Readers seem to have been responding in exactly the same way I have. This is a new Obama that has somehow finally matched his campaign rhetoric to a clear policy agenda. He seems utterly unafraid of the GOP. What he needed to do tonight was to restore his authoritah has president against the caviling whining of right and left. And, in my view, he did it with real aplomb. He is not going meekly into the Ailes night. Nor should he. A reader notes:
Whoever downplayed expectations for this speech deserves a medal.
Another observes:
Doesn't Boehner have this look on his face that says, "I'm getting rolled right now…"
Another breathes a sigh of relief:
I was not really looking forward to this speech–I almost didn't watch it. But, as an Obama voter that has been holding out against the friends and family that are depressingly fed up with his inaction (my sister called him a wimp just an hour ago on the phone), I'm excited again.
It turns out he really did have a plan. The contrast between this and the pleading speeches and press conferences he gave around the debt ceiling debate is incredible. He ate his Wheaties this morning.
Another focuses on his debt promise, which was somewhat lost in the drama:
You keep asking for a debt plan and it looks like he's finally going to deliver. From the speech tonight: "I’ll be releasing a more ambitious deficit plan — a plan that will not only cover the cost of this jobs bill, but stabilize our debt in the long run." If it comes with the policy ideas and passion he gave to this Jobs Plan …
Or in the words of another, blunter reader:
Meep, meep, motherfucker.
The Dish 