"The House Upon A Rock"

President Obama's address on the economy at Georgetown University today sets yet another high standard in oratory that both teaches minds and reaches hearts, on even the driest of subjects.

Steve Benen wrote:

The one thing I always like about President Obama's speeches is that he just doesn't talk down to his audience. He seems intent on treating Americans like grown-ups, and today's speech on the economy was no different.

Obama warned his Georgetown University audience early on that his speech would be "prose, not poetry." It wasn't filled with obvious applause lines, and the soaring rhetoric that many have come to expect from him wasn't there.

But it wasn't that kind of speech. Instead, the president offered something along the lines of a fireside chat, which happened to be delivered from a podium in a crowded room: "Today, I want to step back for a moment and explain our strategy as clearly as I can. I want to talk about what we've done, why we've done it, and what we have left to do. I want to update you on the progress we've made, and be honest about the pitfalls that may lie ahead. And most of all, I want every American to know that each action we take and each policy we pursue is driven by a larger vision of America's future."

White House summary here.