After the president announced his plan he seemed to slip in, “After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home.” Then came the reference to July 2011 as the date departure begins. It was startling to hear a compelling case for our presence followed so quickly by an abrupt announcement of our leaving. It sounded like a strategy based on the song Groucho Marx used to sing, “Hello, I must be going.”
Now, where have I read that before (nine days ago)?
But she completely redeems herself at the end: shake what your mama gave you, Peggy!
About two-thirds of the way through, the speech degenerated into the faux eloquence that makes people listening across our nation want to gouge out their eyes and run screaming from the room. Lots of our children and our children’s children, the dark clouds of tyranny, the light of freedom. Our strength comes from “the entrepreneurs and researchers who will pioneer new industries; from the teachers that will educate our children, and the service of those who work in our communities at home . . .”
This is where normal people began to daydream. Or scream. None of it was terrible, but we’ve heard it now for 40 years. Enough. Make it new.
I’m still laughing.
Bloodthirsty Liberal said,
December 4, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
Peggy Noonan supported Obama during the campaign, was completely taken with his newness back then. Let’s put her in the newly disappointed bucket.
- Aggie