State of the Union Preview
Peter Robinson ·
January 23, 2012 at 6:58pm
It pains me to say so, because the President is so blatantly using this State of the Union Address as a campaign event, but this strikes me as just about pitch perfect.
How's it strike you?
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Comments:
Mar '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Thanks for watching this, Peter, so that I don't have to.
Sep '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
This is a response to:
"Only the elites despise earning money."
Jul '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
I only read his transcript unless there's booing.
Re: State of the Union Preview
I'm less struck by the content (though the reference to those "trying to get in to the middle class" was a nice touch) than the image and tone. Who is this energetic, sweet-tempered young man who can't keep the smile off his face or the Al Green songs off his tongue? And what has he done with the churlish, finger-wagging fellow we've been living with for the past few years?
Something about the prospect of a new campaign seems to have ameliorated the fatigue of the last few years. That's not a good sign for our side. The energized, upbeat Obama is the electorally appealing Obama.
Edited on January 23, 2012 at 7:15pmSep '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
Something about the prospect of a new campaign seems to have ameliorated the fatigue of the last few years. That's not a good sign for our side. The energized, upbeat Obama is the electorally appealing Obama.
It will take more than a plodding two stepper to achieve that in the general.
Nov '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
I detect a more than a few leftist dog whistles in there, but it'll play fabulously to the squishy middle. The man can deliver substance-free pablum like no one else.
Back in early December I remarked to some friends that I figured there was about 55-60% chance of Obama being re-elected. The only thing to change this assessment would be a downturn in the economy in the 2nd or 3rd quarter.
I've not seen anything since to change my mind, unfortunately.
Apr '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Maybe the Beatles' I Me Mine could be his 2012 campaign song.
Oct '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
Damn. I think Obama is going to pull a Clinton on us. This close to the election, he can afford to dangle a few sane things in front of the voters (e.g. education reform, manufacturing, "school uniforms") because his base is too cowed by their fear of Obama losing the election to make a fuss.
What's especially horrifying is that he took some of the issues Republicans were hoping to own, like manufacturing and worker retraining. If he sweetens his class warfare rhetoric with real, meaningful structural reform, he could do a lot of damage to us.
Mar '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
I refuse to watch. Obama doesn't have the capacity to be the kind of natural law conservative president that I want. I don't care what he says.
His words are like a vapor.
Mar '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Joseph Eagar: Damn. I think Obama is going to pull a Clinton on us. This close to the election, he can afford to dangle a few sane things in front of the voters (e.g. education reform, manufacturing, "school uniforms") because his base is too cowed by their fear of Obama losing the election to make a fuss.
What's especially horrifying is that he took some of the issues Republicans were hoping to own, like manufacturing and worker retraining. If he sweetens his class warfare rhetoric with real, meaningful structural reform, he could do a lot of damage to us. · 4 minutes ago
"Worker retraining" may be a Republican issue, but it isn't a conservative one. Government needs to stay out of business's business. That includes employees' or potential employees' business.
Edited on January 23, 2012 at 7:33pmMar '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Quite right, Peter.
A response both to "only elites despise earning money" and to "Mitt Romney, CEO"
Mr. Reasonable. Mr. Calm. Mr. Centrist. His most recent poll numbers. Divided nearly equally within the margin of error. The tone for the next year: we're the party of the middle class. We're the party that has your back against the few. We're the party that's forward looking and hopeful. We're pragmatic. We're the party of fairness.
Mitt and Newt: We know you have to fight it out a bit amongst yourselves for the nomination. Do so. But don't lose sight of this sort of speech and tone by the President.
Which of you can offer the more powerful critique of the argument Obama put forward above? Which of you can hammer home the point that: this isn't a party that protects the middle class--its the one that wants to tax it to death, subsidize its lifeblood out of existence, condescend to its virtues. This is the party of elitist-cronyism and big-corporatism, of backroom deals where the only backs being washed are insiders. This is the party of dogmatism, decadence, and decline.
