History calls on Obama to uncork a great speech

AP (O) ^ | 01/11/09 | CALVIN WOODWARD and MATT FORD

[presidio9]

The pressure's on for Barack Obama, orator.

History wants something for the ages in his Jan. 20 inaugural speech. Not just pretty words that melt like gumdrops but something that will settle in the nation's soul and be worth making schoolchildren memorize 100 years from now.

Americans want something for the dispiriting times they live in. They have their first extraordinary speaker in decades taking the oath of office. They know how good he's been. Time for great.

How tall is the order?

"The great task of Barack Obama is to be a John F. Kennedy or to be a Ronald Reagan — truly inspire the American people and in a few succinct, memorable lines, lay out for the country your new vision for America," says American University political historian Allan J. Lichtman.

Gulp.

At least that does not call upon Obama to be another Abraham Lincoln, the unsurpassed cosmic communicator whose words and deeds the president-elect often cites, and probably will again from the stage of the Capitol.

Obama can be expected to hit upon all lodestar themes from the canon of inaugural speeches. Some of them are unity, hope, change, continuity, security and God. (Prosperity, another biggie, may have to wait.)

The historic ascension of a black man to the White House begs for eloquent acknowledgment. Students of inaugural speeches expect that in brief. Just seeing Obama take the oath may say more on that subject than his rhetoric could.

One of the memorable characteristics of inaugural addresses is how forgettable most of them are.

Perhaps not since Reagan declared "government is not the solution to our problem, government IS the problem," has a line with staying power come from an inaugural speech. Even that thought

[Carley]

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msm swooning, panting, and crying with joy

[The Duke]

History calls on Obama to uncork a great speech

Words ... are ... cheap.

[jimbo123]

Barf.

[Neoliberalnot]

Another marxist thug steels an election and in keeeping with the Jesse Jackson tradition of preaching a hateful message to the masses.........

[hinckley buzzard]

... truly inspire the American people and in a few succinct, memorable lines, lay out for the country your new vision for America," says American University political historian Allan J. Lichtman.

Right, Allan. Prepare to swallow a bunch of banal empty swill and then tell us it was heavenly ambrosia. We know how this bullsh*t game is played by you Obama suck-ups.

[FES0844]

ACTION, not WORDS.

[no_go_lie]

I will not be watching or listening.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> They have their first extraordinary speaker in decades taking the oath of office.

Reagan was an extraordinary speaker, and to give the Devil his due, so was Clinton. GWB was folksy and I rather liked his speaking style, but he wasn’t for everybody’s taste.

His Excellency Barack Hussein Obama Dada is most certainly NOT the first extraordinary speaker in decades to be sworn in as POTUS. That’s just CRAP.

[ghost of nixon]

This is driven by liberals who yearn for big government to be worthy of their worship. They realize in their hearts that every liberal politician has been a dissapointment since JFK & RFK.

[cowboyway]

I wonder if they’re going to drag out the the styrofoam Greek columns from the Hollywood backlot?

[prophetic]

to use the lyrics of a old Jamaican song:

We want ACTION, not a bag of mouth!!

[ffff]

History wants something for the ages in his Jan. 20 inaugural speech. Not just pretty words that melt like gumdrops but something that will settle in the nation’s soul and be worth making schoolchildren memorize 100 years from now........
i.e. a crissey mathews leg tingler....?

[Oatka]

I’ve posted this before, as it fits Congress like Saran Wrap. Since Obama is cut from the same bolt of cloth, it won’t happen, but in my dreams I envision him repeating, with a few modifications, Oliver Cromwell’s 1653 speech to Parliament.

“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money;

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter’d your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil’d this sacred place, and turn’d the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves become the greatest grievance. Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God’s help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do;

I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place; go, get you out! Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there (Parliamentary Staff), and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!”

Is there even anyone like this left in this country?

[Da Coyote]

“AAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDD UUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHH

AAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDD
UUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

msm swooning, panting, and crying with joy”

Damn, beat me to it.

[avacado]

The two top Google search terms coming from Texas: “texas secede”

[Shooter 2.5]

If I could wave a magic wand and make things happen, I would love to stop the teleprompter two seconds into his speech.

[Steamburg]

May his teleprompter die and America get to hear what is really in store for us.

[AndyPH]

I say to Hussein... Put a CORK in it....just shut it.
I for one will not be watching TV on the day the ONE is sworn in. I am making sure I miss the DARKEST day in the history of the USA,, It makes me shiver to think the day is fast approaching the USA will have that man as president.
Here in Europe the lefties are having many high expectations of Hussein.... I can’t wait for the disappointment ...it will come as soon as the maiden speech is over...Hussein will not deliver on his promises.

[Evil Slayer]

I can just see it now. The messiah ascending over the crowds with a glowing halo over his head. He will bless the masses and deliver his sermon from high above in a cloudless sky. Only thing is, how will they get the teleprompter up there so he can talk the talk.