OKAY, I DIDN’T WATCH THE TUCSON MEMORIAL, but the Tatler has a positive take from Charlie Martin (“This one time, Obama managed to sound like he thought he was President, not of his constituency, but of everyone.”) and a disgusted take from Bryan Preston. (“The entire spectacle has been repugnant and unpresidential.”) Diversity of opinion!
UPDATE: Throwing Krugman, et al. under the bus?
ANOTHER UPDATE: “It was pretty close to a rebuke to his liberal supporters. He was telling them, and everyone, that the entire process of casting blame for a lunatic’s crime is foolhardy and simply wrong. He deserves credit for that. This sounded like much of what I and others have been writing since Saturday.”
MORE: Reader Eric Beeby writes:
The memorial was both a spectacle and a successful speech by Obama. The whistles and hoots at Obama’s introduction from a section of the audience was distasteful – a memorial after all – but Obama’s speech was presidential though he went just a little too long. He missed the point where a Reagan would have stopped, and stuck to finishing his speech. The high point indeed was the nearly audible “thump -thump” of both axles going over Krugman.
He’s got a lot of company under that bus.
STILL MORE: C.J. Burch emails: “The Republican party is in big trouble. Palin pushed Obama to the right today. Palin did. Not the Republican beltway class, not the Republican commentariat. Not the Republican brain trust. They might as well admit it. Without the tea party they’re nothing. Does that mean Palin should be the nominee? No. The primaries will settle that. But it does mean this. Whoever the beltway crowd wants they won’t get. And no one cares if they pack up and go home any more. No one at all. After they’re gone Palin will still be here.”
MORE STILL: Reader Jeff Barnes is unimpressed:
Call me cynical, but the fact Obama condemned the finger-pointing only on Wednesday (after his allies had lost the battle over it and were facing a backlash) and not on Sunday or even Monday is telling.
As is the fact he didn’t mention that he had any personal responsibility in the heated tone in politics today.
He had an opportunity to take substantive action. He instead decided to take the old “above the fray” scold tone he always does. I can’t see this changing anyone’s mind about him.
And another reader emails:
Krauthammer asked, “What are the origins of Krugman’s (delusions)?
Was it a set-up from the start to make Obama look like he’s moving to the center? Way to take one for the team, Krugman.
People are so cynical these days.
Plus, thoughts from The Anchoress.
Will the speech change anything? Charles Krauthammer, in post-speech remarks, said he thought it would put a stop to the insane, Palin-heavy rhetoric of the past few days. I hope that is true but I have my doubts. On twitter, I watched a number of journalists (Andrea Mitchell, Dave Weigel and others) immediately begin either talking about or snarking about Palin, and I couldn’t help thinking, “the president–your president whom you love–just gave the speech of his presidency and not five minutes later you’re on Palin again? Conservatives are here praising the president, and instead of joining in, you’re obsessing on Sarah Palin? Does that seem like normal, rational, healthy behavior or sick obsession?
She’s living in their heads, rent-free, 24-7.
MORE: Reader Akiva Eisenberg writes: “Ayup, but those are unfurnished apartments…”