Obama's SOTU: Quick Thoughts
By John Amato Wednesday Jan 27, 2010 9:00pmPresident Obama gave a very forceful SOTU tonight. He was very engaging throughout and brought his oratory skills to the table as he did during the election. I wish he was much more partisan though. He hemmed the republicans in on not supporting the bank fees to pay back the bailouts. He blasted the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court and asked Congress to create some legislation to overturn it. Obama finally threw some blame for the sorry state of this country at the feet of George Bush and conservatism. Cutting taxes and starting wars doesn't lead us to economic prosperity.
The camera caught McCain mouthing "blame it on Bush."
He called for Congress to get HCR finished. Really, he was calling the Democrats in Congress cowards and to get on with it. Axelrod is responsible for the tactics they've used from the outset which has resulted in this debacle, but I've been hearing HCR is not dead just yet.
I can't stand when he mentions Ronald Reagan in a positive fashion and he did that again tonight. When will he realize that conservatives will never support him and to suck up to the Gipper is a mistake?
As Chris Hayes tweeted: There are not enough villains in this speech.
We all know who they are and he should name a few. Tightening the government's belt is a horrible idea. He wants us to export more goods, but we have to actually make goods to export. He attacked the 60 vote obstructionism that's been taking place in the Senate.
Seeing Lieberman and Nelson sitting together was disturbing. Josh Marshall called them the "axis of weasels".
He brought back DADT and at the same time tried to bring back the idea of bipartisanship. Major Garrett had a soft porn problem.
Republicans sitting on their hands for Obama calling for the banks to pay back bailout funds!
Chris Matthews said that he forgot President Obama was black tonight. Good to know...
Login or Register to post comments.
I want some.
sounds great. LOL . .
(I posted this in the previous thread. Now with the speech over - it feels more prescient.)
R.I.P. Howard Zinn, who died today.
From his last essay in The Nation, last week:
"I think people are dazzled by Obama's rhetoric, and that people ought to begin to understand that Obama is going to be a mediocre president – which means, in our time, a dangerous president – unless there is some national movement to push him in a better direction."
shut up.
This from the party who tried to blame Clinton for everything except for the legacy of peace and record prosperity he left that they trashed.
From Bush's first SOTU: Our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity have come to an end!
Yes, the historical record is clear, Democratic Presidents grow the economy and increase American's standards of living and increase the ability of citizens to achieve the American Dream. While the Republicans destroy the American Dream and decrease American's standards and impoverish millions.
In last night's GOP response he even said so, he said "unemployment hasn't been this bad in 25 years" which was a direct result of Reagan / Bush 1's 12 year reign of destroying the American Way Of Life. Before Reagan, the American worker used to be able to live on one income. After Bush 1 was done trashing America, families had to have both parents working to be able to afford to survive.
And then the GOP idiot went on and when you un-encrypt his far-right propaganda the GOP response the the Democratic SOTU was this:
"The Republicans just spent 8 years working hard to destroy the American Dream. The US economy hasn't been this bad since the last time Republicans controlled the Presidency under Bush 1. We Republicans demand that the Fed return to our methods which have been proven by the recorded history of the last 100 years to bring ruin the economy and impoverish hundreds of millions of citizens. Only when American children are dying of starvation in the streets will the Republican Party be happy."
He beat them up side the head up and down and all around verbally.
He called them out. Made them look like the fools they are.
This is the guy we've been waiting for. Just wait, in 2012, he'll win in another landslide. Provided, he keeps up on bashing the GOp. Because they deserve it. They're the reason this country is in the condition it's in.
Of course, he has to get busy on ...what?
Oh yeah, FISA.
He's closing Gitmo.
He's slotted a withdrawl for Iraq.
He needs to slot a time for withdrawal from Afghanistan. But, I have a feelin that will be coming soon.
He bashed the banks
He bashed the GOp for being obstructionists. Hey, They certainly aren't leading anyone.
All in all. I think he did very well here tonight.
Yes, there is room for improvement. There's always room for improvement.
what you talking about?
Than anyone since FDR.
