Breaking down Obama's speech...

Barack Obama gave this speech at the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in Iowa the other night:

This party - the party of Jefferson and Jackson; of Roosevelt and Kennedy - has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we led, not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction; when we summoned the entire nation to a common purpose - a higher purpose. And I run for the Presidency of the United States of America because that's the party America needs us to be right now.

A party that offers not just a difference in policies, but a difference in leadership.

A party that doesn't just focus on how to win but why we should.

A party that doesn't just offer change as a slogan, but real, meaningful change - change that America can believe in.

That's why I'm in this race. That's why I am running for the Presidency of the United States of America - to offer change that we can believe in.

I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more than any other candidate in this race to take on lobbyists - and won. They have not funded my campaign, they will not get a job in my White House, and they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I am President.

I'm in this race to take those tax breaks away from companies that are moving jobs overseas and put them in the pockets of hard working Americans who deserve it. And I won't raise the minimum wage every ten years -I will raise it to keep pace so that workers don't' fall behind.

That is why I am in it. To protect the American worker. To fight for the American worker.

I'm in this race because I want to stop talking about the outrage of 47 million Americans without health care and start actually doing something about it. I expanded health care in Illinois by bringing Democrats and Republicans together. By taking on the insurance industry. And that is how I will make certain that every single American in this country has health care they can count on and I won't do it twenty years from now, I won't do it ten years from now, I will do it by the end of my first term as President of the United States of America.

I run for president to make sure that every American child has the best education that we have to offer- from the day they are born to the day they graduate from college. And I won't just talk about how great teachers are - as President I will reward them for their greatness - by raising salaries and giving them more support. That's why I'm in this race.

I am running for President because I am sick and tired of democrats thinking that the only way to look tough on national security is by talking, and acting, and voting like George Bush Republicans.

When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture - because it is never ok. That's why I am in it.

As President, I will end the war in Iraq. We will have our troops home in sixteen months. I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus. I will finish the fight against Al Qaeda. And I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century - nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. And I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says, "You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our
moment is now."

America, our moment is now.

Our moment is now.

Let me break this down:

I'm in this race to take those tax breaks away from companies that are moving jobs overseas and put them in the pockets of hard working Americans who deserve it. And I won't raise the minimum wage every ten years -I will raise it to keep pace so that workers don't' fall behind.

So Mr. Obama, you will dip into corporate pockets not once, not twice but possibly on an annual basis in order to keep jobs? Sorry but the math on that doesn't work. I'm not saying that corporate fat cats can't stand to make less of a profit but to assert that you are both going to get rid of tax breaks and make minimum wage a "living wage" and not affect the economies of doing business in America? I call shenanigans on that.

I'm in this race because I want to stop talking about the outrage of 47 million Americans without health care and start actually doing something about it. I expanded health care in Illinois by bringing Democrats and Republicans together. By taking on the insurance industry. And that is how I will make certain that every single American in this country has health care they can count on and I won't do it twenty years from now, I won't do it ten years from now, I will do it by the end of my first term as President of the United States of America.

First of all, insurance for everyone is a laudable goal, however, to promise to have a national health care system in place in four years? With this congress? Please, that is just campaign "feel goods", not real actionable goals. Second, now that you've cut corporate tax breaks, made a "living wage" standard, now you are going to make every company offer health care? Or every company/individual pays a 30% increase taxes in order to fund government run health care? Bye Bye Business!!!

I run for president to make sure that every American child has the best education that we have to offer- from the day they are born to the day they graduate from college. And I won't just talk about how great teachers are - as President I will reward them for their greatness - by raising salaries and giving them more support. That's why I'm in this race.

This one is my favorite. Really. So Obama, you are going to make sure every child has the best education from k-to college? How are you going to pay for that? Is the government going to promise that every child can go to college? What about the fact that not all of our students are eligible for college? Are you going to subsidize grades along with tuition? Fundamentally if we tell every student that he/she should go to college...what happens to trade schools? What about the fact that the majority of jobs in America depend on trade skill type training? Is that sub-par?


As President, I will end the war in Iraq. We will have our troops home in sixteen months. I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus. I will finish the fight against Al Qaeda. And I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century - nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. And I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says, "You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our moment is now."

This one begs the question - How? Finish the fight against Al Qaeda? How? Not the GWB and his lot have done the best job, or even the right job but smart people are trying to figure out how to end this war and rid the world of Al Qaeda so unless you have a new idea that pencils out - no more false promises, the American people have had enough of that the last few years.

So in summary, Obama's speech is a good one...it is inspirational but it lacks the substance needed to bring this country back from war and into a new period of prosperity. Obama is a visionary and says the right things, but much like all of the other GWB/Republican detractors they are only good at saying that things are bad, not offering real solutions to turn the ship around.