Comparing speeches of Obama and Palin: 'It's difficult to imagine a starker contrast'

[FourScore]

Comparing speeches of Obama and Palin: 'It's difficult to imagine a starker contrast'
by Joe Sudbay (DC) on 1/13/2011 09:14:00 AM

This morning, Mike Signorile tweeted:

Yesterday: Sarah Palin reminded us of who she is and why she & McCain lost. Barack Obama reminded us of who he is & why he won.

Mike is so right. Yesterday, Palin finally responded to the Arizona massacre. She chose to insert herself on the day of the Tucson memorial service, where the President would be speaking. She set herself up for the inevitable comparisons between the speeches from leading GOPer, as she sees herself, and the leading Democrat, Obama...

SNIP

...Michael Shear from The New York Times:

Wednesday was bookended by two remarkable — and remarkably different — political performances that demonstrated the vast expanse of America’s political landscape.

The day opened at 5 a.m. with Sarah Palin, whose seven-and-a-half minute video statement captured with precision the bubbling anger and resentment that is an undercurrent of the national conversation about our public discourse.

Sarah Palin issued a forceful denunciation of her critics in a video statement posted to her Facebook page.

It ended with President Obama, whose plea for civility, love and compassion — for us to all be not just better citizens but better people — exposed for the first time the emotions of a leader who has spent two years staying cool and controlled for a nation beset by difficult times.

The tone of the two speeches could not have been more different. The venues were a world apart — the smallness of a rectangular video on a computer screen and the vastness of an echo-filled basketball arena.

Jonathan Martin from Politico:

In the span of a single news cycle, Republicans got a jarring reminder of two forces that could prevent them from retaking the presidency next year.

At sunrise in the east on Wednesday, Sarah Palin demonstrated that she has little interest—or capacity—in moving beyond her brand of grievance-based politics. And at sundown in the west, Barack Obama reminded even his critics of his ability to rally disparate Americans around a message of reconciliation.

Palin was defiant, making the case in a taped speech she posted online why the nation’s heated political debate should continue unabated even after Saturday’s tragedy in Tucson. And, seeming to follow her own advice, she swung back at her opponents, deeming the inflammatory notion that she was in any way responsible for the shootings a “blood libel.”

Obama, speaking at a memorial service at the University of Arizona, summoned the country to honor the victims, and especially nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, by treating one another with more respect. “I want America to be as good as Christina imaged it,” he said.

It’s difficult to imagine a starker contrast.

http://www.americablog.com/2011/01/comparing-speeches-of-obama-and-palin.html

[gateley]

1. Why do serious reporters/journalists waste their time on this? There is no competition! Palin's not

even in the game.

[RufusTFirefly]

4. But, but we need to be BALANCED!

After all, reasonable people can disagree.

Gravity: Pro? Con? The preponderance of evidence shows it exists, but some people aren't so sure. What's your opinion?

[Broderick]

2. I have witnessed lots of speeches

I don't think there are many that compare to Obama, or that are even close. Probably one of the greatest public speakers ever.

[opihimoimoi]

3. She doesn't qualy beyond 101.01 ......cannot compare seriously

[Control-Z]

5. Is that woman so in love with herself

that she believes her speaking skills are on par with the president's? Or is she just too stupid to understand how embarrassingly bad she really is? Wow. When you have as much trouble with the English language as Sarah Palin you don't highlight it by making a speech on the same day as the master of oratory.