Convincingly vague and uber-repetitious

Well, I have to say, I was not too impressed by Obama's speech in Berlin. In truth, I was even a little disappointed. Sure, I'm not an Obama fan but when it comes to speeches that doesn't matter--I relish the opportunity to hear a truly great speech regardless of the orator.  But Obama's was trying so hard to be a great speech it ended up falling very flat. Sort of like when the great singer on X-factor does the same kind of song for the fourth week in a row. Yes, it was well-performed and indeed well-received, but there were a few things that bothered me.

1) The opening paragraph was almost a straight rip-off from Independence Day where the President addresses the crowd from the tarmac in Area 51 before going on an Alien whompfest.

2) If I were German, I would not like to have been told how I was feeling 60 years ago.

3) I'm getting really tired of his incredibly formulaic repetition-followed-by-alliteration-and/or-messy-imagery structure. It's so pedestrian:

"People of the world – look at Berlin!

Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle.

Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security. 

Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity. 

People of the world – look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one."

And some more:

"That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century...And this is the moment when our nations – and all nations – must summon that spirit anew. 

This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it....

This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets.

This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons...This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons. 

This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow free from the shadows of yesterday.

This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably...This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all.

This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East...And despite past differences, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close.

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet...This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one.

And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world."

Yeah, it get pretty frustrating to listen to him now. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if young Jon Favreau finds himself riding the pine for awhile.

Update: David Frum talks about his messy metaphors (linked from Noah Pollak at Contentions), and the German-American blog Across the Pond also didn't swoon completely for the one-term Senator.