Thursday, September 10, 2009

Obama super bowl response - Grade the speech and in a paragraph explain your grade-A-F

39 comments:

  1. I would give Obama's speech an A. The reasons i feel he would deserve an A is because he addressed his ideas, and left room for other options. He said this is what i want, yet i am open to new ideas. Not only was he open to new ideas, but he was also addressing both sides of the spectrum. He spoke more towards the middle, yet addressed specific ideas or concerns to each side, left and right.
    He also included McCain in his speech. The fact he was open to McCain's idea and included him in his speech really drew acceptance through out the crowd. He was trying to make everyone happy. He also spoke well and was very specific regarding his ideas and thoughts.
    I thought his speech went well.

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  2. I would give him an A or a more than solid A-. Obama has always been a fantastic speaker, and this was no different. He clearly laid out his points and knocked them down one by one as best as he could. He cleared up a lot of discrepancies that were surrounding the plan. Still, there are some problems. I still don't clearly understand where the $900 billion is going to come from. He says that most of it will be paid with money already being spent in the insurance system, but what about the rest? I have a feeling that he was intentionally vague on some points, which I can understand. But, overall, he did what he came to do, and did it well.

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  3. I would give Obama an A- for his speech. He managed to properly clarify what he meant by a public option and reiterated that it would not interfere with private companies; rather, it would lower deductibles prevent private companies from withholding coverage due to a person's prior health problems. He also dispelled the rumors of 'death panels,' something that sorely needed to be addressed. He admitted that there were some details that needed to be worked out [and used his skills as a orator to glaze over some details], but provided a fairly good blueprint of what the reform really is.

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  5. I would give Obama’s healthcare speech an “A”. I thought he addressed the problems thoroughly especially when he stated that his plan will end discrimination against those who has pre-existing conditions. I also like how he kept his promise when he claimed that he was going to aid the average American in his presidential election and now Obama is actually making an effort to reform healthcare through security, stability and affordability. Obama also encourages this plan by affirming that Americans will not spend a dime to the deficit by directing the medical waste and fraud spending towards the healthcare spending. Predominantly, I think Obama did an excellent job in explaining his speech.

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  6. I would give Obama's speech a "B" because I did not feel that his speech was entirely too clear on some important issues. Overall, it was a good speech because he addressed concerns of both the left and the right, (mal-practice reform for the Rep.) and did not try to hide the important parts, like how much it is going to cost and where the money is going to come from. However, he was unclear about how "exactly" the 900 billion is going to come and I didn't feel he iterated enough about the public option. He mentioned that he would not back off at giving a "choice" to the ppl who can't afford reasonable healthcare, and mentioned that his plans could be flexible, but in reality, I don't feel he said anything "concrete" about his public option.

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  7. I would give his speech an "A" because he appealed and mentioned not only every age group that will be affected by the new plan, but also made amends to every whole the new health care plan might have. ex: "if it lowers the deficit in any way", he will cut down federal spending on other things to make up for it. Although some areas of the planmight be alittle hard to achieve like ensuring every american individual gets health care, the majority of the speech was well polished with multiple arguments that both democrats and republicans can actually agree upon, and he even incorporated some of john mccains ideas that were expressed during his presidential campaign. He also expresses a good point that the health insurance companies are a huge reason to the national deficit and gives multiple reasons to support his main argument.

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  8. I would give Obama's speech a B+ because I thought he did a pretty good job explaining his proposal and ideas towards the right and the left. He used past experiences and statistics to support his new reform plan plus left the public option out for discussion and ideas. I thought he spoke effectively and confident. He kept my attention and focused on the important facts and got out what he wanted to say without a lot of extra explaining. The only thing I had a question about was whether or not taxes would go up and if so how much. He didn't really address that issue so I was left a little confused. Other than that I thought Obama did a great job.

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  9. I give President Obama's speech a C-, as he used some specifics but was unclear on many things and did not provide sufficient details. Some of these things were the source of money for the plan, the ability of employees to keep their current insurer, and whether or not illegal aliens would be provided for. The money issue is in question because the necessary $900 billion has to come from some where, yet, Obama has "guaranteed" that the general public will not have to compensate such costs. Also current employees are told they will not lose their current health care provider(s), yet by providing the nation with a public option, this will give employers the ability to drop current provisions. On top of all this, Obama says illegals would not be covered, but at the same time the democratic party includes these individuals in their estimated 50 million of uninsured "Americans." All in all Obama needs to lay down what he intends to do and stand with it. He must stop being vague and create a plan that will allow bipartisan satisfaction, thus destroying all doubt and dissatisfaction with his plan.

