Obama Delivers, Jindal Quivers

CNN's polls on America's reactions to Obama's address to Congress showed Obama absolutely belted out a grand slam.

Sixty-eight percent of speech-watchers questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey had a very positive reaction, with 24 percent indicating that they had a somewhat positive response and 8 percent indicating that they had a negative reaction.

Eighty-five percent of those polled said the president's speech made them more optimistic about the direction of the country over the next few years, with 11 percent indicating the speech made them more pessimistic.

Eighty-two percent of speech-watchers said they support the economic plan Obama outlined in his prime time address, with 17 percent opposing the proposal.

But...wasn't Obama in trouble, blah blah blah. He pretty much crushed it out of the park, and the American people love the guy right now. Numbers in the eighties mean even Republican voters...hard core Republican voters...thought Obama gave a good speech, and that they support his efforts to do something about this economy. 82% is five out of six, and that means even the GOP is sick of the GOP.

Watching the speech on MSNBC last night, the approval meter ratings for Obama's speech among McCain voters was pegged all the way positive for most of the night. America is behind our President not because it's mandated by the Village, but because they actually believe in the guy. That's the kind of President we need right now.

Bobby Jindal, on the other hand...well, even Fox News was dumping on the guy.

Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) response to President Obama’s speech tonight received a universal thumbs down from the Fox News panelists, who are traditionally conservatives’ most gentle critics:

BRIT HUME: “The speech read a lot better than it sounded. This was not Bobby Jindal’s greatest oratorical moment.”

NINA EASTON: “The delivery was not exactly terrific.”

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: “Jindal didn’t have a chance. He follows Obama, who in making speeches, is in a league of his own. He’s in a Reagan-esque league. … [Jindal] tried the best he could.”

JUAN WILLIAMS: “It came off as amateurish, and even the tempo in which he spoke was sing-songy. He was telling stories that seemed very simplistic and almost childish.”

That's not good news for the 2012 hopeful. His "coming out party" was instead a "deer in the headlights" moment.

On PBS, New York Times columnist David Brooks also remarked, “In a moment when only the federal government is actually big enough to do stuff, to just ignore all that and just say ‘government is the problem, corruption, earmarks, wasteful spending,’ it’s just a form of nihilism. It’s just not where the country is, it’s not where the future of the country is.”

Nihilism! For once, David Brooks is absolutely right (Whoa, dodge that lightning bolt from above there.)

The GOP isn't just the Party of No. They are the Party of Nothing. Nothing the government can do, nothing but the same actions that got us into this mess, nothing but tax cuts as the answer to everything, nothing but obstructionism on whatever Obama and the country want to do, nothing but jingoistic empty responses, nothing but outright Hooverism when the country needs a strong and bold plan. Nihilism indeed.

Jindal fell flat on his face to most of us. To the wingers, he fell on his face because he wasn't angry, hateful, and obstructionist enough. His 2012 aspirations just got craphammered. Once again, Sarah Palin is winning by virtue of keeping her mouth shut.