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By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:04:50 PM EST
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Ann Althouse on the Obama press conference:

8:00: He ends exactly on the button. We hear a stomp as he steps off the podium, and his walk back into the White House is noticeably different from Bush's. How can I describe the different feeling I get from that walk? You can object to this if you want. It's just my feeling. I think Bush would walk away in a ritual fashion that said: I am the President and I have accomplished what the President must do. Obama's walk said: I'm a man who has this job and now I've done it and I'm out of here.

I read this over a few times and my interpretation is that Althouse thinks Bush was more "Presidential" than Obama. [UPDATE - It turns out Teresa was right and I was wrong on what Althouse meant. My apologies to Ms. Althouse.] A pretty remarkable reaction in my opinion. I thought, whatever else we might disagree on, we could all agree that President Bush was as awful a President as we have ever seen perform at press conferences. I guess not all of us then.

Speaking for me only

< Federal Judges Threaten to Order Release of CA Prisoners | Did anything change? "No, your honor" >

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    Oh my god...!! (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Stellaaa on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:10:10 PM EST
    What now?  All these years of the "media bashing their darling".  I will go hide.   They don't like his walk?  Not presidential compared to the man who Bagala said:  "watching Bush structure a sentence was like watching a fat guy crossing an icy street".  

    I think I will go to a cave.  

    Ha ha ha ha she's a riot (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:13:04 PM EST
    I'm a man who has this job and now I've done it and I'm out of here and heading back to the ranch, um errrm I mean play some golf, ummm errrrm family get together at Camp David good job Brownie.

    heh (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:13:44 PM EST
    Exactly MT.

    [ Parent ]
    I listened but didn't watch, (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by jeffinalabama on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:16:16 PM EST
    and I was struck with the lecturing tone many answers took. It was a huge change from the W years, and refreshing for that reason.

    But I'm not thrilled...

    Yeah, Adam Bonin is not his (none / 0) (#14)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:17:17 PM EST
    audience now.

    [ Parent ]
    had to google him, (none / 0) (#27)
    by jeffinalabama on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:24:10 PM EST
    but I enjoyed the reference afterwards.

    [ Parent ]
    I dunno (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:17:24 PM EST
    Ann Althouse has really weird reactions to stuff.  This is small potatoes compared to that Jessica Valenti story.

    We already know that Andy Card thinks Bush was far more presidential than Obama, because he left his suit jacket on.  Everyone gets an opinion!

    Who exactly is she? (none / 0) (#26)
    by Jjc2008 on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:24:05 PM EST
    And why does her opinion matter.  I never really heard of her.

    [ Parent ]
    Ann Althouse (5.00 / 3) (#29)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:26:03 PM EST
    is a law professor from the University of Wisconsin.  She identifies herself as a Democrat, but she seems to be the sort of Democrat who dislikes Democrats, meaning she has more adherents from the right side of the blogosphere than the left.

    [ Parent ]
    Althouse voted for Obama, folks (5.00 / 1) (#73)
    by Cream City on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:28:48 PM EST
    in the benighted Wisconsin primary and again in the general.  I can't stand her style, but I think there is a misreading here.

    Just saying.

    [ Parent ]

    Well (5.00 / 3) (#75)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:33:49 PM EST
    Althouse is a hardcore CDSer, as you probably know, so now she joins the ranks of those who have to figure out what to make of Obama when he's more than just the anti-Clinton weapon of choice...

    Maybe she's decided she's a big fan, I have no idea.  But Althouse is very much a Maureen Dowd Democrat in my book.

    [ Parent ]

    Madison en toto is hardcore CDS (none / 0) (#109)
    by Cream City on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 09:59:49 AM EST
    and Althouse always like to fit in while posing as a contrarian.  Those of us who know her milieu in Madison understand it better -- and she is not alone but part of a group of bloggers there who like to pose as librul but turn reactionary all the time.  Althouse is part of the reaction to the over-the-top style of Madison feminism -- or she just wants boyz to like her, whichever or both.