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  10. btw that was Kirby Taylor^^ sorry for the nick name lol

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  11. I would give Obama's speech an A. It was a strong and solid speech in which he clarified some things that were not clear to the public before. He reasured the public that this would not affect Medicare. He said that he wanted security and stability for those who are insured, and provide insurance to those who are not. Even though I am still not exactly sure from where the money is coming from, Obama said that it would cost $900 billion. He also made references to the past like tax cuts and the war. Overall i think that he gave a great speech that helped more people understand what his health care reform is about, and now they can decide if they are for it or agains it.

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  12. I would give President Obama's speech a B. Among the many positive aspects was the steadfastness and resolution with which he announced that the public option would be pursued; additionally, he greatly clarified what exactly the proposed public option entails, including his assurances that the public option would not be mandatory and that individuals with insurance through other providers would not be impacted. Additionally, Obama made key concessions and laid ground for essential compromises, such as when he reached out to Senator McCain and when he called the suggestions of others concerning the best way to put the public option into effect "constructive ideas worth exploring." In these ways, Obama both specified more deeply what his intentions are and laid the groundwork necessary to pass the bill. However, Obama was still vague in his declaration of where the necessary funding would come from - in saying that the money would come from cutting waste in Medicare and Medicaid but not specifying exactly how, listeners were left to wonder what exactly Obama considers wasteful. Overall, the speech took vital steps toward clarifying details needed for the public to come to an informed decision - but, as the President himself said, there are essential details yet to be ironed out.

    -CARA WEISMAN

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  13. I would give President Obama's speech a B+ because in this speech he specifically stated the components of his health care plan. Unlike his first speech, President Obama named three key points about what the bill must consist of: stability for privately insured people, insurance for the uninsured, and decreasing healthcare costs. He stood strong beside the public option and clearly explained the importance of having a public option such as ending insurance companies' abuses and giving any American an option/ choice to have insurance. He also clearly acknowledged both parties during his speech. He did not specifically speak to one side, but rather spoke to Congress as a whole pushing the need for compromise between both parties. However, Obama did not clear up the vagueness surrounding the issue of how America is to pay for this plan. He assured the American people that there will be no more deficit spending, and that the 900 Billion dollars for the plan will come from within the system. Obama also stated that nothing will be pulled from Medicare or Medicaid. So where is this money coming from within the system? What programs is the government cutting back on? Will some Americans within the system be taxed for it? He made everything clear except the money issue...How is America expected to pay for this without going further and further into debt?

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  14. I would give Obama's speech an A-. I agree with Cara that he was open for ideas.I thought it was good how he included McCain's idea into his speech. I think he got to the point, and made what he wanted to do clear. He made references to the past like the tax cuts. I like how he said that the money would come from wasteful government spending, even though I'm not entirely sure if the money would only come from there. As a whole, I think the speech went well.

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  15. I would have to give President Obama's speech a B-. I think he did an okay job on addressing issues on both sides of congress and he does do a good job with allowing room for new options to come. He addressed his 3 key factors that he wants to see happen, stability, provisions, as well as slowing down costs. What I didn't understand though was his specifics, such as where the $900 Billion dollars is going to come from, if he isn't going to change the way the taxes are for the middle class- which is the majority of America. It just doesn't make sense that Obama wants to open this healthcare reform, that would supposedly cut back in national debt, when there is hardly any money to fund it due to wasteful government spending. He wants to create a non-for-profit public option for those who don't have insurance, yet he estimates less than 5% would actually use it. Isn't that just a waste of money? to create something, that less than 5% of the population in America would use, even though he says no one would be forced to choose it. By being vague, he's instilling doubt and fear in many Americans that don't agree with his ideas and don't want to see them become a reality.

