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Tragedy In Arizona: A Tale Of Two Speeches

MIAMI (CBS4) - A lot of talk about the tragedy in Tucson today has been focused on the speeches given Wednesday.

Both the Facebook message from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and the speech from President Barak Obama have been seen by some as inappropriate, but for completely different reasons.

Governor Sarah Palin stood her ground during her speech.

"America must be stronger than the evil we displayed last week," said Palin.

President Barak Obama became emotional when he spoke of the youngest victim in the shooting.

"In Christina we see all of our children," said President Obama.

Both speeches addressed the Tragedy in Tucson and they both were deemed somewhat inappropriate.

"I think politicians in general take advantage of the moment," said one woman on the streets of South Florida to CBS4's Jorge Estevez.

Governor Palin's Facebook posting was criticized for politicizing a tragedy.

"Journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel," said Palin.

South Florida Conservative Radio Talk show host Joyce Kaufman works for 850 WFTL and believes both speeches had their flaws.

"Governor Palin has a unique ability to seize her moments. She is out of office and she has been targeted terribly by the media," said Kaufman who also talked about the timing of Palin's speech.

"Should she have done it at that moment?" asked CBS4's Jorge Estevez.

"No. I think her timing was wrong," said Kaufman who also commented on the President's choice of venue for delivering his speech. The President addressed a college crowd of thousands.

"I think he meant to start the healing in this country and the fact that it was at a rah rah pep rally at the University of Arizona was unfortunate," said Kaufman.

South Floridians who watched the speech defended the President.

"The people were there and that is what they felt and there is nothing wrong with that," said one woman.

And people also defended the former governor, sort of.

"I don't think she meant it to be anti-Semitic. I just don't think she is not that bright," said one man.

In the end, we asked the pollsters.

"Sarah Palin did not help herself with the type of remarks and the confrontational nature. And I think President Obama did a great job last night trying to unite the country and put this tragedy into a context," said Fernand Amandi, political Analyst for Bendixen & Amandi in Coral Gables.

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