    [ Parent ]
    I never know what to make of (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:55:40 PM EST
    her, she seems to hate lefties so much more than she ever cared for even one.  I think she's a rightwing plant :)

    [ Parent ]
    It's her anti-Midwestern pose (none / 0) (#108)
    by Cream City on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 09:56:01 AM EST
    as Madison is much populated by people from the East who want to deny the reality that they're in the Midwest.  Madison hates the rest of its own state, much less its region.

    And I think Althouse actually has been on leave as a visiting professor back East again.  So she probably is even more confused than usual.  I haven't read her in a while -- and even then, only did so in small doses when tipped off to some rant or other that simply provides reason again for colleagues at other UW schools to talk about secession from the idjits at UW-Madtown.

    [ Parent ]

    Plus, long blonde hair and (none / 0) (#33)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:29:03 PM EST
    rather anorexic build.

    [ Parent ]
    She's a law professor? (none / 0) (#36)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:30:27 PM EST
    I never knew that. Really scary. I thought she was just some nutter with a blog. ;-)

    [ Parent ]
    Um, like Glenn Reynolds? (none / 0) (#37)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:30:54 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Exactly (none / 0) (#51)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:46:23 PM EST
    Now you're going to tell my he's a law professor too, aren't you?

    I never read those blogs. All I know about them is what i read here!

    [ Parent ]

    Actually he's a law perfesser. (none / 0) (#65)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:10:00 PM EST
    (he's in Tennessee)

    [ Parent ]
    ME TOO! (none / 0) (#44)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:39:29 PM EST
    Ha ha ha ha ha.....sometimes I have to question the worth of a college education?

    [ Parent ]
    Well, it's so easy to sound like (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:42:16 PM EST
    an idiot if when you blog--even if you're not.


    [ Parent ]
    It's easy to continuously look like an (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:52:00 PM EST
    idiot when you blog?  Even when you aren't?

    [ Parent ]
    Now they tell us! (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:57:49 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    There you go---inoculating words (none / 0) (#67)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:10:55 PM EST
    into the verbatim, as-is text again!!!

    [ Parent ]
    inoculating words into the verbatim? (none / 0) (#72)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:27:45 PM EST
    I'm sooo lost now.  I thought inoculating had to do with growing things.

    [ Parent ]
    It was my attempt at a Bushism (none / 0) (#74)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:29:01 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Hey, I have one that my (5.00 / 5) (#81)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:53:31 PM EST
    son came up with today that was priceless if you have ever had to live with my husband.  My husband is one of these guys who uses all those freaky secret pockets on his outdoor wear.  I handed him our sons school snack as they were leaving this morning and he put it in our son's backpack at some point during the journey to school.  My son was really frustrated when I picked him up.  He couldn't recycle his snack baggie because it got ripped while he was trying to get it out of his pack.  He complained that his father always finds the most elabyrinth places to put stuff.

    [ Parent ]
    she's a nutjob, (none / 0) (#95)
    by cpinva on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 12:35:00 AM EST
    Who exactly is she? And why does her opinion matter. I never really heard of her.

    masquerading as a law prof. her opinion, when she has one that can be deciphered, doesn't matter much at all, any more so than any one else's does.

    probably the reason you never heard of her, is because she's such a dim bulb.

    i could go on, but no doubt you already sense a pattern developing.

    better yet, go read her blog, form your own opinion.

    i understand pfizer's developed an antidote for that warm, tingly legged feeling, she and so many others get from obama.

    [ Parent ]

    I never (none / 0) (#97)
    by cal1942 on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 12:44:58 AM EST
    saw a picture of Hitler in his shirt sleeves.

    [ Parent ]
    Here's One (5.00 / 2) (#99)
    by squeaky on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 01:01:57 AM EST
    link and here

    [ Parent ]
    OK squeaky (none / 0) (#102)
    by cal1942 on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 01:32:57 AM EST
    technically he is in shirt sleeves. But I consider it a uniform.

