The Campaigner-in-Chief’s Memorial Day Speech

Flopping Aces ^ | 05-25-09 | Wordsmith

[Starman417]

President Barack Obama lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Memorial Day commemorations at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., May 25, 2009. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

I yearn to be able to respect a president I have political differences with. To be able to find common ground as fellow Americans and on occasions such as Memorial Day, out of respect for the office of the presidency, applaud his speech and say, "Well done, Mr. President; well done! We may differ politically, but today I stand with you!"

So why am I finding such difficulty in doing so, you ask? Why did his speech today get stuck in my butt? Did he gaffe? No....that was last year, before he was president. Big deal. I didn't consider him presidential material then; but now that he is president, I expect better from a "leader" who promotes himself as a "reach across the aisle" uniter, bridging himself across the partisan divide. As Powerline in 2008 noted of Obama's Memorial Day speech:

He continued with a town hall-style question and answer period that cast veterans in the only role with which the Democrats are comfortable--victims--and sought to politicize the holiday.

What's become clear, is that this campaign-mode partisanship is the only style of speech deliverance President Obama seems to know. He seems oblivious to the fact that he is expressing partisanly divisive rhetoric. It probably sounds reasonable and down-the-middle to him; centrist. But this isn't the case.

[dancusa]

Obama plays with his ACORN nutsack when the National Anthem plays.