Bush's speech to the nation

Some immediate response to President Bush's speech:

Overall, he did well. Substantively, nothing new. Stylistically, a lot to work with.

On the positive side, he addressed – directly – his detractors. “The need for victory is larger than any president or political party... I don't expect you to support everything I do,” he said. It got better with, “I know this war is controversial.”

Basically, it works because it is a direct acknowledgment to the American people that he doesn't live in a bubble. It is a strike against the Cindy Sheehans and Michael Moores of the world, and it was done eloquently.

The potshot he took at “artificial timetables,” however, may be less well received. Also leading with weapons of mass destruction at the top of the speech was a risky move. He takes responsibility for the war – with or without WMD – and a lot of people wanted to see that, but he sure did stick his neck out on that one.

Also, his honesty – which seemed to be the theme of the speech – came short of addressing the allegations of domestic espionage reported in the New York Times a few days back and confirmed by him yesterday. It would have been nice to see a direct comment on this – I realize it was in the Saturday radio address, but the ratings of a live Oval Office address to the nation are much higher.

His attack on Saddam Hussein was well-done, though. The comment about him still being a “raging tyrant” took the much needed step of connecting the monster seen in sporadic court appearances to the man who was once in charge of the Iraqi people.

The three-prong plan – democracy, security and reconstruction – was a positive insofar as it portrays Mr. Bush as having a clear plan. Democrats keep demanding a plan and Mr. Bush not only offers this one but bats down “artificial timetables,” which helps weaken the perception of his administration being unorganized. (A bizarre allegation to begin with, I might add – I never thought I'd see the day the GOP is accused of being unorganized in any regard.) Still, as mentioned above, this piece may not be received so well.

Finally, the one piece of the speech I can't quite figure is his comment, “We will see more sacrifice from our military, their families and the Iraqi people.” This reads like an acknowledgment of forthcoming causalities. And while such may be a foregone conclusion, I hate to see a Commander in Chief openly admit as much. Sure the language is veiled and the reference subtle, but people get it.

Overall, Mr. Bush should get a good rating on the night. It was a well-crafted, dense speech that kept people interested and didn't test attention spans. He looked like a knowledgeable man in charge who fully appreciates his opponents, and that is an image that would serve the office of the president well during any administration.