Obama speech to soldiers met with silence

Daily Caller ^ | August 31, 2012

[grundle]

President Barack Obama was greeted with fleeting applause and extended periods of silence as he offered profuse praise to soldiers and their families during an Aug. 31 speech in Fort Bliss, Texas.

His praise for the soldiers — and for his own national-security policies — won cheers from only a small proportion of the soldiers and families in the cavernous aircraft-hanger.

The audience remains quiet even when the commander-in-chief thanked the soldiers’ families, and cited the 198 deaths of their comrades in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The audience’s reaction was so flat that the president tried twice to elicit a reaction from the crowd.

“Hey, I hear you,” he said amid silence.

The selected soldiers who were arrayed behind the president sat quietly throughout the speech.

CNN and MSNBC ended their coverage of the speech before it was half-over.

The president’s speech to the soldiers is part of his constitutional duties as commander-in-chief.

But Obama and his wife are also trying to reach out to military families in several critical swing-states, including Virginia and Florida.

That outreach, however, has been damaged by repeated flubs from the White House, including its public emphasis on soldiers’ wounds rather than on their accomplishments, and Obama’s effort to distance himself from the anti-jihad campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For example, Obama gave Vice President Joe Biden the task of developing a post-war agreement with Iraq’s government in 2009. The effort failed, reducing U.S. gains from the campaign that killed almost 4,500 troops, and as well as thousands of jihadis and Sunni insurgents seeking to regain power. The subsequent withdrawal of nearly all U..S. troops has allowed Iran to increase its influence in Iraq. In turn, that influence helps it support Syria’s dictatorship against Sunni insurgents.

White House officials are trying to avoid additional flubs. On Friday, for example, White House officials rushed to debunk a report that the president had used an autopen to sign condolence letters to soldiers’ families.

Throughout Friday’s speech, the loudest reactions came when the president name-checked the nicknames of the soldiers’ brigades. Major military units have their own rival cheers, and those could be heard from portions of the audience when he referred to individual units.

The troops’ silence continued through several obvious applause-lines.

There was isolated cheers when Obama said his withdrawal policy would ensure “fewer deployments … more time to prepare for the future, and it means more time on the home front, with your families, your home and kids.”

The silence deepened when the president lauded his strategy of withdrawal from the war. “Make no mistake, ending the wars responsibly makes us safer and our military even stronger, and ending these wars is letting us dos something else; restoring American leadership,” he said amid complete silence.

When he said demobilized soldiers would find jobs because “all of you have the skills America needs,” he got little reaction.

There was no reaction when he promised stepped-up recruitment of soldiers for police jobs.

He won some applause when he announced his support for soldiers injured in combat.

The most enthusiastic applause came when he lauded the soldiers’ military mission, and promised continued support for that professional task.

An anecdote about his meeting with a wounded soldier was met with a tepid response, until he described the soldier’s determination to recover and return to his unit. “He’s where every soldier wants to be – back with his unit,” Obama, said, generating applause.

Similarly, his declaration that “around the world there’s a new attitude toward America, a new confidence in our leadership” yielded only silence, while his next sentence — “When people are asked ‘Which country do you admire most?’ one nation always comes out on top, the United States of America” — prompted relative enthusiasm.

The White House’s video-feed cut off 10 seconds after the president finished his speech, before the audience’s reaction overall could be gauged by viewers.

[eartrumpet]

“Hello? Is this thing on?”

[Brad’s Gramma]

bfl

[funfan]

I think Obama misses the point that some of these people want to be soldiers and want to defend this country. To me
I feel like Obama thinks it is bad to be in the military and
that people sign up just because they have no other options. This is not true for all enlisted persons It is an honorable and brave thing to do. Obama is a weak little twerp he will never get it and I am ashamed he is our President.

[MestaMachine]

“’Hey, I hear you,” he said amid silence.’”

Says it all.

[grobdriver]

The troops’ silence continued through several obvious applause-lines.

They were thinking, "Now get the hell off my base. You're stinking the place up."

[BitWielder1]

Obama and his wife are also trying to reach out to military families...

The term "Too little, to late" comes to mind.

After giving them impossible missions, tying their hands, pulling the mission before it's over, appeasing and making excuses for the enemy, clear disrespect of the military and trying to suppress their vote, what did he expect? A standing ovation?

[Reily]

Zero is what he is a narcissistic con man. Something that was obvious from day one when he appeared on the national scene.
I am more ashamed of the people who voted for him!

[ken in texas]

His only way to get a standing ovation with this audience is with the words “... and in conclusion... “.

[kcvl]

“The president’s speech to the soldiers is part of his constitutional duties as commander-in-chief.”

So is signing a budget every year.

“White House officials rushed to debunk a report that the president had used an autopen to sign condolence letters to soldiers’ families.”

Debunked?!

http://antzinpantz.com/kns/images/AUG12/letter-two-e1346291607960.jpg

[Baynative]

" Obama and his wife are also trying to reach out to military families in several critical swing-states, including Virginia and Florida. "

Why? They don't count military ballots anyway.

[bjc]

Many thanks. I just watched the first 12 minutes. Obama is seriously delusional if he thinks the world respects the US under his leadership. Pitching the action in Libya as a US victory is just plain stupid.

[skeeter]

ABC Radio News ran a story a minute ago on the lack of applause, but the reporter, Ann Compton, said it was likely because the soldiers were using their hands to 'snap pictures and take movies of their commander in chief'.

No kidding.

[LS]

Aren’t they the best. Well done, troopers.

[pallis]

Obama needs a new teleprompter.

[okie01]

OBAMA AIDE: Well, boss, at least they didn’t throw any rotten fruit...

[jersey117]

Be looked uncomfortable. He was totally out of his element.

[Cowgirl of Justice]

Can anyone post the two pictures - one of President George W. Bush and one of bo - that show them interacting with the military overseas?

The picture of President George W. Bush shows excited soldiers, all clamoring for a picture or to shake his hand- smiles all around.

The picture of bo shows no emotion and the troops are kept away from him.

[madprof98]

I can’t believe they aren’t jubilant over his lesbian and gay policies, especially the right to march in uniform in Pride parades. That’s a major breakthrough.

[ConorMacNessa]

"Similarly, his declaration that “around the world there’s a new attitude toward America, a new confidence in our leadership contempt for us in our decline” yielded only silence, . . .

Our brave soldiers, men and women - regardless of branch of service or MOS, deserve our eternal gratitude - they have performed with excellence under extremely hazardous ROE's.

Obama is not worthy to address these soldiers or their families. They are brave American Patriots - he is nothing but a Marxist traitor and is beneath contempt.



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[RetiredTexasVet]

I’m sure that their attendance was not voluntary, they were ordered to attend. Do you really think that any soldier would voluntarily go to a speech by the Food Stamp President on a Friday before a long holiday weekend. They were probably drawing straws to see who got screwed and had to attend. Of course, I’m sure there were the butt kissing brass and the simpering queers, freaks and perverts worship the very ground that he slithers on.