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I Am in Awe
By Kyle | August 28, 2008
We are not worthy of being in the same profession as George F. Will. His column on Barack Obama going into Thursday night’s speech leaves me in a state of woozy admiration. There are writers, there are smart writers, there are brilliant writers, and then there is George Will. Picking the best paragraph is a challenge. But here is one of them:
Obama’s rhetorical extravagances are inversely proportional to his details, as when he promises “nothing less than a complete transformation of our economy” in order to “end the age of oil.” The diminished enthusiasm of some voters hitherto receptive to his appeals might have something to do with the seepage of reality from his rhetoric. Voters understand that neither the “transformation” nor the “end” will or should occur. His dreamy certitude that “alternative” fuels will quickly become real alternatives is an energy policy akin to an old vaudeville joke: “If we had some eggs, we could have ham and eggs, if we had some ham.”
Topics: Barack Obama, Politics, TV |
August 28th, 2008 at 8:08 am
That is absolutely brilliant and sums up the problem with Obama as well as anything I’ve ever read. Though I do disagree with the idea that Obama is a great speaker, I think he is a terrible speaker but a great reader. Everytime I’ve heard him speak free of a script he stammers and says “uh uh uh” a lot and speaks in circles without ever actually saying anything. Hillary is the far better speaker of the two. Mcain is a terrible speaker as well when coming from a prepared speech but is significantly better at speaking candidly than Obama. The last good speaker we had was President Clinton but he lacked the ability to inspire. Our last great speaker was Reagan. His combination of engaging the audience and self deprecating humor combined with his ability to comfortably speak off the cuff and greatly inspire people of any political stripe hasn’t been matched sense. Though if we are talking best speaker period I don’t think anyone can argue Churchill was and is untouchable. His greatness was achieved even more so in his willingness to act upon what he said. now we all seem to want to be great debaters so long as no action is required so no matter how great a speaker or reader someone is it all ultimately rings hollow.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:22 am
one word sums up that article.
Wow.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Charles Krauthammer has some pretty sharp words regarding the upcoming spectacle from Invesco Field?
“Has He Lost His Mind?”
[Mr. K. quotes a Reuters article about the Greek temple in the stadium, and responds...]
The Berlin folly — in English.
The Superbowl Halftime Show — without the game.
What’s the finish? Maybe Obama’s got Zhang Yimou to do the hidden-rope trick, and have him lifted, Beijing-style, to the heavens when he’s done. Will he reappear three days later at the Bird’s Nest?
Or maybe he’ll just do a Napoleon and coronate himself. By the time Napoleon made himself emperor, he had won the Battles of Lodi, of Arcole, of Rivoli, of the Pyramids and of Marengo. And had promugulated the Napoleonic Code. He had yet to write a single autobiography.
Brutal. Just BRUTAL.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I’m not a big George Will fan, I’ll take Krauthammer!