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  16. I would give Obama's speech a B. He was able to iron out most of the skepticism that a lot of people had with his decisions on health care. In doing so, he mentioned how he would enact his plans; for example, protecting medicare and not including illegal immigrants from having the benefits of new health care. What he didn't mention was how he was going to get the funds. Where's the $900 billion going to come from? That is a question left to be answered and I'm sure a lot of Americans are wondering the same thing. What I liked about his speech was how he could relate to the people and give examples of how this whole situation affected them. He also addressed both parties and didn't take a side on either one. Although some people have disagreed with his proposal, all that matters is that we as a nation find a way to get out of this economic recession.

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  17. I would give Obama's speech an A-. Obama set the record straight in the speech by calling out the people who's only agenda was to kill the People's Choice. He simplified the speech, and made it easy for me to understand. The only problem i found with the speech was that Obama did not spend enough time on malpractice. I liked how he explained how the system would ultimately fix America's deficit problem. Overall, I found Obama to be concise and informative, and I thought he made the Republicans look kind of ignorant.

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  18. I would give Obama's speech an A- or B+. He did an excellent job of addressing the 3 major groups that would be effected by the healthcare plan: the uninsured, the insured, and the people on medicare and medicaid. By enumerating the harms of the current system to each of these groups not just the uninsured. He goes on to takeout many of the negative arguments to the plan such as, "people will all have to buy the government insurance", "people will have to go to government appointed doctors, "death panels"; other negative arguments he effectivly turns to his advantage such as,"the money will be taken from medicare", by arguing "the money won't come from medicare and the plan will actually help medicare run more efficiently." The only argument Obama undercovered was the cost argument. The fact that he did not give as many specifics on the source of the money (though he did say how the plan would cut costs and increase efficiency), is probably due to the fact that source of funding is one of the "significant details to be ironed out" (0bama).

    --Matthew Times--

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  20. Overall, I would give Obama's speech an A-. I believe that Obama adderssed the "big picture" of his plan, but he did not go into great detail, which is what the speech was in need of. He did say what his plan would consist of: universal healthcare available to anyone. He said that insurance companies would be unable to deny coverage to anyone, nor would they be able to drop anyone due to pre-existing medical conditions. President Obama also said that the plan would cost around $900 billion dollars, but that he would not touch a dollar of medicare to pay for it. Personally, I don't think that is possible. I think that Obama could have been a bit more specific about his plan rather than listing off vague ideas. However, I believe that Obama's ideas will be beneficial to the American people if they are put into action successfully.

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  21. I would give Obama's speech a B. I felt he really explained his plan and I think the insurance exchange is a great idea and will provide competition. However; he was very vague on where the money was going to come from. He also said that there were still a lot of details to be worked out, which was honest, but did not make him look prepared or organized and did not make the plan seem strong. He also used Ted Kennedy's death to persuade people to back his plan which I think is wrong. However; the plan should allow many people wothout healthcare to obtain healthcare which is great. Overall, I feel the speech was good I just wish he could have been more specific.
    Natalie Lodinger

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  22. I would give Obama's speech a B+. I felt that his plan for fixing things that don't work and stabilizing the things that do calmed down a majority of the viewers. Unfortunately, he didn't say how this plan would be paid for. He gave a vague statement that it would pay for itself, but I'm not sure how that is going to work. He also directly addressed the senior citizens and said that no money would be taken from Medicare in order to pay for his plan. I felt that this was smart because many senior citizens were concerned with just that fact. I thought that his mentioning of Ted Kennedy of gimmicky and unnecessary. If people this that his plan for health care is strong, then they will approve it because of just that, not out of pity. Overall, I think that Obama gave a fairly good description of his future plan, but lacked telling how it would be paid for.

    Monica Raptis

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  23. After watching President Obama's speech, I would give it an A-. I feel that he made sure to get all of his major plans and goals out while, at the same time, touching minor details. I also liked the fact that he spoke to the different groups individually as to give the speech a more informal feel for the regular American people trying to grasp the whole health care topic.

    - Destiny Hamilton

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  24. Obama clearly stated his points. He also cleared up a lot of discrepancies surrounding such issues. I particularly liked when he indirectly referred to Sarah Palin and the "death panel." He was very direct and this made his speech very effective. There was, nevertheless, some vagueness as to how we would pay for the 900 billion dollars. I believe he did a good job overall, and that this speech does help him further his agenda.