    It's funny though.  The notorious brown shirt. Those pictures made me LOL.  Thanks for the great entertainment.

    [ Parent ]

    Bush cockily walked away from the (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:18:18 PM EST
    press. Obama didn't.  Sign of weakness to Althouse, I gather.

    If I Was Obama... (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by Blue Jean on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:23:33 PM EST
    and AA told me I was the exact opposite of Shrub, I'd smile and say "Thanks!  That's the best compliment out there!"

    She epitomizes the Beltway mentality: (5.00 / 5) (#28)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:25:06 PM EST
    The innane focus upon the trivial and superficial, where it doesn't matter how lousy you are at your job, as long as you look marvelous doing it. It's a more sophisticated form of anti-intellectualism.

    That's how we came to know Al Gore as a know-it-all elitist, while George W. Bush's mangling of English and disdain of detail were "endearing" and "authentic."

    I like this (none / 0) (#98)
    by cal1942 on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 12:48:31 AM EST
    It's a more sophisticated form of anti-intellectualism.

    Great and telling description.

    [ Parent ]

    Parts of the Althouse piece made (5.00 / 7) (#41)
    by Anne on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:37:22 PM EST
    me laugh out loud, mainly because I was having similar thoughts about some of what transpired.

    It is clearly refreshing to have a president who can speak in complete sentences that make sense, and I DO NOT miss the constant Beavis-and-Butthead heh-heh-heh accompanied by the shoulder-shake - there's a definite sense of having to pay attention because something important might be said.

    However...

    I came away not really having a clear idea of what he said, what he really believes or what the plan is.

    But bipartisanship is GREAT! And those Republicans - we really need to listen to them...

    Argh.

    Is our communities organizing now? (5.00 / 4) (#43)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:38:20 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Obama (5.00 / 6) (#45)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:39:38 PM EST
    always evokes this reaction from me:

    I came away not really having a clear idea of what he said, what he really believes or what the plan is.

    His answers tend toward the filibuster.

    [ Parent ]

    Well, he doesn't want to let class (5.00 / 2) (#46)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:40:44 PM EST
    out early now, does he?

    [ Parent ]
    heh (none / 0) (#50)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:44:43 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    I will admit to thinking the same thing here (5.00 / 3) (#47)
    by Teresa on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:42:04 PM EST
    7:14: "That wasn't just some random number that I plucked out of.... uh" -- he's thinking: can't say my ass -- "out of a hat."


    [ Parent ]
    Helen Thomas used the word (none / 0) (#49)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:43:31 PM EST
    "nuclear."  Did Obama?

    [ Parent ]
    He did! (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:47:10 PM EST
    Several times.  Apparently, this just in, we are very concerned about the possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapon.

    And he said it the right way, by which I of course mean he said it in the dialect that people spoke where I grew up, not the dialogue that other people spoke where they grew up, which is the wrong way to say it.

    [ Parent ]

    Doesn't Iran already have (none / 0) (#57)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:52:03 PM EST
    numerous nuclear warheads?  Aren't we objecting to them adding to their stockpile and having the audacity to test?  As opposed to India and Pakistan?

    P.S.  In India, the word "Himalyas" is pronounced the way Midwesterners in the U.S pronounce it--emphasis on the second syllable.  Now, on to "Caribbean."  

    [ Parent ]

    Iran or Pakistan? (none / 0) (#60)
    by jeffinalabama on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:57:43 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Are You Kidding? (none / 0) (#61)
    by squeaky on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:57:48 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    No. Just wrong. Mea culpa. (none / 0) (#71)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:26:48 PM EST
    Times of India

    Although one "hit" on line referred to U.S. helping the Shah with Iran's nuclear ambitions.

    No segue:  Ben Nelson is on MSNBC railing about mandates, special ed., and the stimulus package.  Says schools are state issue--no stimulus needed.


