President Barack Obama pleased supporters with more of what he’s good at, fiery campaign rhetoric and a firmer-than-usual stance on health care reform.
However, he’s sure to disappoint with little direction or clarity on the biggest stumbling block for the Democratic caucus: the public option.
How did the blogosphere react?
“Barack Obama is a terrific salesman with a bad product,” said HotAir’s Ed Morrissey in his post-speech broadcast. “I think in the end, the Kennedy thing is really going to not work for him. I think that whole sad story at the end of the speech was a downer.”
Blogger DDay reacted positively to the “Spark of Life” in his speech, “I will say that there’s a bit of a harder edge in these remarks, particularly toward out-and-out opponents of reform, the likes of which have disrupted town halls all last month. This follows the fiestiness of Obama’s Labor Day speech to the AFL-CIO.”
Jonathan Cohn, blogging for The New Republic says, “Looks like there’s some news in the speech after all. Quite a bit.
“On the policy front, President Obama tonight endorses, clearly and unambiguously, a requirement that everybody obtain insurance–that is, an individual mandate. He has not done that before, not this explicitly.”
The newsworthiness of Obama’s noncommittal defense of the public option is questionable, but Cohn also points out, “he also comes down hard–very hard–on opponents who are merely out to defeat reform.”
The Neo Neocon, who might fall under that category, points out some serious flaws in Obama’s tough-guy stance:
(3) He offers still another reiteration of the fact that if you have private health insurance now, you won’t lose it. It will only get better. But he doesn’t answer critics who offer reasons why this is unlikely to be so.
(4) For the uninsured, there will be an insurance exchange. This particular exchange is a nebulous, poorly-explained, and poorly understood entity in terms of how it would actually work. But I am willing to bet that it won’t work … the way it works for members of Congress.
And as for the deficit neutrality? She has this to say: “Of course, it’s technically true that “our deficit will grow” if we do nothing—thanks to Obama. But even the CBO has said that, if the present health care plan is passed, it will make the deficit grow even more.”
Leftie blogger Mahablog shows the danger in blind following: “Not one dime to deficit. OK.”
Because Obama says it’s so, it must be. many of the blogger’s comments follow a similar strain.
And the Bhuddist’s take on the Boustany rebuttal? “No insurance across state lines. It’s a scam.”
Thanks for all that backing logic.
And the usually loquacious leftie blog Hullabaloo has one quick post-speech post, by tristero - The Whole Point.
The right, on the other hand, picked up on South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson shouted “LIAR!” on Obama’s assertion that illegal immigrants won’t be covered.
Biden shakes his head, Pelosi stares gape-mouthed and Obama stops mid-stride.
Within minutes, the footage excerpt was up on Allahpundit and Gateway Pundit, who also pointed out the back and forth between the president and Sarah Palin on “death panels”.
Tags: Allahpundit, Ed Morrissey, Gateway Pundit, Hullabaloo, Joe Wilson, Jonathan Cohn, Neo Neocon
