Who is watching C-SPAN?! It's brilliant.

[vaberella]

I was like these are the real people and surprisingly they were very responsive of the President(in an extremely positive way)...despite what the pundits are spewing from MSNBC (KO was a real disappoint here), CNN, and FoxNews.

I share my shock...because C-Span is not known for supporting Obama. Someone was like... "I really respect Obama's speech, but I hope he doesn't think to pass a poor Cap and Trade bill through this." <----This is shocking for me...because this is person who's anti-Obama.

Another person just said...Bobby Jindal is missing and she made some serious points about Jindal not doing anything and people seem tow want Obama to suck the oil out with a straw. It's interesting. Because when I see posts here and definitely hear the Pundits ---I'm thinking Obama didn't get his point across or people were deaf to it. Shockingly enough...The C-span callers are loving him.

I think he just went up in ratings and personally for me...I felt his speech was good. And it clearly summarized the most important things he's doing. I'm also listing to the Coast Guard heads on this and people are only getting a snippet of what going on. I mean people on DU who think Obama is not leading. You have not been listening to the Coast Guard press conferences.

Obama is doing a lot behind the scenes. And it's a bit sad that so many people are reading and listening to people who basically are not insiders but getting secondary information. While when you listen to the Coast Guard----he is detailing a lot of what's going on and Obama is doing major moves.

I just saw the Coast Guard press conferences on C-Span and it's amazing.

Let me make a clarification because of the first post here...These are CITIZENS of America calling in, responding to the President! These are NORMAL PEOPLE! These are NOT PUNDITS!

[KansasVoter]

1. Yes, make sure to hunt for people who 100% agree with you!!!

[vaberella]

3. What are you talking about? These are AMERICAN CITIZEN Callers.

These are American's not pundits. What are you talking about? I'm listening to real callers. Not the pundits you are obviously worshiping because they agree with your agenda.

These are the people who Obama addressed who are responding. And you are dismissing them as though they're shit. Because they seem to share my thoughts. But you seem to love the pundits and are defending them as you please and bashing regular citizens.

Ugh..special. That's all I have to say this post. Just special.

[Cha]

8. Don't be so rude..she's reporting a different perspective than

the drivel on corporatemedia..that is from the viewers and you find fault in that.

[HughMoran]

17. Rude assaults are the specialty

I'm not sure why being nasty rotten makes some people feel better about themselves? :shrug:

[JuniperLea]

24. Stepping on others makes them feel bigger...

It makes them look very small, however, imho.

[Cha]

31. I don't know but it's

an epidemic tonight.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[O is 44]

19. Try having a point next time. n/t

[Cha]

32. Now there's good thought. nt

[PBS Poll-435]

54. I am sure that your advice will be considered and implemented immediately

:rofl:

[HughMoran]

21. Is this "the mood's not bad enough already, so let's whomp on people unnecessarily" day?

:wtf:

[azmouse]

22. Isn't that exactly why

some have left DU for other sites? They need 100% agreement.

[vaberella]

26. And I far from need it.

I was surprised because C-Span doesn't normally have callers like this. And secondly it's the citizen's calling in. It's surprising to hear their thoughts.

[azmouse]

27. I think it's great to hear from regular Americans

instead of the MSM. I'm sick of the all the commentary out there that passes for news.

[vaberella]

29. I completely agree with you. n/t

[ginnyinWI]

37. thanks for posting this info.

I no longer have cable so had PBS on, and even their punditry wasn't thrilled with the speech. But I've also heard that the media has been far more negative on Obama's response to the crisis than the average American. What you saw on TV tonight seems to confirm that. I'm going to try to watch WJ online tomorrow to see some more of that.

[vaberella]

39. No problem. I wish I recorded it now. n/t

[HughMoran]

33. " hunt for people"

you a hunter?

[Jennicut]

46. C-Span rarely features people that are going to agree with a Dem President on

anything.

[Cha]

2. Thank you, vabrella! This is a much

needed perspective!

I loved it..because he layed out in 18 minutes what's going to happen and his compassion for the people most affected by this was off the charts.

[vaberella]

30. Agreed. Don't worry, it seems the American people understood his message. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

4. That is odd.

... and good.

[vaberella]

7. Very...I'm shocked. Dude...I'm shocked. You have hear it.

They're thinking. These people are saying they're going to call their senators.

[Cha]

35. Good! I and others on this board

are not the only ones who thought it was very good.

I think it got people thinking about the Gulf and its people and way of life and that is the most important right now. I heard exactly what he was saying about the call for alternate energy too..he got a lot of information in there in 18 minutes.

