Scoring the State of the Union
Troy Senik ·
January 26, 2011 at 5:23am
Well, folks, we made it another year. Thanks to all those who joined the Ricochet State of the Union live chat. It was great fun. For those of you who didn’t participate – you missed out. Join us next time.
A few thoughts from the still-warm chair of this erstwhile presidential speechwriter:
- The tone of this address was all wrong. Obama’s cadence and vocal tone were reminiscent of his days back on the campaign trail. We’re far enough removed from the midterm elections that he didn’t have to spend 45 minutes eating humble pie – that’s what the post-election press conference was for. What he did have to do, however, was to acknowledge the new political reality of Washington and define his place within it. Shockingly, he did not. He still acted as if he was going to break the nation to the saddle of the presidency. This will not help his case going forward.
- It was inevitable, and not inappropriate, that this speech would end up revisiting the Tucson shootings. The execution was clunky, however. This was a speech without drama and that wasn’t helped at all by the fact that the section on Congresswoman Giffords was frontloaded. Had the President kept it in his pocket until the speech’s climax, the audience would have held on to see what he was going to say. Instead, the writers dumped it in the speech’s opening and it led to an awkward and (to be frank) tasteless transition into policy.
- The basic hurdle everyone expected the president to cross was finding common ground with the center. He didn’t. The gesture towards tax reform was nice, but expected. It doesn’t get him much he didn’t already have. The only artful use of the new reality was coupling repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” with a call for college campuses to open their doors to ROTC. It was a savvy move, particularly because it cost Obama nothing but gained him some goodwill.
- Robert Gibbs turned out to be right when he said this speech wouldn’t be a laundry list. Sadly, a laundry list would have been an improvement. State of the Union speeches are usually exercises in tortured construction. This one sounded like the product of Martin Heidegger on a three-day bender. It was too long, too abstract, too clichéd and too condescending (the shot at oil companies, in particular, was ungracious).
- Unlike many of my ecstatic Ricochet compatriots, I found Paul Ryan’s response to be a solid, workmanlike effort. It even had a few flashes of brilliance. By the debased standards of State of the Union responses, it was an absolute home run. But, in my estimation, it was not by any measure a game-changer.
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Sep '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Unlike many of my ecstatic Ricochet compatriots, I found Paul Ryan’s response to be a solid, workmanlike effort. It even had a few flashes of brilliance. By the debased standards of State of the Union responses, it was an absolute home run. But, in my estimation, it was not by any measure a game-changer.
Well, it wasn't Obama and it wasn't Michelle (Morticia did my make up and mic) Bachmann, so by those standards he did an amazing job. I couldn't believe how poorly Bachmann looked on the Fox live feed. That was truly cringe worthy. And Obama delivered a George Jetson SOFU.
Sep '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Oh, and we need a live chat transcript. They're usually even funnier the next day, once you get the drink stains and cigarette burns out of the manuscript.
Oct '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Troy Senik:
If you hit a home run after your opponent can't find a way to score, it changes the game. Stand alone, not maybe not, but it is a response which means it has to be put in context. So far, the Republicans are not making mistakes while the Democrats are playing sloppy.
Edited on January 26, 2011 at 5:34amSep '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
It was inevitable, and not inappropriate, that this speech would end up revisiting the Tucson shootings. The execution was clunky, however. This was a speech without drama and that wasn’t helped at all by the fact that the section on Congresswoman Giffords was frontloaded. Had the President kept it in his pocket until the speech’s climax, the audience would have held on to see what he was going to say. Instead, the writers dumped it in the speech’s opening and it led to an awkward and (to be frank) tasteless transition into policy.
It was a really rookie speech writing mistake. You're quite right. The long delay would have heightened the drama and tension, even if he'd stuck it half way through. As a closer it would have been moving.
Dec '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Somebody probably told the speechwriters that Giffords couldn't wait, that it had to be addressed upfront. Note that Ryan started with it, too.
Jul '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Troy Senik:
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I think that's a little unfair, Troy. He did indicate a willingness to revisit Obamacare.
Of course, it needs to be ripped out by the roots, and he didn't (surprise) offer that. But ditching that ridiculous 1099 requirement alone means plenty (maybe 200-500 fewer forms to send to the Feds depending on its interpretation) for my small business.
Troy Senik:
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I thought he started poorly and finished well. Once he started talking about basic philosophical differences my wife said, "Now he's talking to us like we're people."
Also, he had better optics than Jindal, who was standing in a hallway like a Wal-Mart greeter without the name tag.
Sep '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Yes, please, if possible, post the transcript. There were several very good lines that I can't remember now. Could be that once again, this SOTU circus has melted my brain.
May '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
This was perhaps the worst speech of Obama's career. Loaded with hoary yes-we-can cliches, pie-in-the-sky daydreams (can't wait to ride that high speed rail over the bridge to nowhere, can you?) and phony, oh so phony Horatio Algier patriotism. It veered clumsily from trite banality to trite banality and is by now almost certainly forgotten. The only thing missing was flop-sweat.
Ryan killed. I only hope people were listening.
Sep '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
I agree that Paul Ryan's speech wasn't a game changer, but I do think he's articulated how the game will be played in the near term. I especially liked his rebuttal about "investments". That needs to be repeated over and over.