    Grade : 89 .. B+

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  25. I give Obama's speech an A-. I chose this grade because I think he did a great job in laying out the important points of his plan and dispelling rumors about his healthcare plan that had been spread by other people in government. Unfortunately, he forgot some important details, such as how he is going to pay for the plan. He also did not mention the issue of medical malpractice at all and he said hardly anything about the public option.

    -Landry

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  26. I'd give Obama a solid B, maybe a B-. He scored some major points by outlining the three main points clearly, and following up with his transitions. The only thing going for him is structure, and his connection to the people instead of talking on about H-care. What really stuck out is the low blow dealt by evoking pathos from the watchers by bringing Kennedy into the conversation. It's almost as if he is saying: if you dont like my plan, your walking on Kennedy's grave. I didnt like it. Furthermore, as already pointed out in class, he mixes numbers that do not correspond to one another. For example he quoted 30 million uninsured and in the same speech said he will not insure illegal immigrants (insert liar! here). The real number after the -8million for illegal immigrants is 22 million, almost a 33% lie/decrease in his figures. The media is wrecking his credibility by muddling into the cost of the H-care plan, pushing into a major weak point of his speech. This morning on scarborough, politicians keep making skeptical refrences to raising taxes, Medicaid cuts etc. that just scares the general population into believing it comes from where they dont want it to come from. In his measly defense he merely says "it wont come from medicaid" and doesnt go into detail the fiscal responsibilities that pay for the bill. He surely could have cleared it by going into detail at least the slightest bit.
    Lastly, where was malpractice? Tort reform? He already was vague on scores of other points, but he doesnt talk about a significant reason why our health insurance costs are so high. I think that was the most important "across the isle gesture" and he blew it in the eyes of the repubs as well as mine.

    Vladimir Berka deems it a: B-
    [To mr. obama: stop knocking congress around, pick a side]

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  27. I would give Obama a B+. He made many promises. That can be dangerous and misleading. However, if the reform he supports succeeds, it will improve the health safety of a great number of people. That would be wonderful. In his speech, there were intense partisan moments, but those are to be expected. Surprising to me, Obama did compliment a few Republican initiatives to help represent some political balance. The plan he presented to financially support the reform sounded almost too good to be true. I always feel the need to question ANY government spending projection and analysis. Also, the reform seems to have the possibility of future difficulty n regards to enforcement. We shall see. Overall, the speech made me feel more positive about potential reform. I still maintain a healthy amount of criticism.

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  28. I give Obama an A. In his speech, Obama addresses all the major issues. He starts off with examples of the victims of the current healthcare system, employing pathos to get everyone’s sympathy. He then says that it’s not only the uninsured that’s losing, but also the insured that are paying for the uninsured’s emergency care. In this manner, Obama makes healthcare everyone’s problem. He points out that his plan will not raise the debt by a dime by holding the insurance companies responsible. As expected, Obama addresses the crazy rumors that opponents have put out there: death panels, government takeover, and changes in Medicare. Obama does a good job by hitting these specific areas but I expected him to continue by explaining the specific plan, which he didn’t. However he does a good job by reassuring that the public option is just that: an option. I believe Obama employed just the right amount of rhetoric along with facts to make his speech a success.

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  29. I would give Obama an A- (90).

    I added lots of commentary in...because I initially missed the word "paragraph". If you just want the summary, skip down to my next post.

    Pros:
    Before getting into the meat of the healthcare debate, he first established his credibility through mentioning his administration's work in slowing the recession down. This is important as his poll figures have been backsliding due to perceived "inaction"; talking about his successes, he portrays himself as someone who will act on his words rather than merely speak.

    Secondly, he successfully appeals to all the areas of the general public. By using tragic examples of many who have lost coverage or have been abused by the insurance companies, Obama speaks to with those in similar plights, especially those on the brink of losing their jobs. Even those who have secure health insurance will be infuriated to learn they pay 150% versus those in other countries while attaining an arguably lower quality of healthcare - what's more, those who are secure benefit from Obama's plan through insurance cap removals and other measures for "security and stability". He even appeals to the fear of the seniors (who have been protesting at healthcare) by saying that the status quo "puts greater pressure on programs like Medicare and Medicaid", whereas his proposition would in no way affect funding for those programs. Finally, he appeals to the uninsured through the speech's inherent intent - to ensure that all people are covered.

