A. When even an unreconstructed Obama fan like Eugene Robinson pans perhaps its key passage.

The Washington Post columnist participated in the post-inaugural kibitz session on MSNBC.  Before moving to his remarks, lets’s consider the lineup the network chose for the segment: Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, the  aforementioned Robinson, and as cherry on top . . . Keith Olbermann. Now that’s what I call fair-and-balanced coverage!

Olbermann suggested that a certain passage was the heart of the speech.  Robinson agreed, but then proceeded to politely give it a thumbs-down . . .

KEITH OLBERMANN: Gene, what he wanted perhaps was that passage [see full text of passage below] that began with “what is demanded then is a return to these truths.” Was that the “sell” of this speech, and –

EUGENE ROBINSON: I think that was the heart, part of the heart of his message. I think it didn’t pop perhaps the way he wanted it to, it didn’t resonate quite as much.

Hmm.  So it didn’t pop or resonate.  If the speech were a movie trailer, sounds like Emmett the Unblinking Eye might give it a “single-wide.”

Full text of passage cited by Olbermann:

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.