No, We Can't: Meet the Pessimist in Chief

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama’s first speech as president was not “a joyous audacious document, not a call to arms,” writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal, “but a reasoned statement by a Young Sobersides.” That’s not a criticism: Moderate and moderated, Obama’s address said exactly what it needed to. It was not “especially moving or rousing,” but “it was worthy, had weight, and was adult.” More»

New president's speech emphasized how a bright future comes from old traditions

(NEWSER) - A conservative might have expected President Obama’s inaugural address to feature soaring language masking hackneyed ideas. Funny thing, writes Michael Gerson in the Washington Post: It was just the opposite. "It is simply mysterious how such tired language could sound appropriate to the ear of Obama the writer,” but the speech’s substance “shows deep understanding of America, which remains moral to its core.” More»

President alludes to slavery, points to diversity as a strength

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama made only subtle reference to his race in today’s inaugural address, but it came up again and again throughout the 18-minute address. He said that America owed its prosperity to “the makers of things,” who “endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth,” and that the election of a black man was a sign of the country’s bedrock values. More»

Right/left praise speech

(NEWSER) - The early reviews are in from Barack Obama’s inauguration address, and the news is positive. Here’s what the critics are saying:

• At the National Review, Michael Knox Beran thought the speech was a “home run.” It predictably had “a few lines at which a conservative would cavil,” but impressed with its somber tone and deference to the founding fathers.
• Jacob Heilbrun of the Huffington Post saw something else in the references to Washington and company. “He promised a new American revolution,” with a fresh generation renewing America’s promise.

Rejects policies, advocates diplomacy, warns enemies

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama offered a clear rebuke of George Bush's policies and signaled a sharp break with his predecessor's strategy abroad in his inaugural address today. “We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals,” the new president said, referring obviously to torture of detainees and violation of Americans' civil rights in the name of the war on terror. “Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.” More»