SOTUWTF- Offshore oil and gas, nuclear energy, and “Clean Coal.” Bush could say that and smile like a dumb-ass. Can Obama pretend he’s not channeling Palin? Domestic spending freeze. Will bypass congress to establish a bipartisan commission to privatize Social Security. Didn’t call SC justices scum, put the subject of war on a backburner, the SON OF A BITCH.
After explaining how we have to get tougher with immigrants, he goes waxes nostalgic about America’s origin as a conglomeration of immigrants. What a twit.
And there’s the seesaw delivery between teleprompters. Do I think President Obama is so poor a speaker that he can’t take his eyes from the script? Of course not. The watching-a-tennis-match routine reminds me of the mesmerist’s pendulum, distracting your left brain as your right has only the drone of insignificant platitudes to lull it to sleep.
Online Twits are defending Obama against Republican arguments. Why? What is our president espousing that he didn’t aspire as a candidate, while delivering the opposite? What good is an armchair critic in the White House? Obama has only one virtue over his predecessor, a better bedside manner.
Is there anything to make of the pattern of applause. Apparently the Supreme Court up front is not to applaud on any issue, lest they be seen as partisan. Legislators are supposed to applaud on partisan issues. Although as de facto head of the Democratic party, you’d think the president would get a positive response no matter he says, unless it’s something like I don’t agree Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot. Which brings me to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I wasn’t watching the old soldiers closely until Obama mentioned withdrawing from Iraq, which elicited no applause from them. Another subject that appeared to meet their disapproval was about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. As if the entire SOTU audience participation was choreographed. The old warlords reacted entirely in character. But weren’t they attending to a speech by their Commander in Chief? What subordinates don’t applaud their boss? Unless I have a mistaken notion of who serves who.
Now the room goes quiet and eyes moisten for a mendaciously manipulative bit, worthy of the best:
Unfortunately, too many of our citizens have lost faith that our biggest institutions – our corporations, our media, and yes, our government – still reflect these same values. Each of these institutions are full of honorable men and women doing important work that helps our country prosper. But each time a CEO rewards himself for failure, or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain, people’s doubts grow. Each time lobbyists game the system or politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up, we lose faith. The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates into silly arguments, and big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away.
No wonder there’s so much cynicism out there.
No wonder there’s so much disappointment.
I campaigned on the promise of change – change we can believe in, the slogan went. And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren’t sure if they still believe we can change – or at least, that I can deliver it.
But remember this – I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I can do it alone. Democracy in a nation of three hundred million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That’s just how it is.
Those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths. We can do what’s necessary to keep our poll numbers high, and get through the next election instead of doing what’s best for the next generation.
But I also know this: if people had made that decision fifty years ago or one hundred years ago or two hundred years ago, we wouldn’t be here tonight. The only reason we are is because generations of Americans were unafraid to do what was hard; to do what was needed even when success was uncertain; to do what it took to keep the dream of this nation alive for their children and grandchildren.
Then it’s back to the stump speech testimonials. And his faith in the resilience of the American People. What, lack of health care and exposure hasn’t killed them yet? What would you think of a doctor who turned you away with the prognosis, “aw, you’ll make it.”