    [ Parent ]

    Actually (none / 0) (#69)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:12:31 PM EST
    27 years in Michigan and I never heard it pronounced that way.  Maybe some folks are right that Michigan is not really in the Midwest.

    On a related note, I have a running debate with my wife as to which syllable gets the emphasis in "insurance," as well as the number of syllables in "mirror."

    [ Parent ]

    For me, "insurance" almost rhymes (5.00 / 1) (#70)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:16:16 PM EST
    with "performance."

    "Mirror" is "mirer."

    [ Parent ]

    Gold star for andgarden (5.00 / 1) (#77)
    by Spamlet on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:41:46 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    So, Steve, (none / 0) (#76)
    by caseyOR on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:36:07 PM EST
    are you in the IN-sur-ance camp or the in-SUR-ance camp?

    [ Parent ]
    Well (5.00 / 2) (#79)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:46:16 PM EST
    A little story by way of response.  Many years ago I went to the Pontiac Silverdome to watch my beloved Pistons defeat the Milwaukee Bucks on a last-second blocked shot by Dennis Rodman.  In fact that might have even been the final regular-season game ever at the Silverdome.

    As we were walking to the car after the game, we very nearly got run down by a beat-up pickup truck with Wisconsin plates.  A rugged-looking individual leaned out the driver's side window and yelled, "Hey, homeboy, just cause you won the game doesn't mean you can walk in front of the ve-HIC-le!"

    That gentleman might well have had IN-sur-ance on his ve-HIC-le.  I'm just sayin.

    [ Parent ]

    Those two do seem (none / 0) (#83)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:02:35 PM EST
    to go together, don't they?

    [ Parent ]
    So, I'm guessing that (none / 0) (#84)
    by caseyOR on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:03:16 PM EST
    you drive a VE-hic-le.

    [ Parent ]
    I wonder if he "exits" his (none / 0) (#86)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:12:42 PM EST
    VEhicle.

    [ Parent ]
    Nah (none / 0) (#88)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:17:19 PM EST
    I take the subway! :)

    And "mirror" is definitely only one syllable.  Indistinguishable from "mere."

    [ Parent ]

    How do you say: (none / 0) (#89)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:19:42 PM EST
    "wash" and "downtown"?

    [ Parent ]
    Heh (none / 0) (#91)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:53:19 PM EST
    I say it "wahsh."  My mom, who is from Macomb County, says "warsh."

    As for downtown, um, I guess that's another word I've only heard one pronunciation for!  I can't even imagine what the alternative would be.

    [ Parent ]

    In Pittsburgh they say "dahn-tahn" (none / 0) (#92)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:59:31 PM EST
    Do you have the Mary Merry Marry merger? Philly native that I am, I pronounce all three differently.

    [ Parent ]
    Relevant map (5.00 / 1) (#94)
    by andgarden on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 12:07:55 AM EST
    here. Most of the research has been done at UPENN, so Philly is well studied.

    [ Parent ]
    All the same (none / 0) (#93)
    by Steve M on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 12:02:57 AM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Ahem (none / 0) (#106)
    by jbindc on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 09:34:55 AM EST
    I am from Macomb County and have never said "warsh", nor does anyone I know.  ;)

    I never heard of IN-surance until I moved to Texas, but it seems everyone outside of Michigan does not know how to pronounce the largest city - calling it DEEE-troit instead of de-TROIT.

    And even though I live in the DC area, the stuff you drink is POP and not soda ("soda" is club soda).

    [ Parent ]

    That's Funny (none / 0) (#110)
    by daring grace on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 11:06:56 AM EST
    As a kid, I always thought it was De-TROIT until I heard a version of this song which flipped it--"Last night I went to sleep in DE-troit city..."

    But even as an easterner, I still thought it was De-TROIT. The other way sounded so hick-ish.

    [ Parent ]

    I've (none / 0) (#100)
    by cal1942 on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 01:15:23 AM EST
    lived all my life in Michigan and have never considered Michigan a midwestern state.

