Obama's earthbound speech

President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Joe Biden wave after accepting the nomination during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena, Sept. 6, 2012, in Charlotte, N.C.

/ Tom Pennington

This post originally appeared on Slate.

In 2008, if Barack Obama's outdoor convention speech had been moved inside, he still would have raised the roof. When he was denied the chance to speak in the elements at Bank of America stadium this week, the closed venue seemed fitting. Obama's speech to the 2012 Democratic National Convention, like his presidency, has a lid on it. It was workmanlike from a president who had to strain with the reality of being in office. "The times have changed," he said, "and so have I." At his 2008 address in Denver, audience members cried at the end of his speech. Tonight, one delegate said Biden had been more inspiring. Another said Bill Clinton's speech was the one she would be sending around to barber shops and beauty parlors.

Speaking from behind a lectern that looked like the protective cardboard sleeve on a coffee cup, the president arrived to thunderous applause. A sea of blue signs that read "Forward" rose in the crowd. That was the task of the night, to explain how he would move the country forward. It was the president's intention to outsource the job to the audience. "You can choose that future," he said repeatedly to the audience. It was the logical extension of slogans that started with "Win the Future" and "Forward."

Obama: 2012 election "clearest choice" in a generation

The president gave a Robert Frost address, a choice for voters to pick between one of two roads: "On every issue, the choice you face won't be just between two candidates or two parties. It will be a choice between two different paths for America. A choice between two fundamentally different visions for the future."

The vision the president outlined was formed around five goals in manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and the deficit. After his campaign criticized Romney for not being specific, Obama was not much more so. He talked a lot about the goals, just as Romney had (he had five goals, too), but there wasn't a lot of specificity about how those goals would be achieved. (Let us pause here to note that Sen. Obama was no paragon of white papers either; his campaign of hope and change was not founded on gritty specifics.) If the Obama team hadn't made such a big deal about specificity, this wouldn't be a big deal. Convention speeches aren't bullet point affairs, but while this speech was more specific than Romney's plan (not hard, that), it wasn't a clear path out of the woods. Being specific about how great your goals are is not the same as being specific about the hard road required to get there.

But if talking straight with the voters is the measure of a president, then Obama was far straighter than his Republican rival. Romney and Ryan talked about hard choices, but only in the abstract, never really pointing out that it was the people who would have to endure the hard results of those choices. Obama was more up front. Restoring the middle-class dream would require sacrifice and struggle from everyone, the president said. "The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place." This speech was more like the one he gave on election night in Chicago: hard, clear-eyed, and earthbound.

Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney wanted points at their convention for the promise that they would tackle hard truths once they got into office. Obama wanted points for already having embraced hard truths. "I won't pretend the path I'm offering is quick or easy. I never have. You didn't elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. You elected me to tell you the truth."

Of course, he had to say this. People are already struggling. Obama was wrapping their current condition in a noble struggle. That's better than seeing their current struggle as the result of his failed policies. The president was asking for patience. In that context, hardship is proof that progress is being made. The long slog to a better place is underway. For Republicans, the frustration people feel should be the verdict.

But if the president didn't sketch a clear road map, it might not matter. The future is on its way. The budget deficits are unsustainable, the New Deal programs have to be reformed. Lawmakers are either going to do it or reality is going to do it for them. That means even if you don't put much stock in either man's plan for the future, one of them is going to be on the job when the hard choices are made about what to fund and how to reform taxes. If that's the case, then voters will need to pick the president they think will protect their way of life. "Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs and the economy; taxes and deficits; energy and education; war and peace," the president said. "Decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children's lives for decades to come." In that world, voters may pick Barack Obama not because they believe in his specific path, but because they trust his instincts to find a path in the messy future to come.

After all the talk about choices, the president did reach for an inspirational argument when he talked about the responsibilities of "citizenship." There is a battle going on with Mitt Romney to define the race in the most fundamental themes of the American experience. Romney picks freedom. Obama chose citizenship. That's what was at the heart of his "you didn't build that claim," which he tried to wash away with plenty of references to entrepreneurship, small business, and companies that make goods in America. The president also nodded several times to independent votes by saying that government was not the answer to all of life's problems.

