Obama's First Weekly YouTube Address

It’s interesting to me that he starts with the recognition that the only way out of this financial mess is a coordinated global action and ends with this comment:

In this country, we rise and fall as one nation, one people, and that’s how we’ll meet the challenges of this time, together.

Of course that’s true, but in fact in the world we live in now, we rise and fall as one world, one people, and as Obama said at the start we’ll have to meet the challenges of this time as one world, acting together.

#Politics

Comments (Archived):

  1. mattmaroon

    Am I the only one who noticed that early ’80s looking wood paneling in the background? That’s one notch above smoke-stained floral-print wallpaper.

    1. fredwilson

      i noticed it too. kind of ghetto for the next president of the US

      1. kenberger

        Ghetto works for me well, for a *change*. Better than a portrait behind him of Kennebunkport.

      2. Sam Smith

        Really? Ghetto? is that the word you really want to use?

        1. fredwilson

          That’s slangI agree its not PC

          1. Harry

            Did you use such slang with previous, white presidents?I think it’s tacky and undermines your personal brand, Fred. Makes you sound like Don Imus or Rush Limbaugh

  2. arikan

    By addressing the nation on YouTube, Obama is already addressing the “global nation”.

    1. fredwilson

      RightI am not being criticalHe’s doing most everything right so farBut I kind of wish he’d be a bit more global at the end as well

  3. kenberger

    Off to a great start w/ this.Best part is the length: 3:34, like the average pop song video. Retains stickiness.”Make no mistake” (at 1:08)– ditch the Bushism.

    1. fredwilson

      Agree on both Ken

  4. Guest

    The full sentence is:”If this financial crisis has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers — in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.” A more accurate phrasing would be:”If this financial crisis has taught us anything, it’s that a thriving Wall Street led to the whole world suffering”This fantastic account of what had happened is an absolute “must read”:http://www.portfolio.com/ne

  5. danrua

    Interesting thought Fred. I don’t see it as black and white as you do: one nation vs. one world. I’m much more comfortable with a president-elect who appreciates both national interests and world interests have a role in any solution. As such, mentioning both in the address seems very appropriate…

  6. ambivalence

    I think it’s a fine line trying to rally the people here whose self interests are presumably aligned with what his job is as president (elect), as well as appealing to the citizens of the world as a whole who can’t quite assume that Obama has their best interest in mind.

  7. Geoff

    Impressive that he is using YouTube rather than his own site, quite a coup for Google. I wonder if he will go walkabout on future addresses. It all rather reminded me of the Queen’s annual Christmas message.

    1. Steven Kane

      the media has made this a youtube thing but obamam IS using his own transition site as the primary source:http://change.gov

      1. Geoff

        Thanks for the link. Even on his website it is still a YouTube video.

  8. vincentvw

    I think the danger of viewing things too “globally,” is that you end up forgetting about the local. America needs to do a lot to fix itself, one of which is certainly opening up to international regulation, but other national issues were addressed in Obama’s video: unemployment, lack of innovation, etc. Whether these two are incompatible, I hope not and I hope that Obama will do what is right, both for the global economy and for the people that elected him.Disclaimer: I write this as a European.

  9. dan

    He’s President-elect of the United States, not President of the World.

  10. fredwilson

    I know but the fact is that he needs the cooperation of the world, not justour country to fix what’s wrong