Obama's State of the Union, of course. I didn't even watch Michele Bachmann's speech. I did watch Paul Ryan's short response speech to Obama and have a few observations. But Obama's speech was by far at the Top of the Bill tonight and deserves the most attention.
First, let me say that these are the off-the-cuff reactions, having just now watched Obama's speech on DVR, of a non-partisan and political Independent. I purposefully did not watch any pundit reaction to these speeches tonight, nor did I read any news coverage or analysis, before preparing this blog post.
From my Independent perspective, I would generally divide Obama's speech into three logical and very predictable parts (and thus my reference to "three speeches" above): The beginning, middle and end. Perhaps by design, perhaps not, the beginning and end were replete with passages that I would credit, even given the fact that I am certainly no Obama supporter, did not vote for him (nor McCain), and will not vote for him in 2012. As often stated in this space, I think Obama and W Bush are the two worst and most destructive presidents of my lifetime (and I was alive during Carter and part of Nixon).
So let's get it rolling:
The Beginning
I thought the first third of the speech was chock full of purposefully centrist messaging aimed to appeal first and foremost to centrists and Independents, as Obama continues down his current path of trying to appear "moderate" and trying to save his presidency. I think that from an ideological perspective, he's always been and always will be a far leftist and really doesn't mean a word of these messages; however, they're decent messages nonetheless, and if he follows through upon them, what do I care if he doesn't really means them? Here goes:
-I liked the nod to nuclear energy as a part of a comprehensive energy strategy.
-I support the call to more young Americans to become school teachers.
-If true, I applaud Obama's expressed devotion to working with republicans to pursue comprehensive immigration law reform, including a component of securing the borders ("protecting the borders," to use Obama's phrase).
-I generally liked how Obama criticized the fact that the US has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, and how he called for that rate to be lowered (paying for it by removing tax loopholes benefiting only particular corporations).
-Although it came a tiny bit later in the speech, I also liked the assertion that Obama will propose to Congress legislation aimed at merging, consolidating and streamlining the federal bureaucracy. Again, will any of this ever be pursued or followed through with? Who the hell knows. Doubt it.
The Middle
I found the middle of the speech to contain all of the most maddening, disingenuous and outrageous aspects of the speech, from my perspective as an Independent. I assume full well that this was by design, as the oldest rule in the book when it comes to any written or spoken work is to make sure you have a strong beginning and ending -- just hope they forget the middle part, if need be:
-Really disliked Obama saying that parts of Obama & The Dems' health care monstrosity need to be changed or overhauled. This from a guy who ram-rodded that pathetic creature through Congress on a party-line vote against the will of the American people just as quickly as he could without ever reading it. This was the perhaps the most angering part of his speech tonight. It only cements for me why I didn't consider voting for him in 2008, and won't consider doing so in 2012.
-His big plan to freeze domestic spending for 5 years. Of course, this falls well short of the sort of serious proposal that needs to come out of DC for even making a small dent in the federal debt and deficit.
-Clinging to the ridiculous talking point that repealing Obama & The Dems' health care creature will actually add to the debt and deficit. I realize that a huge component of the liberal world view is that most people are stupid, but sorry, Mr. President -- we're not that stupid.
-For a second year in a row -- pure lip service to the idea of meaningful medical malpractice tort reform. As if the president's biggest bankrolling interest group (the plaintiff personal injury attorneys) would ever allow that to happen!
-"Stick it to the rich": More devisive rhetoric about it being OK for us in the middle and lower classes to keep our current tax rates, coupled with a call to raise taxes on those damn millionaires. Sorry again, Mr. President, but what you intend for any swath of America, you intend for me. Class warfare is the realm of the mindless.
-Joking about how 2 different federal agencies deal with salmon, depending on what type of water they swim in. As if this president really cares about that. Did he read the omnibus stimulus bill and all of the ridiculous things upon which it spends money? Did he read all the crap that was tossed into the "tax compromise" bill at the end of last year?
