I am not one of W’s greatest fans. But I thought the speech last night was good, bordering on excellent. Delivery was the best I’ve seen—not a sign of “the smirk,” among other things. Content was bold and “surprising” (not consistent with some Bush themes of old). As many said, the proof is in the pudding.* (*What the hell does that mean?) But you can only do so much in one speech. The “proof” for me was that I felt better as an American after the speech—that we are at least going to try to step up to the plate in a way that is consistent with our beliefs, our optimism, our might, and the enormity of the opportunity to offer a showcase to all of our citizens and indeed the world. I especially liked the fact that the Pres says he dearly hopes the evacuees come back HOME!
(I buy the content almost word for word—but how the hell do we pay for our bold initiatives in the Gulf states while already saddled with record deficits and the Iraqi quagmire still stretching before us?)