    Properly Michigan is in the northeast quadrant of the nation and not even in the western most part of the northeast. Michigan is part of what Professor Fischer calls Greater New England.

    Except for a tiny number of rural people I've haven't heard any native Michigander emphasize the first syllable in insurance unless they were making sport of someone.

    Native speech in the heavily populated part of the state is pretty much standard English although when I was very young an extra R was added to some words.

    The UP, especially the western UP is, well, unique and my father (born in Gaylord) spoke  something of a cross between standard, UP and Canadian.

    And how did this topic come up?

    [ Parent ]

    How our driver and the (none / 0) (#104)
    by oculus on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 08:40:02 AM EST
    guides and friends we had dinner with in India all pronounced "Himalyas."  However, when I referred to the Midwest, I was really talking about SE Iowa and Central IL.  I don't think one can realistically say Ann Arbor is a prototypical city of any region, much less the Midwest.

    [ Parent ]
    The area you're talking about (none / 0) (#107)
    by Cream City on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 09:51:16 AM EST
    was much settled by Southerners (so was southwestern Wisconsin, probably the source of the belligerent Badger encountered by Steve M).  So was modern-day Detroit, of course.  So all these are examples of that subset of Midwesterners who still have vestiges of a Southern accent.

    Some of my spouse's southern and central Illinois relatives go to Home De-POT.  Oh, and there and in southwestern Wisconsin, grits are on the menus.

    [ Parent ]

    Southern migration (none / 0) (#111)
    by cal1942 on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 01:47:40 PM EST
    into Michigan was during the war years and for maybe a decade plus beyond for jobs in the defense and then auto industry.  Black southern migration followed similar patterns.

    It was Detroit, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw, Jackson, etc., wherever there were indutrial jobs.

    I'm from Lansing and recall southern accents in grade school that turned Yankee by high school.  

    [ Parent ]

    So We're Wasting Time (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by CDN Ctzn on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:55:27 PM EST
    discussing crap like this while a story like this one that Glen Greenwald posted today about a major failure on the part of the Obama DOJ gets no mention. Politics of Crime eh?

    Yep (5.00 / 2) (#63)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:59:44 PM EST
    that's me.

    An Obama sycophant.

    I hate sh*t like this.

    I am working on a post as we speaj. But frack it, better to be a sycophant. I get attacked less that way.


    [ Parent ]

    Heh. (none / 0) (#64)
    by jeffinalabama on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:06:12 PM EST
    The truth is out, BTD. All that cozying during the primaries, you've been exposed! "Most electable..." stop kissing butt! You must have wanted a post in the admin with that lukewarm support!

    Bwahahahaha!

    [ Parent ]

    Amazing so people can't tell phony (5.00 / 1) (#59)
    by pluege on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:56:37 PM EST
    from real. Those of us whose stomachs turned the moment we laid eyes on bush in 1999 know the difference between bush phony arrogance and putting on airs, and Obama accomplishing what needs to be done and going back to work.

    C'mon, BTD, Althouse means ... (5.00 / 2) (#78)
    by Robot Porter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:42:23 PM EST
    that she thinks Obama is cute.

    Anyway .... Obama handled the press conference okay.

    But he should have begun this at least a week ago.

    Chris Matthews says (none / 0) (#87)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:15:03 PM EST
    Obama exhibited "velvet gloves."

    Meanwhile, Barbara Boxer explains to Olbermann the realities of the Senate--compromise if you don't have the votes.

    [ Parent ]

    When I first read it, I thought she was making (none / 0) (#1)
    by Teresa on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:07:37 PM EST
    fun of Bush play acting like "I'm the President". How he always acted so proud of himself even when we were making fun of him.

    Maybe you're right, though.

    Maybe you are right (none / 0) (#2)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:09:21 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    I'm sure you are right (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:12:13 PM EST
    Sorry Teresa.