-His pledge to veto any bill having earmarks. Completely laughable. Like the omnibus stimulus bill you signed? Can't imagine a throwaway line that could ring more hollow.
-Afghanistan: Trumpeting success there after we just had our bloodiest year there yet in 2010 in the 10 years of that endless war? Sorry -- pathetic.
The End
Like I said, this portion of the speech returned to the more meritorious points of the first 1/3 of the speech:
-I think I have to credit Obama for raising a gay rights point (gays in the military, albeit only very briefly) in this stage of the speech. If you've read me at all, you know that gay rights are as low-on-the-totem-pole of an issue as it gets with me. They are typically right vs. left pissing match issues, which I like to avoid like the plague. Plus, not being gay, I just don't care that much. But gay rights issues are not overly popular in the country, and politicians also typically avoid them like the plague, which is why I give an ounce of credit to Obama for raising one tonight.
-Liked Obama's call for all college campuses to open up to military recruiters. The military isn't for everyone, but why shouldn't everyone have the same convenient opportunity to talk to its recruiters if they wish? And where was Obama's latest Supreme Court nominee on this point in the past? (Wrong side of it, of course).
-Finally, just to Top It Off, Obama finished his speech with several minutes of soaring rhetoric about the American dream. I fully expected him to trot out professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes at any moment. Whatever. That stuff sounds good, and no one will publicly disagree with any of it. But alas, I'm again left to question just how much Obama really believes what comes out of his own mouth.
So my pundit-free, news-coverage-free verdict on Obama's entire speech? From a purely political perspective, it at least seemed well-organized: The messages likely to reach Independents (the people who decide your election outcomes) were stacked into the beginning and end of the speech, while the controversial stuff was buried in the middle. And regardless of any of my doubts, I'll say again: I don't really care if Obama truly believes some of the better ideas he spouts -- for as long as he follows up upon them, who really cares what his true beliefs are?
Short Postscript: Paul Ryan's response speech
It's a thankless job, being tasked with delivering the opposing speech to a State of the Union address. The main guy gets a lot more time, and a lot of applause. The second fiddle gets a sterile environment with no audience and nary a single clap.
Ryan -- although way to the right of me, and as well too devoted I think to doctrinaire supply-side ideology -- has nevertheless impressed me previously with his ability to speak on his feet and to come across as a genuine, intelligent, plain-speaking advocate for getting our potentially fatal national debt and deficit under control.
I thought his speech tonight was adequate, but that's about it. It was too laiden with typical conservative talking points, the like of which we've heard over and over again. Ryan didn't pull a Bobby Jindal, i.e. great on his feet but awful on prompter. But I'd assess Ryan as great on his feet, and only OK/mediocre on prompter tonight. Plus as stated, the text of his speech was too inclusive of cliched conservative talking points rather than the plain speaking that typically pervades Ryan's impromptu appearances.
BTW, basically as an aside, and concerning the Off Promoter/On Prompter Divide: (1) Speaking extemporaneously and (2) Reading from a script are two very distinct skills. Rarely does any politician excel at both. JFK, the last great American president (in my humble opinion), did excel at both. Prominent Examples -- (1) Obama: Very good on prompter (didn't he call this "a gift" once?), but mediocre off prompter; (2) W Bush: Terrible at both; (3) Reagan: Same grades as Obama; (4) Clinton: Like JFK, very good at both, but he's still a slimeball!
Anyway, I've gone on long enough. Certainly longer than intended. I rarely watch political speeches since I tend to dislike most all politicians, regardless of party! But I watched tonight and felt compelled to blog about it.
Sorry, Charlie Sheen, but this storm is big news today: Blizzard-like winds, bitter sub-zero wind chills, snow totals of 1-2 feet (oftentimes with a nice sheet of ice underneath), and whiteout conditions are greeting Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and huge swaths of the Midwest today in perhaps the worst one-day snow storm since the pre-World War I days of the early Twentieth Century (links at bottom; images above from the Kansas City Star and Weather.com). And the Northeast is next up in this storm's crosshairs (apologies to CNN and the American left).
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