re: West Point Iced the Prez

O's speech and delivery were dry as dust, so maybe the dearth of enthusiasm was because he built no rapport with the audience. Well, that and the VA scandal, and some of the things he spoke about, and, and.

To be fair, there was a standing ovation near the 42 minute mark, not for O, but for Gavin White, who was in attendance after losing a leg. That applause didn't sound very loud, either, when I'm pretty sure it would have been, so this whole thing could be a result of mic placement not picking up the noise. Crowd noise can be heard in the distant background, if you listen.

Applause or no, I think he lost the audience early on. He certainly lost me.

Disclaimer: I didn't listen to the entire speech of any of the presidents. I was curious, but not to the extent of subjecting myself to that punishment.

IMO, GWB got the best reception, Clinton's speech was best.

Compare, if you wish:

BO

Clinton

GWB

GHWB