Should President Obama Have Moved His "Jobs" Speech?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

[WhiteTara]

1. It was all poorly played, but he can't since

the Speaker has to INVITE the President and we know they are all haters of President Obama and would not invite him to anything.

[DFW]

7. My point exactly.

Obama would have lost the procedural fight against Bonehead anyway.

Instead of losing anyway, "acquiesce to a request" works much better. That way Bonehead can't win a fight.
All he can say is Obama agreed to his request. Big deal. If Bonehead requested me to get him a cup of coffee,
I'd agree to his request, too--just before I "accidentally" spilled it on him.

[Sherman A1]

16. Kobayashi Maru

While I agree that there were procedural issues involved. I believe that the President should have simply done the speech from the Oval and gone straight to the American People (as did Reagan) bypassing Congress and putting the heat on them.

[WhiteTara]

20. I agree with that position.

He would have shown greater strength had he just spoke DURING the debate, or better to cut into the MIDDLE of the silly affair with "Grown Up" talk. But, as Grover Norquist told Molly Ivins, "bipartisanship is just another word for date rape."

[frazzled]

2. Stupid question

The president must request the joint session from Congress. If he's turned down (which never happened before), he can't just crash Congress. Yes, he could have held the speech at another venue, like a homeless shelter. But a Joint Session is the proper venue.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. I Think A Homeless Shelter Or The Home Of A Jobless Person Would Be A Great Venue

He could have came over to my home.

[frazzled]

18. Maybe so

But it would play into the Republicans' hands in another way. No one likes to be associated with the chronically poor (a way the Republicans hornswoggle people into following them and voting against their own interests). And a speech focused on taxes, business incentives, solar energy, etc. as a jobs booster really doesn't speak to people who are in need of immediate basic services.

The most attention grabbing, presidential, serious venue is the (rare) Joint Session. The message is to legislators: get a jobs bill passed in Congress.

[Enrique]

3. yes

it's just a day.

[Tesha]

4. No, but we all knew he would.

Weak, weak, weak, and the Republicans sussed that
about him from Day 1.

Tesha

[Warren Stupidity]

6. No - not the date. Yes - the location.

He should have kept the date and moved it to the oval office

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. Exactly

.

[Bragi]

9. That would have been a disaster

The repugs would have been all over the airwaves talking about his insult to Congress and the repug debate would have had great ratings (in part due to a strong lead-in show: the isolated Obama speaking from his office) and would have turned into an extended free-time response to his speech.

This whole speech thing has been a fiasco. I argued that point earlier today here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1855227&mesg_id=1855940

[Warren Stupidity]

12. oh noes! republicans would have been outraged!

[Bragi]

14. Not my point, but you know that don't you /nt

[hayrow]

22. Why not the mall in D.C. in front of the Lincoln Memorial with thousands of bussed in supporters?

[laureloak]

10. To not move it would have been bull-headed just like republicans.

Besides, it was the speakers call. The whole topic of a schedule conflict is incredibly immature and I'm wondering about some of the people on DU. Really wondering....

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. Maybe Some DUERS Don't Like To Be Spit On And Have It Called Rain

It was a blatant act of disrespect for the president.

[laureloak]

23. A schedule conflict is NOT "spitting" on someone. Don't read

an insult into every little thing else you will NEVER be happy with yourself or anyone else. Let it go. Focus on the big problems and the little ones will take care of themselves.

[JNinWB]

29. Then blame those showing the disrespect---Boehner and associates.

[Ineeda]

13. Yes. And the venue is important and symbolic as the 'People's House.'

The scowling faces and arms-crossed rethug body language will tell its own story - one the viewers will clearly see. The jerks will be busy texting and grumbling, and wholly disrespecting the president as HE presents ideas to try to help the American people. I expect good things.

[LWolf]

15. Other: I don't give a shit when he gives a speech.

I care about what he does about the economy.

I predict he will not do any of these needed things:

Abandon NAFTA/CAFTA and return to trade policies based on labor and environmental standards.

Initiate a national, public health care system.

End our middle east military involvement, get all or most of our people out of there and home, and fire "private contractors."

Open a massive-scale works program here at home to employ millions and build our infrastructure.

Protect homeowners from unreasonable foreclosures.

[Ineeda]

17. Out of your five 'demands'

the president can only do one, and that one is a worthy goal. But CONGRESS must do the other things, not the president. So giving a speech to CONGRESS, televised to the American public, is important.

[LWolf]

25. The President has influence. Obama doesn't use it well.

That renders his speeches irrelevant, from my perspective.

[Life Long Dem]

19. Yes, because it's not about children playing games.

It's about the country needing jobs and not about a couple people who can't schedule the date of a speech.

[CakeGrrl]

21. The poll misses the point.

Understanding the process, it's clear that Boehner broke with decorum when he PUBLICLY turned down the Wednesday date after saying NOTHING until the WH announced its plan.

He should have stopped dragging his feet if he didn't like the Wednesday date, and chose to make a public show of it to try and show up the WH.

If one understands the protocol as a couple of people (seemingly in vain) tried to point out yesterday, then it's on Boehner to have acted like a jerk...again.

The WH took the date and it's done.

Moving on.

[okieinpain]

24. he never should have asked for that day to start with. n/t.

[boxman15]

26. No, but it's really not that big of a deal. nt

[JitterbugPerfume]

27. he has to be invited by the Speaker

to address Congress , Boehner is a douche who has no respect and no class.

[JNinWB]

28. Speaking directly to Congress about Jobs' proposals

Is more important than the date of the speech. The venue highlights the importance of the crisis and the reality that Congress must act.

Speaking pointedly to the legislators, essential for getting this accomplished, will be a great visual for voters watching at home. His proposals to put Americans back to work will show the enthusiasm of the Ds and the utter disdain towards both Obama and his job proposals by the Rs.

This is what Obama wants Americans to see. He will address the Joint Session, which is what his goal was from the beginning. Showing the indifference of the TeaPublicans is the entire point of this speech. Obama has always known that the HR will not support anything he proposes, but voters need to see it for themselves.