Are you serious? Almost 10 million votes?
He beat Reagan's "landslide" by almost 6 million votes.
That's what I'm talking about. Geeez. You didn't know that?
States carried: Reagan 44 . . Carter 6 + DC
That's a landslide
States carried: Obama . . 28 + DC + NE-02 . . McCain 22
hardly a landslide
You know, the actual amount of votes.
. .
how can you say "whatever" to that?
winning states, that's the "whatever" when the citizens are not counted equally.
I'd say nice try. But it's not.
Here, look it up. Do go as far back you you need too.
Obama beat Reagans numbers by almost 10 million. On his second election.
His first, Obama beat him by almost 15 million.
Yeah, I'd call that a landslide.
I screwed up.
Reagans first election, the results were.43,901,812.
His re election was. 54,455,000
Obama? Well, he only got. 69,456,897.
Figure it out for yourself.
Boy, I really screwed that up. Math was never my best subject.
I can't believe I screwed that up so bad.
1st election. Close to 25 million votes.
2nd election. Almost 15 million votes.
Oyy, oh well, this should teach me a lesson.
beat Reagan by 17 million first election and reelection 6 million. There was a much higher turnout this election than prior ones. Obama won by about 8.6% Reagans first election 8% reelection 7%. Not that big of a difference.
You can try to spin this Tim, But, Obama crushed McCain. And he blew the ever popular Reagans numbers out the window.
the one you provided and did the math. And I'm not trying to spin it, but just using a straight number of votes can be misleading.
Again this last election had the largest amount of voters, so you should expect larger amounts of votes.
But,
69,456,892
-43,901,812
-----------
25,555,085.
Please correct me if I'm wrong here Tim.
69,456,892
-54,455,000
--------------
15,001,897
I may be making a mistake somewhere.
If I am, please point out where I am.
But, even still. Saying Obama won because more people turned out to vote, Well, YEAH! Hell yeah that matters.
None of this matters Tim.
Because Obama won in a landslide.
It certainly is/was a mandate.
A helluva lot more of a mandate than what Cheney claimed in 04.
but so is mine. You figured out how many more votes Obama received over Reagan. I figured out by what percentage of the vote he won by. Percentage wise his win was by close to the same amount as Reagans. Check out this site and compare the differences in percentages of the popular vote.
http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/
We don't need your empty rhetoric. Of course, you're entitled to spew it.
But if you're here just to be argumentative and contrary -- just to bait others and then proclaim your innocence -- well, shove it.
BID
only the electoral vote count matters.
It was a landslide.
365 Obama
173 McCaiu.
hardly a squeaker either.
It LOOKS like a landslide.
When you factor in Republican Party control of electronic voting machines... it looks like a landslide.
When you factor in party control of BOTH the House and the Senate... it looks like a landslide.
The vote was out of reach of an anti-democratic election throwing conservative activist court. That's a landslide in my book.
Oh, Tweety...
Saying it like it's the finest of praise...
He's black???!! OMG. No one told me.
OMG! Run!
Why is the BBC nightly news interviewing Michelle Bachmann following the State of the Union? Was Jon Voigt not available?
"axis of weasels"
hahahahahahaha
and McCain can CHOKE ON IT. I LOVE the way that Obama castigated the Republicans for a whole year of obstructionism... TO THEIR FACES!
At least he showed the Democrats that they should not "RUN FOR THE HILLS" in fear of the Republican opposition.
GOOD JOB, MR. PRESIDENT!
I lost count re: the number of times Republicans sat on their hands. They wouldn't even applaud talk of tax cuts?
At one point, President Obama spoke of shifting tax cuts from foreign companies to American companies that create jobs here, and they STILL sat on their hands.
I thought, "They disagree with THAT???"
up there and their going to hold their breaths until they turn blue. Which I hope is soon.
