Thoughts on the speech

President Obama succeeded in answering the many challenges of a tragic moment
in his address Wednesday in Tucson. The memorial was held to remember the
victims, living and lost, of Saturday’s massacre. He did just that. With personal
detail, Obama helped memorialize Americans of all ages and walks of life — from
accomplished judge to retiree, staffer, a 9-year-child and more. He lauded the
courage of those who fought for them, tackling the suspect, grabbing the
suspect’s ammunition, administering first aid, operating on them, nursing
them in recovery.

Among the challenges was the raucous reaction of the
thousands of students in the University of Arizona auditorium. They
clapped — much and often — they screamed, hooted and called out into the
silence and made for many an awkward moment. But Obama handled it, staying
on course and keeping the appropriate tone. The one exception was when he
released the incredible news that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) had hours
before opened her eyes for the first time since the shooting and seen her
colleagues from Congress at her bedside. The room swelled with applause, smiles
and cheers in triumph.

Though he was not expected to address the issue dominating
the airwaves this week — of whether our uncivil political debate had led to the
shootings — Obama took it on, directly and appropriately. He said there was no
explanation or cause for the shootings, but that certainly a civil discourse is
needed to unify the country so that we may solve our greatest problems. Note to
extremists on both sides: high road taken.

Obama is often criticized for being too cool and refusing to
emote on behalf of Americans suffering from a troubled economy, and it reached
a fever pitch last year during the Gulf oil spill. But the cerebral
professor spoke from the heart last night, and showed not only how
touched he has been by this tragedy, but how he thought we could help each
other through it.

Peggy Noonan, famed speechwriter for a president known for
great speeches, Ronald Reagan, said it well this morning on MSNBC when
she called President Obama’s remarks “large spirited” and said
they showed “an affection for America, and an affection for
Americans.”

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