    [ Parent ]
    Yes, I'm pretty sure (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:22:46 PM EST
    Althouse is pointing out that her man ACTED like a President and our man is of all things A MAN who IS a President :)  Now I'm not exactly sure how that makes her man a better President but I'm also certain I'm supposed to be feeling less than right now :)  If any of you figure out how I'm supposed to digress down this emotional shaming slide please feel free to explain it to me.

    [ Parent ]
    Hmm.. sounds Paglia-esque to me. (none / 0) (#24)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:23:47 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Maybe not. I didn't pay attention to who (5.00 / 3) (#6)
    by Teresa on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:12:21 PM EST
    wrote it. She probably meant it the way you took it.

    I thought he came across just fine. Thoughtful, but needs to get to the point a little faster. He'll get better, I think. Overall, I'm ok with it.

    I always thought Bush walked arrogantly out of the room and Obama did walk out like a normal person and that's fine with me.

    [ Parent ]

    Is she saying that he was (none / 0) (#4)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:10:24 PM EST

    most Presidential when he was showing his behind to the press corps. Who's to disagree?

    Bush, that is.. of course. (none / 0) (#18)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:18:34 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    I was out for the Presser (none / 0) (#7)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:12:40 PM EST
    Did anyone quote Krugman to Obama?

    I did, but he didn't hear me. (5.00 / 10) (#11)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:15:36 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    I know that feeling (5.00 / 8) (#19)
    by andgarden on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:19:57 PM EST
    My TV knows my opinions pretty well.

    [ Parent ]
    My version of therapy (5.00 / 2) (#30)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:27:00 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    No. But Obama sd. he consulted (5.00 / 5) (#13)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:16:48 PM EST
    both liberal and conservative economists.  No names.

    [ Parent ]
    I think she is saying Bush always (none / 0) (#10)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:14:57 PM EST
    looked like he was acting a part. 'I'll give'em my presidential walk -heh heh'

    OK maybe that's me saying that, and not Ann Althouse. At what point do they stop comparing everything he does to the way Bush did it? Even his walk? Good grief.

    Me too until I looked to see who wrote it. (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by Teresa on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:18:27 PM EST
    He always looked like he was play acting to me. Lord, I'm glad he's gone.

    [ Parent ]
    He always walked like he was playing 'gunfighter' (5.00 / 7) (#20)
    by byteb on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:21:02 PM EST
    in some old Western sitcom with his arms sticking out as if they were about to draw on this pretend six shooters.

    [ Parent ]
    Yes, that was him (5.00 / 3) (#42)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:37:40 PM EST
    He was listening to the theme song from 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' in his head too :)

    [ Parent ]
    *his (none / 0) (#21)
    by byteb on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:21:26 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    He always walked (none / 0) (#96)
    by gyrfalcon on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 12:44:51 AM EST
    as if what he had in his, er, pants was too large to walk normally, seemed to me.  Ridiculous, posturing moron.


    [ Parent ]
    Maybe (none / 0) (#101)
    by cal1942 on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 01:23:21 AM EST
    he continued to wear that codpiece under his pants.

    [ Parent ]
    Aren't you though? me too. (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:23:52 PM EST
    I never care about Ann Althouse anyway, who knows what she is talking about at any given time?

    [ Parent ]
    Obama hasn't fallen off a (5.00 / 2) (#31)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:27:59 PM EST
    bike while running over a law enforcement officer or choked himself into unconsciousness on junk food, let's do compare everything right now :)  Didn't Bush also fall off of a Segway?

    [ Parent ]
    Yes, he did. (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:28:46 PM EST
    As long as we're walking down memory lane...

    [ Parent ]
    I have an aquaintance who uses a (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:34:29 PM EST
    Segway.  She was in a horrible accident involving a bus.  She uses it to exercise her shepherds and train them to trot for the showring because she can't run anymore.  At a recent dog show she was feeling really frisky and she took off on that thing and then spun it around and slid in sideways to a stop.  She's obviously had practice.  I wondered if I remembered correctly that Bush fell off of one because she said it is near impossible.

