Further Thoughts

++I shared Josh Marshall's views that the beginning of the speech was tepid and then President Obama hit his groove. But could we remember he was talking to an audience where a majority literally hates him as a man and a politician. It's tough to speak to such a crowd.

++Nikki Haley seemed to speak mnore against Donald Trump. She got off shaky like most Republican responses. She talked about the shooting at Mother Emmanuel and how her state responded. She made sure you knew her prints were immigrants. She praised President Obama's speeches of larger issues but blamed him for the economy and again went down the rabbit hole on healthcare and how America is threatened by everyone. One democratic blogger said she looked like she had a big booger in her nose and had her teeth sealed shut. But she did rift on immigrants and racial tolerance. 

++IN short she is auditioning for GOP VP.

++The Donald said that the speech was tough to watch through the end. If you checked out Republicans in the chamber you released that they were only their as obligation but that they didn't hear a word he said.

++President Obama gave off the impression--Well,the hell with it, these guys won't do anything about anything. As Josh Marshall remarked, when he talked about foreign policy it was Obama saying "Let's get real" because no one is really threatening us. yes terrorists can do damage but they are not an existential threat and the change in the Middle East will last a generation. Putin is bankrupting Russia to prop up two client states he fears losing. Obama's riff on foreign policy was his answer to critics of his address on San Bernadino. The press and the Republicans wanted him to scream "Islamic Jihadists" but why? That was a tragic but freak event by a Moslem couple who split their allegiance--on to Al Nusra and another to ISIS.  He acted like he couldn't be bothered. I like this in Obama but it infuriates his critics.