I've already heard Obama's speech - and heard it - and heard it - and heard it. They are all rhecorical and hallow. He is a great speaker, very eloquent - puts English words together masterfully. But he is phony, an empty suit, a talking head, a 30 pound weakling. Obama voted "present" more than 100 times in the Illinois Senate, afraid to commit, for fear of offending anyone,already having his"ego legacy" in mind, trying to let others do things that he can take credit for. I'm a Democrat, I campaigned & voted for Obama, I think he will be a 1 term President, hopefully his inaction won't cause too much damage to our country.
If you are REALLY a once loyal Democrat... then SHUT THE FUCK UP! Your president and your party need your support now more than ever.
If you are a Republican lying about your party afilliation and your vote... then GET THE FUCK OFF THIS THREAD.
If you are Really a Democrat... but just landed a job as a political writer for TALKING POINTS MEMO... then I'm sorry for you and I hope your financial condition improves in the future so you don't have to sell your soul like this for a few pieces of silver and a hot meal.
And Amen.
Well said, Wesley!
when i read today of NASA's moon program along with the ARES and CONSTELLATION programs being shut down i lost a lot of respect for obama...money for war and the tub stacking army, the TSA we have but we can't invest in the stars....phooey. no wonder our kids aren't interested in technology majors in college.
While Obama did announce he was going to sell off NASA, he did endorse nuclear power! That proves he is a Marxist.
Nuclear power is the most nanny-state dependent source of electricity ever devised to boondoggle money from taxpayers. A deadly rube goldberg contraption just to boil water.
The future will curse us for generations for leaving these hulking radioactive nightmares dotting the landscape for hundreds of thousands of years, far longer than all of recorded history to date.
I'm all for doing nuclear technology right, but the way Man has done it so far is 100% backwards.
the other day my friendly neighborhood alcohol store merchant brought up Rube Goldberg...
and I bought a big bottle of vodka from him, Comrade.
Concerned Scientists a few days ago on NPR and according to her the corporations who want to build all these new reactors will have a major problem getting them off the ground for a few reasons.
One, they must have the federal government back every loan. This will be very politically unpopular, I would imagine, with both parties. Especially with the track record of other start up constructions that have failed to proceed for various reasons. The federal government can't afford to take the financial risks.
The other problem is that we STILL don't have a permanent site for the waste. The Yucca Mountain site has not been finalized and may never be. On site storage is environmentally foolish. With all the current environmental impact studies that need to be done in order to get a green light to move forward, I don't see nuclear power as being a viable solution to our energy problem.
And besides, having more nuclear power plants is a terrorists wet dream. They need to be phased out, not in.
Nuclear power is a nanny-state anti-Free Market source of power. No reactor can ever be built without direct and massive Federal Government welfare.
The Fed must guarantee construction costs before they are even started, the Feds are the only source for fuel, since no rational for-profit company would ever waste their shareholder's dividends on such a foolish inherently unsafe enterprise as mining and refining highly deadly radioactive wastes.
The Fed is the sole insurer of nuclear plants, as for-profit insurance companies took one look at the price of claims and realized that no amount of premiums could ever come close to covering that cost.
The Fed is the only entity that has the resources to deal with safeguarding the nuclear waste, because they can always just charge us taxpayers whatever the Free Market refuses to pay.
And at the end of it's useful life, the US taxpayers become the sole owner of a deadly toxic nightmare for the next several hundred thousand years.
The Fed is the only entity that would sign on to something as rediculously stupid as nuclear power, because they have us taxpayers to bail out the Free Market when everything goes wrong with any aspect of nuclear energy.
If you believe in the Free Market, then you must be against nuclear power.
Governor McDonnell spoke to an audience made up entirely of Republican state legislators -- an echo chamber. This was not mentioned at "liberal" MSNBC. I presume I don't have to check out CNN or Fox.
Liberal media, my ass.
Well Obama still has it , the man has charisma and sure delivers a speech .Glad to see him slap the Repugs up side the head and lay recent history out on the table . Unfortunately for Obama and for the country the Repugnants won't be moved , they have no conscience to play to or to appeal to , none . Still kissing GOP ass trying to win them over , just had to praise Saint Reagan ! There is only one way for Obama and that is to finally get pissed , declare war and play hardball but I just don't think he has it in him .
