SPECIAL SECTION ON REACTIONS TO OBAMA"S SPEECH AND RELATED ISSUES:
Obama's Finest Hour (Gary Wills) from the New York Review of Books
"Well, I am willing to risk such opposition now, when I say that his Tucson speech bears comparison with two Lincoln speeches even greater than the Cooper Union address."
The Obama of Old Returns (Eleanor Clift) from Newsweek
"In Tucson, the president dropped his sober professor mien, going back to his One America theme to deliver a speech that was among the best he’s ever given."
As Obama Urged Unity, Palin Brought Division (Dan Balz) from the Washington Post
"President Obama did not miss the moment. From the generally positive overnight reaction, Obama's speech in Tucson on Wednesday night struck just the right notes. Amid grief over a senseless tragedy and against a raging debate that threatened to further divide the country, the president urged healing and reconciliation."
The Dad Next Door (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
"He was the dad next door. Even as President Obama's job approval numbers sank last year, Americans said they liked him personally, in part because he was so devoted to his family. It was that unassuming role -- father and husband -- which enabled Obama to turn his Tucson speech into a memorable moment of healing and hope."
Her Candidacy is Over -- Palin's 'Brainwashing' and 'Joe Welch' Moment (Mark Green) from the Huffington Post
"Because she has not shown any of the experience, intellect, character or temperament to be a serious presidential contender -- and because Republican leaders are not politically stupid -- she has now officially been destroyed as a serious candidate not by the "lamestream" media but by herself. She's her own worst enemy."
A spot-on summary of what Palin accomplished with her video the other day.
Sen. Gillibrand, Rep. Wasserman Schultz Describe Giffords Opening Her Eyes from TalkingPointsMemo
"Last night, on the plane back to Washington with the President, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) described in more detail what they saw when, as President Obama said last night, "Gabby opened her eyes for the first time.""
More of the detail is HERE from CNN.
Blood Libels and Rain Puddles (David Weigel) from Slate
"So: Whose brilliant idea was it for Sarah Palin to release a video statement responding to the Tucson shootings the same day that President Obama and other political leaders would descend on the city for a memorial service? "
This is one of those questions that almost answers itself: given how badly the reaction has been, it HAD to be Sarah's decision.
Palin Fails the Test (John Dickerson) from Slate
"We judge our politicians in part on what they make of unfair circumstances, on how they rise to an occasion. Palin did not do well."
Seems that there are some other tests Palin may be failing:
Palin's Biggest Problem from Public Policy Polling
"Sarah Palin's biggest obstacle to the White House may not be her remarkable level of unpopularity with Democrats and independents. Her more immediate problem is that she simply doesn't have much support in the vital early Republican states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Florida."
Back to our regular nuggets:
The Dawn of a New Concert of Powers (Couloumbis, Ahlstrom & Weaver) from RealClearWorld
"As the second decade of the 21st century begins, we can predict - fully realizing the risks facing prophets and prophecies - a new "concert of great powers" that could manage relative peace among the strong political and economic actors of our planet. Direct military conflicts among the great powers are in no one's interests, and they all seem to realize that. … So it is reasonable to expect the new great powers to back their shared interest in peaceful development and stability with mechanisms to support those goals."
These authors provide a very useful, historical way of thinking about the critical "hinge" moment we are living through right now -- although I am less sanguine about whether great powers now WILL come together into some new order or devolve into another version of the 20th century.
Building on top of yesterday's postings on the decline of liberal democracy around the world:
Freedom in Decline from the Editorial Board of the Washington Post
"…it is not surprising that the annual report on global freedom by the human rights group Freedom House reports a decline for the fifth consecutive year. Since 1972, the Washington-based organization has been labeling the world's countries as "free," "partly free" or "unfree;" last year, 25 countries showed significant deterioration according to its measures."
The advocacy group, Freedom House sees the same phenomenon in their report HERE.
Discord: China’s Tough New Attitude is Both Dangerous and Counterproductive from the Economist [of London]
"China’s new raw-knuckle diplomacy is partly the consequence of a rowdy debate raging inside China about how the country should exercise its new-found power. The liberal, internationalist wing of the establishment, always small, has been drowned out by a nativist movement, fanned by the internet, which mistrusts an American-led international order. Western hawks conclude that China has broken with the pragmatic engagement it has followed for three decades. Its tough new line, they say, warrants an equally tough response."
Gates Warns of Civil-Military Disconnect in China (Dan De Luce) from Agence France Presse
"The Pentagon chief stressed that China's President Hu Jintao, whom he met on Tuesday, was "in command and in charge" but also said there were signs that civilian leaders had been unaware of the J-20 jet's test flight."
A disturbing development if true. Some reports suggest a similar phenomenon in North Korea, that Kim Jong-il is actually part of the MORE MODERATE wing of the communist party there!
Breaking Up is Good to Do (Parag Khanna) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Southern Sudan is just the beginning. The world may soon have 300 independent, sovereign nations ... and that's just fine"
I totally agree with this author's sentiment. It is perhaps the WORST long-term legacy of European colonialism the arbitrary borders they left behind. Good to do -- yes! Hard to do -- MOST DEFINITELY!
The Vengeance of the Occupation on the West Bank (Gershom Gorenberg) from American Prospect
"There's a limit to how long a fragile democracy like Israel can maintain an undemocratic regime next door, in occupied territory, before democracy at home is corrupted."
The GOP's Obama Envy (Andrew Romano) from Newsweek
"A batch of Republican governors are weighing a challenge to the president in 2012. So why are they sounding so much like him these days?"
AFGHANISTAN NUGGET!!
Afghan Taliban 'End' Opposition to Educating Girls from the BBC
"The Taliban are ready to drop their ban on schooling girls in Afghanistan, the country's education minister has said."
This is DIRECTLY due to the wonderful work by Greg Mortenson of the Central Asia Institute as described in Mortenson's best-selling books, Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools, both testaments to what ONE PERSON can do to change the world!
AUTOMOBILE NUGGET!!
Highlights from the Detroit Auto Show: Chevy Volt Named Car of the Year from NPR's All Things Considered
"They even compared it to the moon shot, which is a little bit of marketing hyperbole, but we'll, you know, we'll accept it, given the tenor of the moment. They also said that they might increase production of this vehicle to something like 60,000 vehicles a year, which is a very, very big number. And other manufacturers are following suit."
See more on this story from Car and Driver Magazine HERE.
WHALE NUGGET!!
Having a Whale of a Time with a One-Ton Puppy: A Diver's Dance with a Cute Cetacean from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"'He seemed to scamper towards us like a giant excited pony and wanted to play tag like a little puppy. I couldn't help but laugh as the calf kept bumping into me with an extremely naughty glint in its eye, but it was clearly in the name of fun. 'Up close you suddenly realised just how big it actually was."
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