[vaberella]

40. Yup and a lot of citizens were agreeing with it.

They were saying that "WE'RE all to blame." That was shocking to me because on DU they were pointing fingers at anyone and everyone but us as citizen's who live off of oil. They were saying if we didn't need oil so much and focused on alternative energy then this probably wouldn't have happened and we all have to work hard to end it. Many said this is an American problem and we need to work together for fuel efficiency. <----Shocking...C-Span is not known for this. I wish you could hear some of their statements.

[City Lights]

5. Thanks for this most-informative post!

:thumbsup:

I was watching his speech on C-SPAN, but turned it off when it was over. I will have to watch for the Coast Guard press conferences in the future. :-)

[vaberella]

28. You should...

Check out my post # 23. If you see Thursday or Friday's briefings you'll see the information. Obama called on EVERYONE. People are like why isn't Obama doing that or this. Man...He has the Department of the Interior on lock and the Coast Guard is like the military extension of the DOI battling the oil. It's very informative and I was even shocked because you don't read about any of this on DU.

[Arkana]

6. You mean...the people are responding a different way than the media told them to?

Well I NEVER!!!

[vaberella]

9. EXACTLY! It's shocking. n/t

[volvoblue]

10. I watch Washington journal in the AM. Wish it was mandatory for pundits

maybe they would stop watching Morning Joe and then run around thinking he is the final word. And they would stop telling us what we want or think. They would learn what we really want and think.
I find the pundits are so out of touch and it laughable they keep saying this is what we want, blh blah
They need to be made to watch WJ in the AM and listen to us.

[patrice]

11. People deliver absolute judgements against him as they know absolutely and totally every detail

every possibility, every impossibility, E - V - E - R - Y - T - H - I - N - G about it.

And most of us know next to nothing, so what is this about? Solutions? Hell fucking, NO! It's about people putting themselves first - the very thing that caused this disaster in the first place.

[yurbud]

12. cap and trade is a gift to Wall Street. Replace it with a carbon tax.

[vaberella]

14. I support your statement. I agree with a carbon tax. n/t

[napi21]

13. Thanks for posting. I usually watch MSNBC or C-SPAN after

a speech, but my grandson is here (he's 10 & watching some kids channel on hubby's TV) & my husband is watching "his shows" on the TV here in the LR so I can't watch my usual.

watched some CNN with John King earlier before the speech & from that show you'd think if Obama didn't have some magic bullet in this speech, hes a miserable failure. EVen the people who are supposed be Dems were pessimistic!

I think the people who constantly complain about Obama not doing enough or fast enough have never worked with or listened to a CEpOof a corporation. People at th top level of any business or Gov't don't eve get into specifics like "the guys cleaning the the beaches aren't working fast enough". People who work for them are responsible for doing that.

It seems that evn the Dems have addopted Obama as their Daddy, and want HIM to do everyhing...personally!

[vaberella]

18. Some of the callers were Republicans too. It's very surprising.

I say this because C-Span callers not very open to the President.

You're right. You should get a chance and look at the Coast Guard briefings. You'll hear everything they're doing in the background.

[lunatica]

15. That is different for C-Span callers

Thank you.

[vaberella]

23. It blew me away.

There was one caller who was totally clueless. Who said something about Obama not listening to other oil companies and bringing them on board and rejecting aid from other nations like Holland. And all I could say in my head because I couldn't call through in time. I wanted to direct them to the Coast Guard briefing last Thursday which says she is 100% wrong. Obama authorised that and there is a law that prohibits certain things but the Coast Guard has said that after review they would be willing to override the law to get the help.

[ProSense]

20. People knew they were listening to an address, brief and to the point

not a detailed speech, and definitely not a policy speech.

[vaberella]

25. Yup. The pundits on the other hand are lost in lala land. n/t

[ginnyinWI]

41. but David Brooks wanted details!

So to him, this speech was all wrong and a failure! He wanted charts and maps!

I thought, "Good: Brooksie is always wrong, so that means the speech went well." ;)

[rasputin1952]

34. I am seeing a lot of the "Eisenhower" type administration here...

That's not a bad thing, Eisenhower was not a big one for the limelight, but a lot happened behind the scenes that turned out to be good, if not always great policy. It was Ike that sent the US Marshalls down South to escort kids into school during some of the contentious days of integration. It was Ike that quietly called out the 101st Airborne to quell the AL NG fiasco.

I see PO in the same light to a degree; he's more visible than Ike, but I can tell there are things happening behind the curtains that are turning out quite well in quite a few cases. People are seeing change, and mostly for the better in most instances. I wish he would take to the bully pulpit a little more often, but if he can work things out w/o blatantly embarrassing others, that's fine by me.

