CNN personalities Jack Cafferty and David Gergen continued the chorus of praise for President Obama on Wednesday evening for his first address to a joint session of Congress, twenty-four hours after he had given it. During his regular “Question of the Hour” segment on The Situation Room, Cafferty gushed that the Democrat “had that place in the palm of his hand for the entire time he was in that room” and, despite all the serious issues he discussed during the speech, that the president “seems remarkably unruffled by all of this, serene in an inner confidence that he’s got what it takes to lead this country back into the sunlight.”
Later that evening on Anderson Cooper 360, it was apparent that Gergen’s afterglow about the address hadn’t subsided from the previous evening. He described it as a “rousing speech, took us up to the mountaintops.”
Cafferty made his remarks during the 6 pm Eastern hour edition of his “Cafferty File” segment. It seemed as if the CNN commentator just couldn’t get enough of Obama’s oratory:
JACK CAFFERTY: In his address, Wolf, to Congress last night, President Obama laid out what would be an ambitious agenda even in good times. Never mind that we’re in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. And yet, the president struck an optimistic tone, saying quote, ‘We will rebuild and we will recover’ -- unquote -- his speech focusing on three top priorities: energy, health care, and education. But there was more -- boy, was there more, including, but not limited to: tax reform, beginning a debate on overhauling Social Security, retooling the auto industry, reforming the regulatory system, getting rid of fraud and waste in Medicare, seeking a cure for cancer in our time, expanding mass transit, encouraging parental responsibility, and on and on and on. Plus, don’t forget, there’s still a war on terror and two real wars going on. But our president seems remarkably unruffled by all of this, serene in an inner confidence that he’s got what it takes to lead this country back into the sunlight.
That’s not to say some of this stuff may not have to be delayed for a while. Mr. Obama acknowledged as much, saying quote, ‘Everyone in this chamber will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars, and that includes me. But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges’ -- unquote. It was quite a performance.
Here’s the question: What are the most important priorities for this nation at this time, and which ones can wait, in your opinion? Go to CNN.com/caffertyfile -- post a comment on my blog.
It occurred to me watching the president last night, Wolf, that he was born to do exactly what he was doing. He had that place in the palm of his hand for the entire time he was in that room, and that can be a tough audience, a tough room to work.
At the end of the segment, host Wolf Blitzer seconded Cafferty’s take on the president’s speaking ability: “Yeah, he knows how to give a speech, I must say....He’s very good at that.”
Just over four hours later, during the 10 pm Eastern hour of Anderson Cooper 360, it was Gergen’s turn to sing President Obama’s praises. He would use the “mountaintop” term twice in his comments:
ANDERSON COOPER: David Gergen, we heard in Ed Henry’s piece, the president has this ambitious plan -- $634 billion to reform health care. Is he going to be able to convince Congress, the American people that this is critical to spend money on? We’re throwing around, again, just hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars. Is this really critical?
DAVID GERGEN: That’s -- that’s going to be a very good question, Anderson, and I -- I think one of the big questions about the president’s speech last night -- a rousing speech, took us up to the mountaintops -- but I think a lot of people are now going to look at this and say, we need to focus on the recession first. We need to stabilize the economy. Once we have done that, let’s then see where we can go on health care and -- and -- and energy and these other issues. And do we really want to now pass a 600 and -- for whatever this huge number -- over $600 billion? One of the surprises in Ed Henry’s report -- and I can’t believe that this is a deep view in the White House, but he reported that -- that people in the White House are saying -- working on the recession over the next six months is not all that important. What’s really important is to do health care and energy. That is not the view of the country. So, you know, we went up to the mountaintop last night -- very successful speech. Today, we get down to some hard realities. There are going to be a lot more questions ahead.
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Yes Obama has taken us to
February 26, 2009 - 19:02 ET by eaglewingz08Yes Obama has taken us to the mountaintops, of DEBT and his FOUR TRILLION Dollar budget and equal sized deficit would be higher than Mt Everest if dollar bills were placed on top of each other.
The crowd was almost all partisans
February 26, 2009 - 19:07 ET by exLibOf course the great O had the crowd in his "hands" they were overwhelmingly Democrat!!
Also, Cafferty was praising Michelle Obama's activism the other day saying "like we haven't seen from the last administration". Like Laura Bush wasn't involved in allot of great causes while she was first lady.
CNN had no balance the night of the speech, NOT ONE CONSERVATIVE. They have completely lost it.
Given that Fox now pulls in more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined it's surprising that CNN is in the tank.
Why does Obama even bother
February 26, 2009 - 19:08 ET by gopsteveWhy does Obama even bother to have a press secretary? Kind of a redundant job with the way the msm tows the line for him...
