Who knew a speech could have so many words, yet say nothing at all,

To your caption ParaTed ... If President Obama said nothing at all, why was it necessary for not one but TWO republican rebuttals?

The AP fact-checked the President's speech and they hit many of the same points you did. Good analysis. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-26/fact-check-obama-and-his-imbalanced-ledger.html They cited 6 examples of doublespeak, or rather, factually incorrect statements. Interestingly, they listed only one instance of factually incorrect speech in Ryan's rebuttal. They didn't mention Bachmann at all. I don't know if that is because they didn't find any examples of fiction or because they were simply ignoring her. I tend to think though, that if she'd put out any misleading information they'd have been more than happy to jump all over it.

great observations and I agree. I found the speech very amusing. How he can speak so long and say nothing. Negates each statement with the next. Its a talent...

i watched his speech and i think he did a very good job to say the least. as far as your critical view of his debate goes, i don't think you took the time to really understand the whole speech and take everything into context.

I was not impress with this speech at all. Not up to usual par at all. I will give this much to Obama...he is a great public speaker..usually he gives great speeches...even if I don't like what he is saying. Not this time. But it was full of double speak. We need to spend spend spend....we need to cut cut cut. This speech went NO WHERE. No real vision. No real plan. And spend a lot of time I thought whining about how the parties don't get along and trying to justify all that money he spent in the last two years. He did not define much at all. Just basically said this is the issue and both sides are going to argue over it. Duh...we know that already. You are right....two years in and he has not yet defined his presidency.

Hiya Parated, If I listen ever to a speech made by our President Rodriguez Zapatero he does the same kind of thing. Small businesses are great then the next minute they are not so great because this that and the other. Each subject he talks about he praises it and then turns it inside out saying not so good after all. He also changes his mind from one Day to the next. They are never consistent. If I was to bother enough I would record what he says one Day and then the next just to prove it to them in my House. Fortunately I don´t have enough time to do that as it would take all Day. But he does do those things. Maybe two People write his speeches but they both have different views?

I even saw where democrats were saying how flat the message was, and that there wasn't even the normal energy in the room. Part of that may have been the mixing of the parties. The message delivered quite clearly is that obama just cannot grasp the true state of the union. He still thinks that we can spend our way out of this. He only did the double speak thing so it would sound like he was siding with the Republicans. When you think about what our country needs from the President right now, it was really a pathetic showing for obama.

See, this is why I don't watch political speeches. It seems that last night's speech was a rehash of old speeches that were just thrown together.

I haven't listened to it yet. I didn't feel an urgency to hear it last night because I've learned that the man can talk a blue streak yet say nothing at all. I caught onto that early in his campaign. I have heard him say a lot about investing in education and business which I assumed was double speak for spending. I don't think he has any intention of cutting spending. Anyway, thanks for the summary. I'll probably listen to it this afternoon, since I taped it.

hi para ted I gather in trying to please everyone in all sorts of different opinions he ended up not pleasing anyone. Like the man'who jumped on his horse and rode off in all directions Obama ended up not pleasing anyone. Sad. I had hoped maybe he would make his campaign promises came true. guess he may have forgot just what they were and he was going to help our jobless economy. I have not seen' that yet. 2008 to 2011 and our US still has many many people unemployed. my son has finally got two part time jobs and is raking 500 dollars a week but it took several years of searching daily. so many are still ou t of work and wheres all the campaign promises our Pres. made? Does any politician anymore actually keep campaign promises?

that is what speech is all about. to make things pleasant to the ears but with empty promises or with nothing that can help the people. i don't expect any thing good in speech. i only listen to speech because i am amused listening to speeches with how good they were able to say things though they don't mean it. and how they make things or situation pleasant or not that bad at all, when it is quite the opposite.

Yeah, it was just another typical Obama speech to me. It seems still as if this guy is an incredibly crafty political figure. Keep 'em all talking and arguing amongst themselves about what "is" is, and do what you want in the meantime. I would love to see a president in America be far less political, but I guess that's wishful thinking. From checking out the adoring side of it all, I've seen that Obama's biggest supporters are really inspired and are really excited about government making investments that may help America down the road. This is what turns my stomach more than anything. In my opinion, inspiration should cause American people to get off their butts and invest their money, create, invent - count on yourself to do things for you and your country. Get motivated and get busy! But Obama's inspiration seems to work the opposite way, and that's just incredible for his popularity and chances at reelection. When Obama inspires people, when the "yes we can" comes out of people's mouths, it's all about THE GOVERNMENT doing with the people's support. To date, I see only one way Obama's presidency can be defined: he wants reelection.