What are your thoughts of Obama's Speech?

sofiaofhouston's Avatar
What are your thoughts of Obama's Speech?
atlcomedy's Avatar
I'm watching basketball on cable....

Frankly, (& I realize this is the State of the Union) but this guy wants to go on air in prime time so often I just am numb to it.....

This is not a partisan reaction either....

Frankly if POTUS says something worthwhile I can be brought up to speed reading a news account.
discreetgent's Avatar
watching the Australian Open semifinals
Fast Gunn's Avatar
I think President Obama delivered a masterful State of the Union speech tonight.

He was forceful, honest and hopeful and that is exactly what this country needs now.

He urged congress to put a jobs bill on his desk as soon as possible because 1 in 10 Americans are out of work. That is the primary issue, but he still plans on passing Health Care Reform. He knew it would be a tough fight, but one that needs to fought.

He inherited 2 wars and a crumbling economy, but he is resolute in his determination to resolve all these issues and I believe he will deliver if the American people can stand behind him.

I think we should all be proud of President Barack Obama.
Obama gave a speech? How unusual.
Let me guess...he blamed Bush in the same lame speech of campaign broken promises and falsehoods.

He should have done the honorable thing and announced his resignation.
discreetgent's Avatar
He should have done the honorable thing and announced his resignation. Originally Posted by gnadfly
Seriously, on what grounds?

Unlike a PM in a parliamentary system the US has no tradition of Presidents resigning for any reason.
Speech? I was watching Good Eats , learned how to make a "Tres leches cake"
Speech? I was too busy watching the media and hype on the Toyota recalls, isn't that more important?
Speech? I was watching Good Eats , learned how to make a "Tres leches cake" Originally Posted by GuYFoX
I watched a repeat of Dawg the bounty hunter, and Steven Seagal Lawman!
I did some flipping back and forth,
blame President Bush....check
More stimulus {jobs bill} check!, because stimulus1 worked so well!
Healthcare check, it worked for the Clintons. wait not so much.
Thank you mr President for staying the course, You will be a single term President
rekcaSxT's Avatar
I think President Obama delivered a masterful State of the Union speech tonight.

He was forceful, honest and hopeful and that is exactly what this country needs now.

He urged congress to put a jobs bill on his desk as soon as possible because 1 in 10 Americans are out of work. That is the primary issue, but he still plans on passing Health Care Reform. He knew it would be a tough fight, but one that needs to fought.

He inherited 2 wars and a crumbling economy, but he is resolute in his determination to resolve all these issues and I believe he will deliver if the American people can stand behind him.

I think we should all be proud of President Barack Obama.
Originally Posted by Fast Gunn
I agree. But he talked more about pulling out of Iraq than continuing the mission in Afganistan.

I was happy to hear his criticism of the Supreme Court's decision reversing decades of campaign finance responsibility. (Notice Samuel Alito shaking his head at this comment.)

Other than the talk on Iraq, and Haiti, there was almost 0 foreign policy talk. I am upset at the govt in general for not being more critical of China when it comes to Tibet. The US has always championed human rights.

I also support the reversal of Dont Ask Dont Tell. (Notice the joint cheifs sitting on their hands here)

In general the President didn't pull punches when he talked about why he hasn't succeeded YET. He was very critical of the Republicans for being bullheaded and roadblocking all progress. He admited mistakes, but planned for the future. He promised responsible budget cuts, and noted that stimulus money is being paid back.

In general I give the speach a B+.

I am still HOPEful and believe CHANGE is going to happen. But the system in the US is not set up for drastic and quick change. It will take time, and after the previous administration, getting the US on track is like trying to turn the Titanic. It ain't easy.
TexTushHog's Avatar
1. Too long by about 20 minutes. Some really great stuff in the speech, especially near the end, but it lost much of it's effectiveness because of the length of the speech. He also got tired near the end of the speech and mangled a few lines. 75 minutes is a long time to talk.

2. Not enough fighting tone for my taste. He's clearly decided to resurrect the same themes that got him elected. Which may work. But generally midterm elections are more partisan than Presidential elections. I have serious doubts that the bipartisan rhetoric will work in a mid term (and the Republicans wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire, so he'll get no help from them on legislation, not matter what his proposal is.)

3. Needed more to rally his base. Yes, it's early, but still, that's where he's in the biggest trouble, in my mind. But the speech was clearly geared toward independents. I would have loved to see the Q meters on the speech tracking I's and D's. I'm sure there would have been lots of divergence.

4. The health care stuff was good, but again, buried too deep in the speech. And not enough of a fighting tone for my tastes.

But overall, I'd give it a B+.
1. Too long by about 20 minutes. Some really great stuff in the speech, especially near the end, but it lost much of it's effectiveness because of the length of the speech. He also got tired near the end of the speech and mangled a few lines. 75 minutes is a long time to talk.

2. Not enough fighting tone for my taste. He's clearly decided to resurrect the same themes that got him elected. Which may work. But generally midterm elections are more partisan than Presidential elections. I have serious doubts that the bipartisan rhetoric will work in a mid term (and the Republicans wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire, so he'll get no help from them on legislation, not matter what his proposal is.)

3. Needed more to rally his base. Yes, it's early, but still, that's where he's in the biggest trouble, in my mind. But the speech was clearly geared toward independents. I would have loved to see the Q meters on the speech tracking I's and D's. I'm sure there would have been lots of divergence.

4. The health care stuff was good, but again, buried too deep in the speech. And not enough of a fighting tone for my tastes.

But overall, I'd give it a B+. Originally Posted by TexTushHog
Watch Fox News, espesicially Frank Luntz, an independant pollster, who gauges the opinion of all voters, I'm sure O'reilly will have Frank on!!
It is an established fact that The President is a fantastic orator...
I was not surprised that his address would be moving and touching...
neither surprised about the partisan tone...
It's his job to be a leader and a leader needs cooperation from his troops in order to lead successfully...

The last 10min of the address moved me immensely....
It's quiet long (traditional O fashion)

Enjoy

------

"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.

Our administration has had some political setbacks this year, and some of them were deserved. But I wake up every day knowing that they are nothing compared to the setbacks that families all across this country have faced this year. And what keeps me going – what keeps me fighting – is that despite all these setbacks, that spirit of determination and optimism – that fundamental decency that has always been at the core of the American people – lives on.

It lives on in the struggling small business owner who wrote to me of his company, "None of us," he said, "…are willing to consider, even slightly, that we might fail."

It lives on in the woman who said that even though she and her neighbors have felt the pain of recession, "We are strong. We are resilient. We are American."

It lives on in the 8-year old boy in Louisiana, who just sent me his allowance and asked if I would give it to the people of Haiti. And it lives on in all the Americans who've dropped everything to go some place they've never been and pull people they've never known from rubble, prompting chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A!" when another life was saved.

The spirit that has sustained this nation for more than two centuries lives on in you, its people.

We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We don't quit. I don't quit. Let's seize this moment – to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.

Thank you. God Bless You. And God Bless the United States of America."
usetacould's Avatar
What would the President or his idiot Vice President think if Chief Justice Roberts called a press conference to criticize Obama? Of course, politicians NEVER shy away from bagging campaign donations from these very same corporations. Democrats especially love the shake-down.

Yes, it overturns 100 years of activist decisions and legislation. It goes back to the core of the Constitution. .And if corporations aren't persons, you can't tax them or prosecute them, or even figure out where they live for purposes of suing them in Federal Court; corporations have been citizens ever since the question was addressed far more than 100 years ago. It is not even in dispute.

Will the Supreme Court reconsider the eligibility of Obama to be President now?