Serenity
February 26, 2009 - 19:18 ET by slickwillie2001'Serenity' in itself doesn't tell us much about the quality of a leader. It's also critical to know if the person is informed and aware of their situation. Look at Princess Nan, she was very serene as well, but in her case it's because she doesn't have a clue where she is or what is happening. I have yet to see evidence that Obammy is aware of what his policies will do to our country. I see no evidence of any intelligence there, or any knowledge of basic economics. Those that I consider well-informed and knowledgeable are terrified of the Liar-in-Chief.
That was my thought
February 26, 2009 - 20:31 ET by motherbeltThat was my thought exactly. Maybe he's "remarkably unruffled" because he's certain that his "magical thinking" solutions will work. Just announce that you are "ending the war" and peace will reign. Raise the tax rate and people won't change their behavior. Pledge to get rid of the deficit while spending $ 4 trillion..Yes, we can! Give everyone free college and free health care...just tax the rich some more (on top of the increase to get rid of the deficit)...pay doctors less...Yes, we can! It all comes from those evergreen money-trees known as "the wealthiest Americans."
Sometimes I think this is the "Through the Looking Glass" administration!
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
motherbelt, Zero is so high on himself...
February 26, 2009 - 20:58 ET by Mother...he's mentally masturbating. This narcissistic ass clown is so high on himself that nothing can make him sweat. He’s already got a good percentage of America fooled into believing anything he says so why on earth should he care about those of us who see right through him. He has no intentions of reaching out to those who cling to their guns and their religion.
Meanwhile, the baby that had the unfortunate torture of surviving a late term abortion will not receive medical/emergency aid but chucked into a waste-bin to die a slow, gasping death. Obama was the ONLY Senator to vote against giving medical care to babies who survive late-term and partial birth abortions. This man is evil and THEN some.
I fear for us all with enough sense to see through this sick motherf*cker.
This disgraceful uspurper is blighting everything that is good and right about our country and blatantly tearing our country apart with nary a check/balance while he gives the finger to ALL of us now and not just Hillary or McCain.
Creatures like Gergen,
February 26, 2009 - 19:31 ET by bigtimerCreatures like Gergen, Cafferty and plenty of others are delusional.
We aren't serene out here...we are shouting to the mountain tops, and it isn't what they are going to want to hear...but they are going to hear from us...a firestorm is brewing....and I don't think there is going to be any stopping it.
I watched the Senate and the votes, speeches today....nope, the anger I feel is not just one person out here...there are tons of us that have had it...the brim of anger isn't going to stop this time...not anytime soon.
You are so right on this bt...
February 26, 2009 - 21:45 ET by ThalpyYou are so right on this bt. Where in the world does the Left not limit free speech and punish those who fail to comply? Why should they be any different here? Of course, they are not any different here. The intelligentsia and Leftists always believe that they know best, that the masses are asses, and that they are owed our undying love, respect, and appreciation. Armed with their intellectual arrogance, here they come to micromanage every aspect of our existence. I just hope we can deal with it.
MSM Salad tossers...
February 26, 2009 - 19:53 ET by Mother...for Zero. That's my new name for the MSM, "Salad tossers for 0bama". I wouldn't doubt bug-eyed Pelosi has given 0bama a rimmer or two and lord only knows how many times Barney Fwank has waxed his gherkin over zero.
Everyone TINGLE now.
I FEEL ILL
*hork*
Congratulations!
February 26, 2009 - 20:00 ET by katainkentthis article gets my Daily Obama Barf Bag Award (DOBBA for short)
:)
katainkent, you have a great idea!
February 26, 2009 - 20:44 ET by MotherSomeone should seriously market Obama barf bags! The warning and instructions alone would be GOLDEN. lmao!
I'll start on the vomit bag's warning label:
1). Breathe into bag first with slow, steady breaths. Try to prevent a full-on 0bomavomit by putting your head between your legs and turn off 0bama's speech or any references on the news ASAP to try and stem the bile building.
Yet CNN has the unmitigated gall...
February 26, 2009 - 20:29 ET by timothe....to claim impartiality in their political coverage.
Gergen, in particular, sickens me! He tries to play himself off as an analyst who worked for both parties, but he's every bit as partisan as Olbermann and Matthews at MSNBC.
I watched Obama's speech from a conservative perspective. If I were to attempt to characterize his speech without bias, I certainly would not have used the words "rousing" or "took us up to the mountaintops".
A non-partisan synopsis of Obama's speech might be something like this:
"Obama set a more optimistic tone Tuesday as he laid out to Congress a very aggressive agenda of social programs, particularly in healthcare reform, education spending, and alternative energy subsidies. His address was met with mostly rabid applause from his supporters and mostly skepticism from his opposition."
How hard can it be for these so-called "news professionals" to play it straight?
That isn't inner confidence...
February 26, 2009 - 20:40 ET by PA ConservativeIt's called absolute arrogance. Did anyone else notice the way that the Messiah was looking down his nose? Truly the sign of someone who DOESN'T know what they are doing...fake arrogance. It's a shame the jackasses at CNN refuse to see that. They are too busy carrying his water! This is so scary...