Jul '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Yeah, that was pitch perfect.
Jul '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Pseudodionysius: Oh, and we need a live chat transcript. They're usually even funnier the next day, once you get the drink stains and cigarette burns out of the manuscript. · Jan 25 at 8:30pm
You realize you can copy and paste the chat window and get the whole thing as soon as it's done.
Sep '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Sisyphus
Pseudodionysius: Oh, and we need a live chat transcript. They're usually even funnier the next day, once you get the drink stains and cigarette burns out of the manuscript. · Jan 25 at 8:30pm
You realize you can copy and paste the chat window and get the whole thing as soon as it's done. · Jan 25 at 8:57pm
Cats have staff. I'm far too aristocratic and snobbish to deign to that type of blue collar work.
Jul '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Kervinlee: This was perhaps the worst speech of Obama's career. Loaded with hoary yes-we-can cliches, pie-in-the-sky daydreams (can't wait to ride that high speed rail over the bridge to nowhere, can you?) and phony, oh so phony Horatio Algier patriotism. It veered clumsily from trite banality to trite banality and is by now almost certainly forgotten. The only thing missing was flop-sweat.
...
I think you are right, because the world is in 2011 with a Republican House and Obama is still in 2008 making the same broken promises for the third year running. The left hates him for failing and the right hates him for spending the family fortune on a bag of beans. And this time the beanstalk is puny, stinky little bankruptcy beanstalk.
Jun '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Barack-Dinky-Pivot-Obama fell flat. That's what happens when you practice pivoting too much. Hard on the toes. Jokes fell flat. Rhetoric meant to inspire only made John Boehner look more like a sleepy bloodhound on a rickety old porch.
His promises of "working together" and "listening" to those little Republican ideas still sound as condescending as when he first promised to work together and listen. Given all the "investing" proposed, the federal debt would grow by about another trillion (I exaggerate for effect). House Republicans must say "Absolutely no!" to any new spendi--- sorry, investments.
And like the demonically possessed who can't control their inner voices within he still blurted out his tiresome, deep guttural indictment of millionaires who he feels still aren't paying their fair share. But enough of Obama. The House Republicans know what to do. And they better defund and cut as much as humanly possible, even if they need to bring in a phalanx of exorcists into the House chamber.
I thought Ryan was fine. He was methodical and pleasant but not inspiring or forceful. And given we had just suffered through uninspiring and lame that would have been refreshing.
Jul '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Pseudodionysius
Sisyphus
You realize you can copy and paste the chat window and get the whole thing as soon as it's done. · Jan 25 at 8:57pm
Cats have staff. I'm far too aristocratic and snobbish to deign to that type of blue collar work. · Jan 25 at 8:58pm
I knew you were a cat. Now I know you are a chat francaise. Don't make me go get my cedille.
Edited on January 26, 2011 at 6:07amDec '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
I'm still pledging to give my vote to the first candidate that promises if elected he will mail this stupid obligation to congress.
I don't care which side is doing the SOTU. It is BOOOOOORING!!
Sep '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
I'm still pledging to give my vote to the first candidate that promises if elected he will mail this stupid obligation to congress.
I think he should fax it in. In Greek.
Aug '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Funeral Guy: I'm still pledging to give my vote to the first candidate that promises if elected he will mail this stupid obligation to congress.
I don't care which side is doing the SOTU. It is BOOOOOORING!! · Jan 25 at 9:08pm
Woodrow Wilson reinstated reading the SOTU to congress. Another reason to hate him.
May '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
Sisyphus
Kervinlee: This was perhaps the worst speech of Obama's career. Loaded with hoary yes-we-can cliches, pie-in-the-sky daydreams (can't wait to ride that high speed rail over the bridge to nowhere, can you?) and phony, oh so phony Horatio Algier patriotism. It veered clumsily from trite banality to trite banality and is by now almost certainly forgotten. The only thing missing was flop-sweat.
...
I think you are right, because the world is in 2011 with a Republican House and Obama is still in 2008 making the same broken promises for the third year running. The left hates him for failing and the right hates him for spending the family fortune on a bag of beans. And this time the beanstalk is puny, stinky little bankruptcy beanstalk. · Jan 25 at 9:04pm
Yes; we have heard all this before and were fooled. Once.
Jun '10
Re: Scoring the State of the Union
I watched most of Michele Bachmann's presentation. Like Marco Rubio, I'm a bit concerned about a politician adopting the mantle of "Tea Party" as in "The Tea Party Response". I don't think the thousands of disparate Tea Party groups around the country all met on this prior to her presentation - unless, of course I never got the memo. That said, she did a commendable job laying out the reckless spending that Obama and the Dems have been responsible for in the last two years and was a bit more edgy and pushy than Mr. Ryan which was fine. Ryan can be warm and fuzzy good cop for now...as long as he turns into bad cop when the Budget Committee gets into session.
Just a couple of questions...how much make-up did Ms. Bachmann have around her eyes and where in the heck was she looking when she spoke? Because it looked to me she was looking about ten feet to the left of the camera. Michele! Hey, Michele! We're over here! Not good for a conservative to look to the Left.