Overall, I give Obama an A-minus/B-plus. Dave points to some aspects that could certainly have been polished, but there are a few paragraphs at the front that are unbeatable.

The larger problem is what Dave identifies as parallelism. This concerns me. Lincoln was admired for his ability to craft prose to multiple audiences in an emerging media. He spoke to conservative and liberal, northern and southerner, and most importantly to the live audience and to the newspaper audience.

Obama faces a different media challenge. In "the West," most people will hear only a few clips and most likely the effect will be polarizing as only one side is heard. In the "Islamic World," I fear the result will be similar. Dave's annotations don't mention the live audience's silence at the holocaust portion of the speech and the applause lines for the Palestinians. The live audience can be assured to have heard both points, can we assume the same for the rest of the world?

we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson,

Now, I'm just surprised Dave hasn't inserted a Mead reference here.

And despite the costs involved, America’s commitment will not weaken.

I'm not convinced, but Obama liked to play poker when in the Illinois legislature. I hope to G*d he knows how to bluff.

We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can.

Is this a recognition of widening war?

Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.

This line strikes me as directed to America, no?

I have no idea where President Obama gets this statistic. According to the CIA World Fact Book the number is closer to 2 million and many of those are members of the Nation of Islam.

Don't get me started.

Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t.

I find this to be a difficult phrase and no doubt overreach. The American position should be pluralism; this sounds like an Egyptian Pharaoh dictating the terms of faith.

I am a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family8 that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.

I do wonder how this is received; it kind of sounds like: I'm a Boston Red Sox Fan, but I grew up in New York City and have always appreciated the character and charm of the Yankee Fan.

I have no idea how President Obama’s audience will react to his quoting the Qur’an nor whether the passage quoted actually is from the Qur’an or is a good translation.

On this point, I'm wondering if the audience is Western. Lincoln would have stole the line and let those who know the source understand its origin.

I think this implicity bundling of the United States with European colonizers is unfortunate. We are not Europe.

The irony here is that some commentators criticized Obama for addressing Islam, as an unadulterated whole. Obama is holding himself out as speaking for "the West." Is one true, and not the other? Or are both equally true and untrue?

Dave: The first two paragraph are good. I love a good annotation.

Jorge: Another martini please.