"We, the people, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what's in it for me, a freedom without commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense."

Stirring, but also harsh. He's essentially saying that Republicans aren't patriots. At another point in the speech he used the same construction to lump those who want limited government in with bigots. The most amusing was his claim that Republicans are so wedded to tax cuts that if you have a cold they would prescribe "two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning." He used a lot of humor when pinging Romney, mocking his foreign policy experience. "My opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy," he said, before dressing them in short pants. "You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can't visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally."

I thought it was Mitt Romney's argument that lack of experience in a field was disqualifying? If both men agree on that, then Romney would seem to be in the better position, since his business experience out-paces Obama's complete lack of the same. The sluggish recovery over which the president has presided is far more serious to voters than a few gaffes on a trip abroad.

Earlier in the evening, when a video played telling the origin story of the "fired up ready to go" chant, the hall stood and responded in a roar. It was a crowd ready to be moved, but the president's speech only approached lift-off at the end, when he talked about the hope he had found in Americans keeping up their struggle. "I'm hopeful because of you," he said. I thought he might conclude his list of people who gave him hope with a nod to former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Earlier, the gunshot victim had appeared on stage to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. After two conventions full of talk of hard choices and bravery, here was an example of it in living color. In the middle of weeks of deception, bloviating, and Grade A hokum, it was one true thing.

[hhandyman]

Remember the fable about the Little red hen? She did the work She deserved the reward for the work she did Same is true for Obama Let the Congress Starve and elect new to replace the dead wood there and we will have progress. No more congressional welfare for Foot draggers that are not workers let em starve end the contracts with them.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Why is the media not questioning republicans about their role in the lack of more job creation due to their subversive, sabotaging obstruction? How is that not a HUGE STORY? The media is derelict in its resposibility to the American public.

[wayneonly]

American voters need a reality check. Let's look at some realities instead of swallowing the Romney/Ryan/GOP pablum.

Reality 1. Under the Bush administration the U.S. was loosing 750,000 a month EVEN with a massive tax cut for the wealthiest individuals and largest multinational corporations. And the middle class was SHRINKING.

Reality 2. Under the Bush administration the "Too Big To Fail" banks were building up massive amounts of "toxic debt" and risky debt insurance investments with NO government regulation EVEN THOUGH they and the Bush Administration had been warned that this could lead to bank failures. In fact, these debts DID lead to the government having to bail them out. This lead to the recession of 2007 through 2009.

Reality 3. America IS on the road to RECOVERY. Although the American people are an impatient people and want everything NOW, recovery takes time. Recovery takes the efforts of EVERYBODY working for the good of the WHOLE, not just the wealthy.

Reality 4. The GOP has vowed to "do whatever it takes" to make President Obama a "one term President". "Whatever it takes" came in the form of blocking EVERY proposal the President put forth to advance the recovery. Despite their efforts, recovery is happening, only slower than it would have happened with bipartisan support or at least compromise. The obstruction of the GOP is a letdown of their obligation to the American people and IS an act of TREASON.

Reality 5. The Romney/Ryan/GOP platform is no more that the old tried and failed "trickle down" economic policies that have fostered the demise of the middle class over the past two decades. They throw in a few of the European austerity policies that have failed Europe and will fail Americans if enacted and they have a plan that will kill the recovery and send America into depression.

Reality 6. It was a GOP president that got us into this recession, and it is a GOP House that has obstructed progress to get us out of the recession. It is a Romney/Ryan/GOP candidacy that has offered no REAL solution to the unemployment problem other than to offer MORE tax breaks to the wealthiest individuals and multinational corporations without ANY guarantee of job creation, just a "blind faith" in "trickle down" economics.

Some big questions I have for ANY Romney/Ryan/GOP supporter: Why would you vote to go back in time to the failed policies of "yesteryear"? Why would you vote to support a party who have betrayed the American people in their quest to gain the White House? Why would you support a party whose platform is so radical that even their OWN Presidential candidate is politically afraid to fully embrace the whole platform? Yet given his perchant to flip flop, he will probably embrace the full platform IF he is elected.