PAC
That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends,
it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to
institute new government...
PA... Doesn't it sound
February 26, 2009 - 20:50 ET by bigtimerPA...
Doesn't it sound like music to your ears when O says he is going to DEMAND this of you, he loves to throw that word DEMAND around a lot lately...
People had better wake up.
Barack Obama will require
February 26, 2009 - 21:02 ET by motherbeltBarack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you
shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out
of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you
push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never
allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed. - Michelle Obama
I guess no one's life is his/her own any more.
Barack Obama won't allow it!
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
Question...(s)...
February 26, 2009 - 20:46 ET by BKeyserWhat I want to know is- When is Wall Street going to approve of something coming from the White House? I mean, just one thing-- anything...
Today it was Health Care Stocks taking a nose dive. I realize that we can't rely on Wall Street for our entire economic forecast, but if the sell-off continues, more companies will run out of capital and cease operations! Wasn't the Treasury Secretary -you know, the first of many nominated Dem's with a history of tax evasion- supposed to be the only one who could save us? And wasn't that part of the reason he was confirmed, even though he had a huge conflict of interest? Did he take the job and then get stupid? Or drugged? Or is it abundantly clear that there is literally NO PLAN for recovery, and only a drive toward creating the nanny state, in spite of the likely mess it will bring upon us?
Daily, nightly, afternoonly (I'm coining that) these MSM hacks praise Obama and the Administration. Are they just accutely aware of the impending nose-dive in O's approval ratings and trying to fend it off by convincing an ignorant public that the wisdom of O is greater than can be understood? Or do they actually believe, in spite of the glaring evidence, that he know's what he's doing and blindly support his every move?
Some of this might be rhetorical...
I'm just gonna come right
February 26, 2009 - 21:54 ET by Clear thinkerI'm just gonna come right out and say it... I hate our president! And, no thank you, it has nothing to do with his color. In fact, that may be his only atribute that doesn't bother me.
Mandatory Viewing For Lefty’s
Cafferty gushed that the
February 27, 2009 - 00:07 ET by MidAmericaCafferty gushed that the Democrat “had that place in the palm of his hand for the entire time he was in that room”
Actually obama's hands are around our throats.
......seeking a cure for cancer in our time,.......
When I heard that obama said that I thought it must be an inside joke. You know, like he's making fun of us by putting in a joke line.
And all the while Duh1 was speaking.......
February 27, 2009 - 04:34 ET by old croCafferty had something else "in the palm of his hand". Sorry, but the media today remind me of one big circle jerk.
Both Jack Cafferty and David Gergen have legitimate reasons for
February 27, 2009 - 05:15 ET by Rush Fantheir adulation for President Obama. Now I could be wrong, but it's my understanding from secret sources that I can't reveal (that's why they are secret) that the reason Cafferty worships Obama is that Cafferty is planning on visiting President Obama at the White House in the near future and asking the Chosen One for absolution for the sins Cafferty has committed, including his past sins of drunkenness, reckless driving, assault and harassment, as well as his current ongoing sin of "handling the truth recklessly" while on the air.
David Rodham Gergen has high praise for Obama because he is hoping that the job application (he will take anything) in the Obama administration he submitted will be accepted.
So both these fine journalist have legitimate reasons for their gushy adulation (some might call a sexual thing) of the Chosen One.
-----------------------------------------------
“They have plunged to such depths of incompetence and unprofessionalism and ignorance, it's actually hard for me to come up with accurate words to describe what has happened to them,…” ~ Rush Limbaugh on the media
Gergen And Cafferty
February 27, 2009 - 08:04 ET by RadiomanDavid Gergen is a joke. He worked for Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton and fancies himself an independent. Translation? He'll work for anyone who gives him a job. He will shill for all and is patiently waiting for Obama to recognize his "gifts." As for Cafferty with his rolled-up sleeves ( take me seriously, please) he loves playing the iconoclast. He is like the grumpy uncle who comes to dinner and keeps relatives at a distance with his "wit" and mean temper. He is all ego and bluster...truly, a small person. Call his bluff and he withdraws into a bumbling caricature of Andy Rooney. Cafferty has no originality whatsoever.
http://chalktalk-talk.blogspot.com
These are male whores.
February 27, 2009 - 10:22 ET by marpelThese are male whores. Especially Gergen. And with all Gergen's fawning over BO, sounds like he literally wants to be his whore... LOL
Jack Cafferty
February 27, 2009 - 17:39 ET by grumpyoldbJack was an overopinionated, egotistical blowhard who couldn't find his own posterior with both hands, a map, and a guide dog, and wouldn't have known the truth if it bit him on that posterior 30 + years ago when I met him in Des Moines..... Some things just never change.. The perfect propaganda mouthpiece....