Opinion: Obama's Surprisingly Presidential Address

(Sept. 1) -- As a long-time speechwriter for conservative leaders and causes, I am hardly a fan of President Barack Obama. But watching his speech Tuesday night officially declaring the end of America's combat mission in Iraq brought to mind that sports cliche: "Playing within yourself."

Playing within yourself is about knowing your limits, your circumstances and what is required. Not overexerting, not overreaching and most of all, not making any big mistakes. All putting you in a position to perform right up to those limits, and in the right moment, occasionally just beyond.

So how did president do? Check, check, check and check.

Not Overexerting: The chief executive has come under fire (including in this corner) for rhetorical excess and taking over-the-top aim at opponents.

Not this time. From the starting gun, Mr. Obama was all business, counting off his takeaways like a CEO kicking off an analyst presentation. With a minimum of rhetorical flourish, he quickly set his themes -- of "rough waters" and a renewed commitment to American leadership -- along with the stage, ruminating on the course of the conflict and American politics since the invasion.

A heartfelt and moving tribute to America's servicemen and women was followed by a matter-of-fact statement of the speech's purpose: to affirm the ending of the combat mission. The president firmly reminded his audience that this step had fulfilled his campaign promise, but without descending to gloating or his customary smugness.

Donning the mantle of Leader of the Free World, Obama determinedly plowed on to his most important task -- to leave "no doubt" for Iraqis, Afghanis and the world as to the nation's ongoing commitment in both theaters of war, and especially in the fight against al-Qaida. (More on that in a moment.)

Most markedly, Obama mercifully left behind both the familiar and frequently annoying pastoral cadence and the condescending, preachy/teachy/I'm-too-smart-and-sexy-for-my-shirt tone all he too often adopts in his addresses. His demeanor throughout was comfortingly serious and measured.

Not Overreaching: Our man at 1600 also has the nasty habit of attempting to leverage circumstances -- like, say, an oil spill -- to make long leaps of logic to push for his policies on the further-left fringes of his worldview.

Obama did make a brief and unfortunate detour onto shaky ground with a plug for his economic policies and a laughable indictment -- coming from the champion of bailouts, stimulus and world-record deficits -- of overspending and growing debt. Yet he abruptly and wisely switched course to a solemn and highly appropriate promise to meet the needs of returning veterans and from there, into his closing.

No Big Mistakes: Frankly, the president was attempting a high-wire act that would have challenged the Flying Wallendas. He was a harsh critic of the war, his predecessor and his surge strategy, yet more recently had appeared to take credit for America's success in Iraq. Legitimate questions remain about his toughness as a commander-in-chief and the wisdom of his pledge to wind down the Afghan effort just 18 months into his own mini-surge. And need I mention that the nation's confidence in his leadership is plummeting more deeply than a J-Lo neckline?

This time, however, without fully resolving those questions, Obama managed to cling tightly to the cable. He gave full credit for the success of the war to America's fighting forces. He understatedly but graciously acknowledged the good faith of President Bush and others who had disagreed with him on the conduct of the war, and stressed the continuity in their overall posture in the fight against terror. And he explained and underscored the successes of his Afghanistan plan without overselling -- or neglecting to mention his personal insurance policy, the involvement of the ever-popular Gen. David Petraeus.

Performing Beyond the Limit: Obama's success in "playing within himself" throughout the speech provided him the leeway to take things up a notch at the end. He entered his close with the inspirational assertion that "part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it."

And his moving denouement focused on withdrawal, "in the pre-dawn darkness," of the final combat unit in Iraq -- the Fourth Stryker Brigade -- was chock-full of fine turns of phrase: The soldiers' "star(ing) into the darkest of human creations -- war." The "unbroken line of heroes that stretches from Lexington to Gettysburg; from Iwo Jima to Inchon; from Khe Sanh to" -- nice touch -- "Kandahar." And best of all, the declaration that "our troops are the steel in our ship of state."

One almost wanted to believe Obama's closing assertion that these same troops "give us confidence that our course is true, and that beyond the pre-dawn darkness, better days lie ahead." And that is the measure of a presidential address that was -- dare I say it? -- solidly presidential.

Bob Maistros is a speechwriter, crisis communications consultant and satirist who contributes regularly to the North Star National.