There are at least five or six other realities I had in mind to mention, but this is long and CBSnews won't post if it is too long, so I will add more later. But voters, I can see NO reason to vote the Romney/Ryan/GOP party ticket.

[wayneonly]

Hello, American voters. I will endeavor to add to my list of realities. There are many important things YOU must consider before YOU vote for PROGRESS or returning to the failed policies that got us to the recession that started in 2007.

Reality 7. Romney wants to portray himself as a successful self made businessman. He touts his experience at the head of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. But in fact, he took over amid scandals of bribes and had to ask the government to "bail out" the Olympics. And some of those same millionaires who were suspected of bribes are some of his staunches supporters. Search Romney/Salt Lake Olympics/Scandal and read the MANY articles documenting this. So was he a success? The Olympics went on with the government "bailout". His unindicted friends contributed to his 2012 presidential campaign, so I guess that makes him successful.

Reality 8. Romney also likes to sight his success at Bain Capital as part of his business resume. Yes, he made millions of dollars for himself and Bain Capital. But at whose expense? In late 1980 he and Bain Capital were in financial trouble and were virtually bankrupt, EXCEPT FOR CASH THEY HAD BORROWED FROM BANKS which Romney threatened to give as bonuses to Bain executives (through a clause they had negotiated with the loans). The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) accepted 14 million to clear 30 million in debt and BAILED OUT Bain Capital. Romney went on to make millions for Bain Capital by raiding businesses of assets or loading them with debt while collecting their (Bains) fees. Yes, he made millions and was successful(?), but at whose expense?

Reality 9. Romney/Ryan/GOP policies call for lifting of environmental regulations on big oil, gas, and coal companies and opening the nations parks and wildlands for exploration (and exploitation). They have even suggested they will eliminate the EPA. They even refuse to acknowledge global warming or the roll of carbon pollution on global warming. Yet scientists the world over are warning that carbon pollution is polluting our air, water, and earth and a major contributor to global warming. And the ice IS melting and the ocean IS rising. Droughts and dust storms ARE increasing. But they continue to stick their heads in the sand. Are we going to stick OUR heads in there with them?

Reality 10. Romney/Ryan/GOP would do away with the "green" energy tax incentive. Since he wants to unleash the big oil, gas, and coal companies and depend on them for our energy needs, who needs CLEAN energy? And it kills the competition for the big polluters of our air, water, and earth. We can join China as one of the nations with no environmental conscience. Is this the America WE want?

Reality 11. Romney/Ryan/GOP policy has stated that they will slash the budgets of every department of government EXCEPT Defense. They will slash education, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Health and Human Services, state aid, everything EXCEPT defense. Is this because they expect to go to war? Do they want to continue to walk down the streets of the world carrying the "BIG STICK"? Do they want to do away with our police protection while being the "WORLD POLICE"? Should we rename our Dept. of Defense the Dept. of War? Is that the role OUR government should take? I think not.

Reality 12. Romney/Ryan/GOP want to give the wealthiest (including himself) the largest tax cut in history. He says he will make the tax cut revenue neutral, which means tax revenue collected will stay the same. Where will the tax increases come from to make up for the cuts given to the wealthy? There is only ONE other source for tax revenue. That is the American middle class. Even if he did not increase taxes on the middle class, his cuts in funding for states would cause THEM to have to raise taxes on the middle class. So a tax for the middle class IS inevitable under THEIR plan.

Reality 13. Jobs. Romney/Ryan/GOP say they have a plan to increase private sector jobs while laying off government employees. They expect the tax breaks for the wealthy to increase private sector jobs. But where is the MARKETPLACE? Without an increase in CUSTOMERS no business is going to increase hiring. And the only way to increase improvement in the marketplace is to grow a healthy, upwardly economic MIDDLE CLASS. So maybe the SMARTER idea would be to give the middle class larger tax breaks.

