Full Text of Obama's Speech

[JReducation]

Common ground my !

After re-instating the Mexico Policy, he dares to call for common ground??

He should save his saliva for his secular speech

That’s my point. You can’t invite others to search for common ground. You have to bring something to the table that both sides have in common and begin there. President Obama could not do that. The closest that he came was to say that we have to help prevent unwanted pregnancies, but that’s not enough. Because you can be posturing for birth control under that statement.

He needed to bring something to the table that the two sides have in common. There is nothing that they have in common. Therefore, the subject should not have been presented at a Catholic graduation. It’s not a very diplomatic thing to do. It only polarizes your audience.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[cathgal]

That’s my point. You can’t invite others to search for common ground. You have to bring something to the table that both sides have in common and begin there. President Obama could not do that. The closest that he came was to say that we have to** help prevent unwanted pregnancies**, but that’s not enough. Because you can be posturing for birth control under that statement.
Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

He must think the Catholics are stupid or something…well, most of them anyway. Can’t fault him here.

He cuts the funding for abstinence and pours it into condom and contraception and he still thinks he doing some sort of prevention??

I did say his speech was a bunch of hypocrisy didn’t I :doh2:

 

[Tsuwano]

I think President Obama’s speech was a failure primarily because I don’t think it was the speech he wanted to give. Judging from some of the comments he did make in his speech; his mention of the anniversary of Brown Vs. Kansas Board of Education, his high praise for Fr. Hesburgh, former President of Notre Dame, as a leading Catholic advocate for black civil rights in the 60’s, and his reflection on the work he did in Chicago with Catholic and other churches, I think Obama may have intended an attempt to reconcile his Administration with the American Catholic Church by recalling and praising Catholic leadership in the civil rights movement. I don’t think he intended to mention abortion or other life issues in his speech at all, but was overtaken by the protests that followed his acceptance of Notre Dame’s invitation to speak at their graduation and was forced to respond to an agenda he wasn’t ready to respond to. I think his Administration was naive and miscaculated the degree to which Catholics are willing to actively oppose his position on abortion. Not to mention these issues in his speech, especially after numerous bishops complained and called Notre Dame on the carpet, would have been a greater slap in the face to the concerns of Catholics than mentioning them and reminding his listeners of his opposition to their pro life views. Thus, he was forced into a corner. He couldn’t very well express his pro abortion views as vehemently as he has in the past due to the location of the speech at Notre Dame. This would have been insulting to his hosts. At the same time, he couldn’t very well repudiate his views on abortion and still remain faithful to the base of the Democratic Party which elected him. The result was a lukewarm call for “common ground” and respect for differing views. He had to acknowledge his support for abortion without alienating or insulting either Catholics or abortion supporters. This was a political no win situation brought on by the Catholic protests against his presence at Notre Dame. It was a fight he wasn’t ready for and he wasn’t sure how to respond to events. The only way for him to have won would have been to not have accepted Notre Dame’s invitation in the first place, but once he did, he lost control of what he could talk about. I don’t think you will see Obama speaking at another Catholic institution in the future unless he is in complete control of the message, for example, if he is invited to speak on a specific subject alone. I think Obama lost influence by giving his speech at Notre Dame, both among his base supporters and among those he had hoped to reconcile with, and so I see his speech as a political failure.

 

[JimG]

I think that the speech is exactly the one that Obama intended to give.
He doesn’t care what the Bishops say. His reception at Notre Dame confirms his status as the American pope.

 

[cathgal]

I think President Obama’s speech was a failure primarily because I don’t think it was the speech he wanted to give. Judging from some of the comments he did make in his speech; his mention of the anniversary of Brown Vs. Kansas Board of Education, his high praise for Fr. Hesburgh, former President of Notre Dame, as a leading Catholic advocate for black civil rights in the 60’s, and his reflection on the work he did in Chicago with Catholic and other churches, I think Obama may have intended an attempt to reconcile his Administration with the American Catholic Church by recalling and praising Catholic leadership in the civil rights movement. I don’t think he intended to mention abortion or other life issues in his speech at all, but was overtaken by the protests that followed his acceptance of Notre Dame’s invitation to speak at their graduation and was forced to respond to an agenda he wasn’t ready to respond to. I think his Administration was naive and miscaculated the degree to which Catholics are willing to actively oppose his position on abortion. Not to mention these issues in his speech, especially after numerous bishops complained and called Notre Dame on the carpet, would have been a greater slap in the face to the concerns of Catholics than mentioning them and reminding his listeners of his opposition to their pro life views. Thus, he was forced into a corner. He couldn’t very well express his pro abortion views as vehemently as he has in the past due to the location of the speech at Notre Dame. This would have been insulting to his hosts. At the same time, he couldn’t very well repudiate his views on abortion and still remain faithful to the base of the Democratic Party which elected him. The result was a lukewarm call for “common ground” and respect for differing views. He had to acknowledge his support for abortion without alienating or insulting either Catholics or abortion supporters. This was a political no win situation brought on by the Catholic protests against his presence at Notre Dame. It was a fight he wasn’t ready for and he wasn’t sure how to respond to events. The only way for him to have won would have been to not have accepted Notre Dame’s invitation in the first place, but once he did, he lost control of what he could talk about. I don’t think you will see Obama speaking at another Catholic institution in the future unless he is in complete control of the message, for example, if he is invited to speak on a specific subject alone. I think Obama lost influence by giving his speech at Notre Dame, both among his base supporters and among those he had hoped to reconcile with, and so I see his speech as a political failure.

Don’t think Obama is stupid. It’s an opportunity he would not pass if given again from stupid Catholics

He knows he can never reconcile his abortion stance with Catholics, good Catholics that is. He can only evade it and that is exactly what is evidence in his speech. He has another purpose for being at ND. Read George Weigel’s article to get a glimpse of his intention if you haven’t.