    Thirdly, he does a relatively good job on clearing up the controversy around the public option. Cutting right through the politically skewed atmosphere, he establishes that the public option is not forcibly mandated onto those already insured. Also, he establishes room for flexibility by stating that there are additional methods that can be used in CONJUNCTION with the public option. Additionally, he states that the plan would drive prices down for all consumers across the board, making the apparently "evil" private insurance companies become fairer, comparing it to "public colleges and universities". However, he mitigates this overall insult to the insurance companies by stating that they would in turn profit from a larger consumer pool (due to the increase in the market size, and thus the demand for insurance).

    Finally, he portrays the issue of insurance as a ethical and moral obligation of the Americans. By speaking of Kennedy, he effectively rides a wave of emotional appeal and establishes that it is part of the American character to pass healthcare. In a way, this also puts pressure on the Republican party to pass healthcare, if not the moral fault lies with THEM, as they are the main opponents of healthcare.

    Cons:

    He skipped over the specifics of dealing with cost. Even though he mentioned that he would cut waste from healthcare, it is implausible that all 900 billion dollars will come from cuts alone. With his promises to maintain Medicaid and other programs, it is feared he will cut from programs such as education or raise taxes; this leaves a weak spot for speculation - a weak spot that is often skewed by the media.

    His efforts at bipartisanship were at best feeble. He briefly mentioned malpractice reform, John McCain's proposed healthcare plan, and confirmation that funds would not go to abortion. In fact, it seemed as if he was throwing punches at them (bringing up the Iraq war/Bush, "those who have made the calculation that it is better politics to kill this plan than to improve it") constantly. In a way, he may have been using this to shake the Republican representatives at their foundations - those who vote for them; however, it slightly conveys a little bit of arrogance that almost says "I can do it entirely without Republican support".

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  30. Paragraph/Summary:

    In general, Obama does a fairly good job of explaining how his healthcare plan benefits all parties involved. First establishing his credibility (through historical references, administration achievements), he proceeds to outline his goals: cutting costs across the board for all consumers, increasing security and stability by limiting private insurance abuses, using this to indirectly fix the economic crisis. He then links this into the public plan and clears up the right-wing media's abuse portraying the plan as a "forced substitute" instead of an "alternative", and showing how the public plan can achieve the goals he has set - in this, he also leaves the option open for additional input, keeping his options flexible and not tying his hands down. After this, he establishes the plan as a moral issue, placing a moral responsibility on us as a nation - and indirectly sets up a morality spectrum with the liberals on the "light" side and the conservatives on the "dark". He however, does a meager job in outlining the plan funding. He skips over the specifics and leaves the gap wide open for conservative propaganda over whether he can really cut 900 billion dollars of waste. He also fails at bipartisanship - most of his suggestions such as malpractice/the insurance marketplace that resulted in short-lived clapping from the right were unspecific to the point of dismissiveness; also, he used more punches (Iraq/Bush/Palin/"political motives") than handshakes. Overall, these things lowered Obama's grade down to an A- (90) because he does require at least some Republican support to pass healthcare, yet he was not bipartisan enough to garner that support.

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  31. I would give Obama's speech an A- because he successfully addressed a lot of issues that the public was confused over like taking money from Medicaid and his stance on the public option. He did try to appeal to the left and right by mentioning tort reform (John McCain). Also, he effectively put health care reform back on everyone's mind and appealing to the morals of the US by saying that the decision of passing this bill is a reflection of America's character. However, he did not fully explain some issues, like the trigger (he kind of glossed over it) and where exactly the money would come from.

    ~Kimberly Tape

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  33. I think I would give Obama an A- for his speech.

    First of all, Obama always knows how to make beautiful speeches. In this speech, he not only address the necessity to have health care reform (like the weak point of current health, the amount of money people have to pay for the health care etc.), but also states how he is going to make the health care reform work batter (such as how he is going to lower the cost, how he is going to deal with the law suits against doctors etc.). His speech comforts most of the citizens.

    Secondly, Obama's point is suit for every level of the society. Form doctors to businessman (not including private insurance company people); form seniors to young people. Everyone can find some points that sound good to them.

    The only reason that I give him an A- is that he didn't really clarify where the 900 billion dollars is coming from. And that's one of the major issues people are concerning about. In that part of speech, Obama gives me a sense of planless.

    And at last, it’s about the public options. I think his major focus of the speech is not about public options. So maybe Obama batter just not mentions it, rather than says it ambiguously.