Voters, there are many more reasons to reject the failed policies of the Romney/Ryan/GOP platform. There are many reasons WE (THE AMERICAN VOTER) need to continue the RECOVERY that is slowly bring America back from the "brink of disaster". It is OUR choice to vote for the candidates of "big money" or the candidates who will continue the recovery that is already happening. IT IS OUR CHOICE!!!

[bluesdoc70]

30 percent real unemployment, $4.00 a gallon gas, worth less currency, 16 trillion dollars in debt, dead housing market, 20 million illegal aliens taking our jobs and on the dole...and "Dear Leader" says things are going to get harder...What's he gonna do? Round us all up and put us in collectives and gulags...Well just Romney voters to the gulags.

[TomJohnn]

CBS News used to have a clear liberal bias, but its web division is unabashedly biased in favor of the GOP. Consider this writer's sarcastic remarks about the design of the President's lectern! Lame, indeed.

Oh, and for the record, the bailout was birthed during the Bush administration. Obama merely signed off on it after he was elected.

And the 2008 stock market crash also happened on Bush's watch. - BEFORE Obama was even elected.

Get the facts straight , all you GOP airheads! I am sick of reading all of your ill-informed BS!

[TimeToEvolve]

Obama has done a truly remarkable job considering what the Republicons left him. And they fact the Republicons swore to do everything they could to not cooperate or compromise. THAT is why we can blame Bush and the next 4 years of Republicons for pretty much all of the problem.

[smartalecq]

Yes, blame Bush and the Republicans for the national debt.

Republicans frequently have blamed the $787 billion stimulus for the national debt, but, when all government spending is taken into account, the stimulus frankly wasn't that big.

In contrast, the U.S. will have spent nearly $4 trillion on wars in the Middle East by the time those conflicts end, according to a recent report by Brown University. Also, The Bush tax cuts have cost nearly $1.3 trillion over 10 years.

The stimulus was mostly 1/3 infrastructure projects, 1/3 money back to state governments, and 1/3 tax breaks.

We needed the stimulus to jump start the economy. It was the right thing to do to avoid a total collapse of our economy and state governments. At least the money wasn't spent for democracy in Iraq.

Who crashed our economy? Answer: Republicans
Who started 2 major wars? Answer: Republicans
Who are the big spenders? Answer: Repu...

[kainos2]

Earthbound??? More like toilet bound - just like his campaign!

[smartalecq]

Who's the big spender?

The greatest burden to our national debt was the deficit caused by 2 wars and the looming recession. Iraq and afghanistan costed us 3.5 Trillion to date.

The deficit more than doubled between 2008 and 2009(Bush), as the economy was in free fall. The deficit grew as laid-off workers paid less in taxes and needed more benefits.

Obama's stimulus costed us 1 Trillion. But it was the right thing to do to avoid a total collapse of our economy and state governments.
Obama would not need to spend for stimulus if Bush and the Republican did not crash our economy in the first place.

Right now, Obama's proposed bill to reduce the deficit could not even be voted on because the Republicans are always blocking it in congress. The Republicans are sabotaging the economy and blaming Obama. I think it's diabolical and somewhat evil.

Who caused the recession? Answer: Bush and the Republicans
who started 2 major wars? Answer: Bush and the Republicans
Who's the big spender? Answer: Republicans

[sjc_1]

Bush's deficit numbers where misleading. He said they were under $300 billion when they were actually over $600 billion. The wars and SS borrowing were NOT counted on the deficits. 8 years times $300 billion equals $2.4 trillion, not the $4.6 trillion in debt he had PLUS the 2008-2008 budget deficit of $1.41 for a grand total of more than $6 trillion in debt. The Republicans rubber stamped all the spending without a peep.

[1pheasant1]

by nottblu September 7, 2012 4:26 PM EDT
bandaides are all the congress has been able to agree and vote on. That is more proof of failed leadership and Obama has been the "leader" for four years now.
_________________________________________________________________
"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
There's your leadership. Buy him some teeth.

[nottblu]

Too Obama doesn't wear big boy pants, like you he still blames everyone but himself.