President Obama: Please tell us again about Ronnie and his horse, Peggy. (Image by Steve Jurvetson.)
- Overall a very good speech that drew a clear line between combating philosophies. I think the key was explaining to people that things have changed for the better in various ways. Bill Clinton’s Explainer-in-Chief performance the night before freed up Obama a great deal. I think both parties will employ that strategy next time, though I can’t guess who will play the role for the GOP.
- Obama’s argument that Romney and Ryan are “new” to foreign policy was a weak one. Obama was new to it four years ago and has done very well. Dick Cheney, who has an amazing resume of such experience, was a disaster. Analytical thinking and temperament are much more important than experience in that role.
- It never changes that every four years both party candidates stress what they can do for the economy, even though they have a tenuous grip on such things. But they never mention (or barely mention) how the appointment of Supreme Court nominees over the next four years is vital. That’s something they have direct authority over and each selection reverberates for decades. If Romney wins, the Supreme Court could be stacked 7 to 2 for the conservatives for the foreseeable future.
- Peggy Noonan may think that the President is “overexposed and boring,” but there’s no better description of her. Oh, and she’s dishonest.
Tags: Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, Peggy Noonan