I felt the speech was as well crafted as any of his other speeches, but I don't think a well crafted speech is appropriate for this situation. I'm afraid that Obama is retreating to his comfort zone, falling back on what has worked for him before, but this isn't a campaign in which you build a consensus. Damn the torpedos, make a decision, and do what it takes to make it happen... or go down fighting.

Prayer belongs in church, decisions belong in the Oval Office.

N

Thom,

Amazing how many of your listerners & bloggers have been deeply disappointed by that speech, including myself.

I like Obama a great deal and I certainly respect his intelligence & maturity, but ...

He just doesn't know he's in a knife fight or he doesn't know how to fight in the back alley (which is absolutely all of what politics comes down to); he just doesn't get it: he's President of the United States for crying out loud! He needs to grow a pair. Can you imagine Johnson or Kennedy or Nixon or Reagan or either Bush treading so lightly. Only Jimmy Carter comes to mind. Another terrific human being, but also no president.

Enough with the prayer we need action now.. Get rid of Rahm get rid of Rahm... This speech had his hand all over it.

Thom and many other progressive talkers have compared President Obama to Bill Clinton. I think this comparison is right on the money. The pun will become apparent by the end of my post.

Clinton went along with "the program".He passed NAFTA, GATT, Telecommunication Act. When he finally left office he was almost broke. Ten years later he is worth in access of 10 million dollars. President Obama, in my opinion is looking past the presidency to the rest of his life, where he will earn speaking fees and Board of Directorships and will probably surpass the riches of Clinton. Sounds cynical, I know, but thats the USA INC.

We needed honesty last night not a pep talk. Truth is no one knows how to end this catastrophic blunder. Obama needs international help because we have, through our crappy leadership, allowed BP to endanger ALL life on this planet not just lives along the gulf coast. Where was the plea for help? We have created a sea of hydrocarbons in the lungs of our planet! If the earths oceans can't create oxygen large mammals (us!) will go extinct. 20 billion in an escrow account is a joke in a catastrophe of this magnitude. One wonders how much of this money is earmarked for Maine lobster fishermen. I want to weep every time is pass by an elementary school and realize what my generation has left those kids.

@polycarp2 re: We didn't fight World War II from a church pew.

Now that's a concise statement! That's the bumper sticker that Obama needs to see!

Here we go again with the Short-Term Memory and Slow Processing of Information. Oil is the problem? New vehicles with the same gas mileage as those in the past 50 years are the problem? No, habitual drivers are the problem. Traffic density in small towns is comparable to that of large cities. When laws appear impossible to change, then we the people have to selectively boycott the problem. Boycott your old habits of driving only to get out of the house. I believe President Obama indicated that we are the problem and the solution. I seldom see a fuel efficient vehicle. The majority of vehicles seem to indicate a false sense of wealth. I remember hearing President Obama say, during the campaign, proper tire inflation would improve gas mileage. The Republicans and their dominions were belligerent to him. The previous administration and Republicans in Democratic clothing have legalized addiction & death by oil. So why would President Obama say anything more to adults. Adults refusing to independently drive less. Adults refusing to spend time at home, or anything else that doesn't require burning gasoline and oil. Maybe they are addicted to the toxic fumes. A decrease in consumption only occurs when the price becomes a challenge. The wealth of these companies indicates these adults are pleased with this relationship.