Jan '12
Re: State of the Union Preview
Pseudodionysius: Something about the prospect of a new campaign seems to have ameliorated the fatigue of the last few years. That's not a good sign for our side. The energized, upbeat Obama is the electorally appealing Obama.
It will take more than a plodding two stepper to achieve that in the general. · 9 minutes ago
Aye, he'll have ample opportunity to commit more unpardonable blunders in the next few months. (Looking in the direction of the Strait of Hormuz.)
Re: State of the Union Preview
His ends are good ends: "reward responsibility"; "fair shot"; "everyone plays by the same rules." But when you move from "what" to "how," the picture isn't so pretty. Presumably, he wanted all this great stuff when he started. He's had three years to move us in that direction. Time to (a) judge him on how well he's done in achieving his lofty goals and (b) convince the American people that bigger government will not get us there. For instance, for (a), how about an ad that juxtaposes his "everyone plays by the same rules" with Solyndra, exemptions from his health care bill, and so forth? Focus on his record. Make the campaign about him.
Part (b) is harder---but I've heard some pretty impressive stuff along these lines from folks like Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan; I hope that the RNC will make sure we hear more.
Dec '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
I guess my thinking, as I read the doom and gloom at my favorite conservative websites, is -- Obama really didn't do that bad a job, did he?. Do we really believe our own economic analysis? Do we really think that the economy is going to explode to 5% or higher growth in the first through third quarters? Do we really think that an energized Obama, saying just the right things, is going to cover for the fact that the size of the workforce has crashed? And what about the trillion plus dollar deficits? I remember when Ross Perot was pounding the brilliant war president George Bush the First into the ground over much lower deficits. The campaign ads virtually write themselves. My position is that unless we do see that 5% GDP growth in the private sector, month after month of 400,000 + growth in private sector jobs, and revenue projections that indicate a significant drop in the deficit -- Obama is toast.
Mar '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
Oh, yeah, and Troy Senik is right too. Obama is playing for keeps.
Jan '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
I heard the word "fair" a few too many times
Jul '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
I think Obama loves to run for office. I think it is what he is good at, and he knows it. He may be better at it than almost anybody else in modern politics. After he wins he does not seem to be that good at holding the office but when it comes to running he soars.
Sep '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
The incumbent comes with an inbuilt advantage. The only thing that can knock him off his game is someone who gets under his skin like Joe the Plumber did. Some guy who looks a little like a hedgehog, a guy with a porcupine like personality, who the Chicago boyz keep riddling with bullet holes and like some kind of Halloween goalie mask wearing zombie keeps rising up and pulling his Energizer Funny schtick and won't take yes for an answer. Some guy who drops the Canadian Prime Minister's name like they golfed together last week, some guy who can rattle off 20 pages of geological assays on the Baaken shale like they're Wagner's Ring Cycle.
I don't think he has a great chance, but he has some chance. I just can't quite remember his name. Troy?
Oct '10
Re: State of the Union Preview
Gus Marvinson
minutes ago
"Worker retraining" may be a Republican issue, but it isn't a conservative one. Government needs to stay out of business's business. That includes employees' or potential employees' business. · 8 minutes ago
No, it isn't a libertarian argument. Education has always had massive conservative backing.
Mar '11
Re: State of the Union Preview
The only thing that can knock him off his game is someone who gets under his skin like Joe the Plumber did.
Advantage Newt on this count, no question. Even a rebooted Romney, I don't think, can get under BHO's skin the way Newt can.
But is that the only factor the election turns on?
Some of us fear that the Newtrino might throw many, many others off their game in the process, and they may come to see the other guy as the "less dangerous" option, and in the long run lose both the election and do some serious damage to the Tea Party cause. Remember, Newt's tragic flaws, if you will, are his egotism and his lack of focus.
Obama has gotten under his skin, too.