His Oval Office talk tonight was fine by me, I want the Gulf cleaned up, I want BP to be held completely responsible and I don't want to hear Pence or Boehner talk about "taxpayer paid cleanup". PO threw down the gauntlet, and if BP or the R's pick it up...they are going to get slapped silly.

[Cha]

36. Thanks Ras.. I really liked

it too..

"His Oval Office talk tonight was fine by me, I want the Gulf cleaned up, I want BP to be held completely responsible and I don't want to hear Pence or Boehner talk about "taxpayer paid cleanup". PO threw down the gauntlet, and if BP or the R's pick it up...they are going to get slapped silly."

And, to me it was a strong plea to help the people of the Gulf affected by this crisis..and I hope it made them stronger to deal with this economical and emotional disaster.

[rasputin1952]

42. I really feel for those in the Gulf...

but I don't know what to do either...:(

Saving some of those tarballs, and getting some feathers ready for Big Oil exec's would sure help psychologically though...;)

[vaberella]

38. Thank you for the post.

I need to resurrect the thread where a poster put up an article on a book about Eisenhower and how Obama's Presidency is similar to him. I have it bookmarked somewhere. It needs to be reposted.

[rasputin1952]

44. I remember some of those years...

and after I got a little older, I read several biographical treatises on Ike. he was a quiet man, he knew how to get things done by delegating to those who could get things done, the power they needed to do the job.

The Interstate system is a prime example, he brought it up, because he saw how the Autobahn worked in Germany. People squealed about the cost, but Ike brought in engineers, and told them to plan the projects, and he'd get people in congress to fund it...they put it together, and Ike created a coalition of transportation, business and National security...then he stepped back and let the pros have at it.

To be honest, I don't think Ike had a lot of respect for blacks at the time, and he despised Truman, but the law of the land was the law of the land, and he stood by desegregation. When the 101'st was sent to AL, basically, the Commanding General walked up the steps and told the NG Commander he was relieved, the told people to "step aside", which they did. It took guts and gumption to move Federal Troops into the fray...something, many would call unconstitutional, but most of us that lived through those days would say was necessary.

[vaberella]

47. This is very informative. I plan on reading more on him. n/t

[Jennicut]

45. Oh, he reminds me of him a bit.

Ike was not out there in your face and had a very calm persona.

[rasputin1952]

49. Anyone that could get Montgomery and DeGaulle to sit in

the same room...(a very BIG room, considering the size of their egos)...had to have an amazing ability to bring people together for the task at hand. He never once sought out the "glory" though, he was satisfied the job was done...:)

[Jennicut]

50. I love history. I wanted to be a history teacher some day. I love all the stories.

Now I am settling on just being a preschool teacher. But the love of learning starts early...

[rasputin1952]

52. History is by far one of my favorite things...

Congrat's on going for the teacher certification! We need good teachers out there, and when you have the enthusiasm, it rubs off on the kids...:D

[vaberella]

51. Valid point. I love De Gaulle though. n/t

[Arkana]

56. Or pull off something like the Darlan deal.

If the modern military tried something like that they'd be all hung from the nearest tree (in the press, anyway).

[Kind of Blue]

43. I wish I'd thought of C-Span, watching KO having

conniptions was disturbing and phony to me. I thought the speech was fine. I just don't know what people expect of a speech based on an incredibly impossible situation. Thanks for the C-Span reminder.
KnR.

[vaberella]

48. KO didn't pay attention at all. I turned him off quick and was reminded of C-Span later.

And I was very surprised and happy to hear the statements and these are real people not the pundits.

[Lindsey]

53. Man - I wish I'd seen the what the Coast Gurad had to say and I

wish I'd seen CSPAN. Personally, I thought his speech was exactly what it needed to be. He had only 20 minutes to let us know what's going on, what he's going to do, that's he's meeting with the BP CEO tomorrow, told us who he's getting his advice from and their credentials, etc. As I read in an early post, I guess people expect The President to suck up the oil with a straw....Our President is an incredibly, incredibly, brilliant man and I'm so very relieved that he's in charge while this is happening. Can you imagine if McCain/Palin were handling this???????????????????????????? They'd STILL be saying drill baby drill and would be taking up for BP all the way.

[vaberella]

55. Here are the links to the coast guard...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=340401&mesg_id=340480

Good stuff there. Admiral Thad Allen is very clear and concise and answers almost all the questions we have on this situation. They have a daily address I believe.

[IOKIYAL]

57. NORMAL PEOPLE!!! - YEAH! = you're funny. that's great. really.

[Cha]

58. Yeah, People instead of frothing self-important mediawhores.

Really.

[lamp_shade]

59. I hear ya.