Let me tell you why this is bullshit. This is one of those liberal attempts at "See we hate all sides!" which really just thinly disguises their contempt for non-liberals. I watched this as it aired and after the speech said "fuck it" and turned it off.
To Liberal: "The NEA is a loser. Yeah, it costs a penny out of our paycheck but he gets to hit you with it any time he wants."
Translation: Yes, your idea is correct and in the world we view as fair if everyone only gave a penny and you marketed it correctly, people would be for it. But you don't, and the other side makes you lose votes by scarifying people over it.
To liberal: "You know why people don't like Liberals? Because they lose".
Translation: Yes, your ideas are correct but you do not market them correctly to the masses and therefore you lose.
To conservative: "With a straight face, you're gonna tell students America is so star-spangled awesome that we're the only ones in the world who have freedom?"
Translation: You're a xenophobic flag-waving know-nothing.
Speechifying: "We lead the world in...number of adults who believe Angels are real."
Translation: Right wing religious people are stupid.
Speechifying: "We waged wars on poverty, not poor people."
Translation: Poor people are targets of a war by the government. (gee, wonder who that's aimed at)
Speechifying: "We aspired to intelligence, we didn't belittle it, it didn't make us feel inferior."
Translation: Hey you conservative rube know-nothings, when the academic elite tell you something, you should appreciate that we're letting you in on the secrets of the universe and revere us, not question our authority over the individual.
Half-assed and thinly veiled Mr. Sorkin. As always, the underlying message is that if you are not liberal, it is because you are stupid and refuse to acknowledge the intellectual superiority of the liberal argument, and if you are liberal, you are only stupid because you haven't successfully made the know-nothings take heed of your message.