Memorable Moments During The Speech

I’m going to tell you straight out that I thought that was one of the best speeches I’ve seen Obama give. He had a lot of goals to accomplish in the speech: reassure the wavering leftwing, make the case for reform, position himself as sensible and centrist, knock down misinformation and make the case for a public option. I think he was, amazingly able to achieve all these goals in just one speech. Obama also got a big assist from Rep. Joe Wilson of SC, who yelled out “you lie!” during the speech. What better way to show that Republicans are putting partisan politics ahead of what’s best for the country than to have them heckle the president? No wonder some Republicans were livid. Some moments stood out for me.

In making the case for reform, Obama had the following points:

Attempts to reform our health care system have been going on since Teddy Roosevelt, and the first comprehensive bill has been introduced by a Dingell every year since 1943.

Covering the uninsured is a $1000 tax on every insured American.

The costs of health care are a long term deficit problem.

I thought Obama’s most clever moment was skillfully positioning his plan as the pragmatic, sensible, centrist plan and that the plans of the far left (single payer) and far right (HSAs only) were radical changes to the health care system. Obama’s plan, in his words, uses the best parts of the current system and strengthens them. He also did a good job in selling that as already bipartisan, since he used ideas from Republicans like McCain.

Obama twisted the knife in the Republicans a little bit:

Add it all up, and the plan I’m proposing will cost around $900 billion over ten years – less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans that Congress passed at the beginning of the previous administration.

That was a fist-pumping YES! moment from me.

But know this: I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it. I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now.

Yes, call them out! Ahem – Sarah Palin

Obama did a good job in explaining the public option, but those of you who read the blog regularly already understand the public option. The best part of the speech was Obama’s defense of liberalism, in my opinion.

That large-heartedness – that concern and regard for the plight of others – is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other people’s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand. A belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgement that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise.

I think this is a continuation of what he started in his inauguration speech, a defense of liberalism.

But that’s not what the moment calls for. That’s not what we came here to do. We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it. I still believe we can act even when it’s hard. I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress. I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet history’s test.

Change, baby, change!

And, finally, my favorite line from the speech:

I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last.