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Posted on Sat, May 1, 2010 : 5 p.m.

Roundup of comments about President Obama's commencement speech from Twitter, Facebook and AnnArbor.com

By Stefanie Murray

Note: This story was updated at 9:30 p.m.

Leading up to and during President Barack Obama's speech to University of Michigan graduates on Saturday, social media sites Twitter and Facebook were abuzz with chatter about the president.

Here's a roundup of what people had to say on those sites and in the comments on AnnArbor.com:

  • It was amazing in person! — Gisele Suzanne on Facebook

  • Thought Obama gave an excellent speech to inspire the graduates. — doctorg23 on Twitter

  • #ObamaA2 Audience at Michigan Stadium that gathered to hear Obama's speech was his largest since inauguration, reports say, and we saw it! — _Elenor on Twitter

  • Overheard commentary from a member of the crowd leaving after the speech: ''It was legit.'' — jennyserwach on Twitter

  • As the President leaves the stage, I leave the stadium. Congratulations graduates and thank you Barack Obama! I'm definitely not the only person leaving now to beat traffic. The University has done a wonderful job hosting commencement! — Amanda Weck via text message

  • The energy level here is unbelievable. everyone is on the edges of their seats. —Bella Parkinson via text message

  • It was so cool to hear President Obama say GO BLUE! Can see the speech in the TelePrompTer. —Lisa Bankey via text message

  • Not even one quarter of the audience left. So the polite people are left to cheer the graduates. Wind is picking up, seems a bit darker, colder. But we made it so far with no rain. — Linda Diane Feldt via text message

  • People are posing for pictures with the secret service. A lot of the crowd left as soon as the president finished his speech. — Jenny Serwach via text message

  • I have to admit- a part of me was slightly disappointed that he didn't break out a groundbreaking new policy or initiative. really though it was a good speech. i always appreciate the sentiment of getting over all the differences between politicians and people in general. working together is always a good message. — Adam Gainsley on Facebook

  • He hit a home run with his speech. He is truly a President we can get behind. He has his priorities right. — Kate Whitaker on Facebook

  • That was a really cool #ROTC oath. Very moving to have President Obama administering the oath. — montserratlj on Twitter

  • Crying while watching #ObamaA2 thank you Big Ten network. — ktlorenz on Twitter

  • Take from obama: Expose yourself to differences, importantly-don't forget you can & should be active in public service. — mharmala on Twitter

  • Good speech on education, bipartisanship and good politics. — bdzombak on Twitter

  • My eyes welled with tears when Obama said, "I believe in you." Great speech. — SheGotTheBeat on Twitter

  • My university commencement was so incredibly lame in comparison to this. — amberherself on Twitter

  • Rather than being crooked, I prefer to think Obama is rocking his graduation hood Wayne Gretzky, asymmetrical style. — ejk on Twitter

  • #obamaa2 obama is a great man! Imperfect but clearheaded. — AnnieZirkel on Twitter

  • Other than Inaugaration, has Obama ever given a speech in front of this many live audience members? I sort of doubt it... — mgenevievef on Twitter

  • It was a great, moving speech. For the 80,000 or more of us in the stadium today, President Obama permanently obliterated the talking point that he can only give a speech by teleprompter -- he was visibly speaking off the cuff. To Carl Paulus: the quote that you cite, though often attributed mistakenly to Abraham Lincoln, is actually from a 1916 pamplet by Presbyterian preacher William Boetcker (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._H._Boetcker). The sentence on "class hatred" gives it away. Apart from its anachronism, that is not a sentiment that the president who freed the slaves would necessarily have embraced.  — David Frye on AnnArbor.com

  • I read it and thought it was a pretty standard political speech, full of the usual exaggerations, misrepresentations and inaccuracies I've come to expect of politicians of both sides. — Jim H on AnnArbor.com

  • What an inspiring speech to send our grads off with. Thank you, Mr. President! — Sandy Castle on AnnArbor.com

  • I was there. It was a wonderful speech -- eloquent, poignant, apropos. The crowd loved it, applauding at many points throughout. I was glad to have the opportunity to have been there and happy for the graduating class to have such a historical and honorable speaker. — Peregrine on AnnArbor.com

  • It was all so terrific. Seeing the crowd light up when Obama walked onto the platform. Hearing his speech. Feeling the energy of the graduates. Watching the presidential helicopters buzz the stadium as the flew back to DTW. Loved it. Thanks Mr. President. — DagnyJ on AnnArbor.com

  • Not being a huge Obama supporter, it was still a great experience to attend a presidential speech and witness the emotions and events around it. Everything from the motorcade, helicopter flight, security efforts, and a packed big house with people listening intently and respectful. I enjoyed the focus and agree with many of his points. He certainly is an excellent speaker and is very effective at captivating a crowd. — belboz on AnnArbor.com

  • Just got back from the ceremony and it went pretty smoothly. They didn't do the greatest job with organizing the lines into the stadium. There were hardly any protesters that I saw aside from the obnoxious abortion protesters who had their graphic pictures every 200 yards around the stadium. I actually heard a kid start crying after seeing one. You could just barely hear people screaming outside the stadium but it was drowned out by the speaker system and they must have given up after about five minutes. Obama's speech was good although it probably won't cause many headlines unless Drudge can find some spin on it. It was a nice experience and there was a very positive mood among the crowd. Glad I had the opportunity to attend. — jayroo on AnnArbor.com

  • I wonder when the last time the football team got this much applause. Obama shows up and the crowd goes wild. — rexroof on Twitter

  • Obama's copters flew over apt complex. My mom & I were waving like idiots. We're practically BFFs with Obama now. — AmberHerself on Twitter

  • Having Obama at commencements is sooo much better than winning some football games. Take that Buckeyes!! — vkorkes on Twitter

  • No offense to Larry Page, but kinda wish my parents had held me back a year. — adambayard on Twitter

  • Two low flying chinooks just flew over ypsilanti and what looks like the presidential helecopter flying towards the big house. — tankbusta on Twitter

  • O'bama in town,Ann Arbor Mi.what A HASSEL security everywhere yesterday,stromed on his party big, wind, rain, thunder does it mean something? — sharron48108200
  • Nice speech, however he must practice what he preaches!!!so far its "do as I say not as I do....." —Hunterjim on AnnArbor.com
  • What we saw today was an inspiration. Not just President Obama, but the future of our great country. Despite all the negativism, there is hope. Leaders and best. — NoSUVforMe on AnnArbor.com
  • Reading today's annarbor.com and these 11 (so far) comments has left me with a surrealistic feeling. Graduates have much to be proud of, to be sure. However, regarding Obama, I sense a great divide between public perception of him, and the reality of his foreign/military policies and actions. He has ordered troops and private mercenaries to occupy, bomb, and torture in Iraq and Afghanistan. These occupying troops are larger in number than ever before; he has not done what he promised. Hence, my confusion regarding perception and reality. And I won't go into his intensified conflict with China, in Columbia, and support of the Palestinian genocide. He continues spending well over half of our taxes on the military industrial complex. —christy on AnnArbor.com
  • The speech was like his presidency: terrible. The day he leaves office will be a great day for this country. Oh, and Mr. President, a LOT more than one third of the country thinks you're an idiot. — stan on AnnArbor.com