    Over all, Obama has done a nice job on the speech. He deserves an A-.

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  34. I would give Obama's speech a B-. He was relatively concise on the issues at hand (such as the fact that so many are uninsured and that even those who are insured may still be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions) and how he intended to solve them, but he failed to clearly address some major points, for example, where the $900 million to pay for it will come from. But the most prominent question in my mind while he delivered his speech was whether giving all Americans low quality health insurance would be better or worse than having some individuals with high quality insurance and others with none at all. he also spent a lot of the time subtly bashing the republicans which made him seem somewhat less bipartisan. I did not end up feeling as reassured as I could have by the end of it, but he did clear up many of the rumors and fallacies surrounding the public option.

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  35. I give Obama a B because he did make cover and make a strong impression on most the issues strongly and did not ramble because of the bunch of arrows pointed at his head, but he was being vague on some of the issues present. Obama was so focused on Health care that he had to leave some issues open and unexplained with no details so that he could just get past them. This lead people to doubt Obama, and wonder if he was prepared and reliable or if he was scrambling and incompetent as a leader. But overall, Obama did get the main issue of health care explained and did well in keeping his goal focused, giving the viewers the information that they wanted(ex:money for health care), keeping his audience's attention centered instead of going on a huge rant and boring everyone to death, and make his point while covering both sides of the arguement vividly.

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  36. I would give Obama's speech an A. He basically discussed what he wanted in the bill, but did not go too much into specifics. He did a very good job of clearing up rumors, like the one that was going around that illegal immigrants will be insured. He did mention in his speech about making a non-for-profit public option available. He said it would keep insurance companies honest. He called the public option a "means to an end". Which was a very good description for a very big issue surrounding health care. He was not too detailed about to the public option because it is such a controversial issue. He assured the public that not a single dime will be added to the deficit which is a very big concern with the American public, as well as the leaders of both political parties. He addressed the issues of Medicare and Medicaid and assured the nation that not a dollar of the medicare trust fund will be used for this plan. He also told addressed the nation in a way by telling them the new rules that will be implemented under the health care plan. All individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance. So even the unemployed will have insurance even if the government has to pay for it. Businesses will be required to either offer their workers help care, or chip in to help cover the cost of their workers. He also made a compromise with the Republicans on the malpractice insurance issue and directed the comment right at them. He was sure to let them know that their side of the argument is being addressed and he is willing to compromise with him. He has always been a very good speaker and was very good at keeping his argument centered and addressed straight to the people. He covered both sides and did not bore the audience.

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  37. I would give Obama's speech a solid B. He is very good at speaking to the people and knows just exactly what to say to get people on his side. He thoroughly explained his health care plan so that people could actually understand what he's talking about and where he is coming from. However, he did forget some key elements like where all the pay would came from that was paying for his plan. His plan sounds very solid and his speech definietly cleared up a lot of remaining doubts, but certain aspects of it need to be explained to fully engage and convince the audience to be on his side.

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  38. I give Obama an A. He has been criticized for being vague in the past. In this speech, he was both clear and distinct in his points. He spoke at a level that everyone watching, not only Congress, could easily understand. His words were firm and effective; he started by pointing out all the flaws with our system and then went into how to fix it. He simply went through the what, why, and how of the issue and that is exactly what he needed to do. He addressed all the opposing ideas, such as the death panels and the republican idea of government taking over healthcare, directly without any hesitation. I give Obama a 95, not a perfect 100, only because he didn't sufficiently incorporate enough right-wing policy to really put himself in the middle. However, how could he make Republicans and Democrats completely happy AND get anything done? Obama made the effort to show that he doesn't want to shut out the right side, by accrediting part of the plan to McCain and constantly reiterating that his door is always open to constructive criticism. He also directly addressed senior citizens at one point. Obama's speech not only simply laid out the health care plan, but also used public speaking tactics to get the crowd on his side from the beginning, as he ran off stories of specific people who died because they couldn't pay for health insurance. How can you argue against universal healthcare after an anecdote like that? You may not agree with what Obama is proposing, but that doesn't change that he made a great speech.

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  39. I give him an A because he explined what he wanted to do and when he made that case he said what he wanted to do to slove it but the only thing he could do better is make the speech shorter. Johnathan Kelly

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