    [ Parent ]
    I get it now (5.00 / 2) (#55)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:51:56 PM EST
    At first I thought you meant your friend was in a horrible Segway-bus collision. Now I see you mean her accident with the bus makes it easier for her to use a Segway than to run.

    Time for me to call it a day ;-)

    [ Parent ]

    That's what I've heard too (none / 0) (#53)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:50:20 PM EST
    but Bush made it look easy. I've never tried it myself - I shouldn't talk about Bush - I'm the biggest klutz in the world, and if there is a way to fall off of it, I will find it too.

    That's cool that your friend makes such good use of it.

    [ Parent ]

    So how much does Obama bench? (none / 0) (#34)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:29:03 PM EST
    I doubt he is close to Bush in that measurement.

    [ Parent ]
    hmmmm, I wonder (none / 0) (#40)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:35:29 PM EST
    Because one of the things that Obama did first in his new job was have a work out.  I don't think he's a slouch.

    [ Parent ]
    well, after it stopped.. the Segway (none / 0) (#35)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:29:56 PM EST
    can't be blamed.

    [ Parent ]
    Today was a good day for Obama (none / 0) (#38)
    by magster on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:31:29 PM EST
    good poll numbers, good town-hall, good press conference.  It will be hard for the three Republicans to change their vote if more spending gets added back in in conference. (Caveat: Ben Nelson on Maddow's show was an idiot, and I would not put it past him to grandstand and threaten to change his vote after conference).

    My reaction to the presser (none / 0) (#54)
    by lobary on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 09:51:20 PM EST
    I thought he was very presidential, very much in control of his message and, to my pleasant surprise, willing to stop pulling his punches. I share the disdain most here have for Obama's emphasis on bipartisanship, but I'm hopeful that his blunt talk toward the the GOP tonight (omg! he openly questioned their credibility!) suggests he's learned a valuable lesson this week about the practicality of his PPUS.

    Get the policy right, use the bully pulpit wisely, and rest will take care of itself.

    My reaction (none / 0) (#66)
    by nolo on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:10:35 PM EST
    Is that I'm amazed and relieved to have a president who actually will do an hour-long primetime presser.  Ann Althouse can f**k herself with something about as long as GWB's last primetime hour-long presser.  Oh wait . . . that would be like sittin' on a thimble.

    [ Parent ]
    From the presser (none / 0) (#80)
    by ding7777 on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:51:31 PM EST
    In answer to the question of what metric should be used to know if his plan is working, Obama said

    #1  creating or saving 4 million jobs

    #2  the credit markets operate effectively

    I'm not an economist, but don't you need the credit markets 1st in order to create jobs - unless the 4 million jobs are  governmnt jobs  

    At first (none / 0) (#105)
    by jbindc on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 09:32:34 AM EST
    He was going to create 3 million new jobs in his original campaign statements last fall.  Now he's going to create or save 4 million jobs.

    QUESTION:  How are we going to count a job as "saved" by the stimulus package?

    [ Parent ]

    AA (none / 0) (#85)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:06:36 PM EST
    Ann Althouse

    Or Alcoholics Anonymous

    And you wonder WTF she's talking about?

    Who cares?

    Obama's back in campaign mode (none / 0) (#90)
    by BrassTacks on Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:40:42 PM EST
    It looks good on him, he enjoys it, and it's what he does best.  

    I just couldn't stay focused on what he saying, my mind kept wandering, much as it did in college.  Perhaps that's why I am not never quite sure exactly what he has said when the speech ends.  

    bush vs. obama first pressers (none / 0) (#103)
    by a giant slor on Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 02:48:44 AM EST
    Bush's first press conference was very much on my mind tonight as I watched Obama do his thing. It's impossible to forget Bush's first press conference, or the absolute mortification I felt that this incoherent imbecile was our president. So what a relief that Obama is the exact opposite: articulate, analytical, knowledgeable, straightforward, clear-eyed, confident. This is my president.

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