I'm certainly not.
SOTU looks too much like STFU.
Bi-partisan "clean" coal and nuke energy.
Not.
just goes to show the (r)/(i) want obama to fail period.......no bipartisanship not we are all americans they want obama to fail at all cost.
Notice that Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman were sitting together and talking to each other during the speech?
both of them..........pathetic
and they were both smiling.
A post-speech observation.
While the President lauded improvements in the economy, he NEVER praised Geithner, Summers or Bernakie by name in the speech.
Why would he even mention those guys?
When you are losing the game you don't mention the idiot who fumbled just before halftime.
Just move on.
"Chris Matthews said that he forgot President Obama was black tonight. Good to know..."
i think it's more telling when people ignore the fact that he's 50% "white*".
* if you ascribe to the notion that there even *is* such a thing as a monolithic "white" race..)
I think it's telling that any of that mess is brought up at all.
Chris Matthews is an embarrassment to all humans.
the references to The Godfather??? So and so garretting So and So??
Wha?
Why do I feel like he will continue to make great speeches and talk about bipartisanship all the way to the end of his first and only term, and ultimately achieve nothing?
Start kicking asses and getting things done, please.
Because your probably right.
"Why do I feel like he will continue to make great speeches and talk about bipartisanship all the way to the end of his first and only term, and ultimately achieve nothing?"
The history of the past year perhaps?
couple of good jokes...
and a touching moment w/ the wifey...
Now we just need that change stuff we can believe in....
Unless he was talking about the loose change that can always be found in an empty suit.
It was a great speech but mostly all of his speeches are great because he is an eloquent speaker. The problem is after giving the Republicans a kick in the ass in his speech he will most likely go back to desperately failing to get them to play ball. He needs to follow up with action before people are really impressed.
*sigh* I have seen nothing to make me believe that this time for sure he'll stand up to the party of not only no but F**k no.
Margaret!
this is a family website!
It's "Cheney" no, not F**k no, ffs!
Clinton?
McGramps would take the Great Recession legacy of Bush, turn into another Great Depression, then blame Clinton. McGramps would then drop dead half way through his first term, President Palin would start WWIII, and she'd pin that on Clinton too.
Nah, McCranky Pants would have just started nuclear war against Iran and then continued to push the button in an angry manner until it was GAME OVER.
The nuclear devastation from her house?
yup!
you betcha!
shucks, from inside it even!
thank you sir, you have won the internets tonight and brought me much joy.
That's so old. And it has no bearing on anything.
dammit.
What if Sarah was up there? Who would she blame? Whoa that was a horrible thought...
*slowly removes gun from mouth*
in brown shirts running around the streets. But not just the boyscouts, a gestapo, too.
Tweety sure did point it out a lot.
for that whole stupid remark. And he says the stupidest shit sometimes, but occasionally he tells it like it is. His whole rant about McConnell and Cornyn and Reps chuckling and sitting on their kiesters during a horrible and painful recession is right on the money. it should be cut out and put on you tube shown repeteatedly on every lib blog and everywhere it can be spread, it was tweety at his best, we should see it more
But his being right about the repugs can't make up for his clueless douchebaggery.
The feed I saw did a careful job not showing the GOP on key responses. I'd rather watch that overhead camera during each loud applause or other important line in the speech. Then make ads like, "Are you on foodstamps? This is the GOP's position on your being able to eat .
focused on each and every member there and it be put on the internet.
"I forgot Bush had his d*** in my mouth!"
Matthews is a moron.
I'm dying laughing right now.
And Obama's available
POTUS tells SCOTU to STFU at SOTU
FUBAR
it alliterates?
I wish that my forced marriage of the two terms would catch on:
SNAFUBAR
it's the best of all possible worlds.
or is it?
Good one, Pete!
edit wasn't available
will save this guy and the Dems over the next three years. That's my take.
the Rethugs will do everything in their power to make sure that doesn't happen. That's how much they love the American people.
Chinese and other offshore labor investments.
And we'll continue to be the dumping ground for cheap, shoddy, and dangerous products.
Otherwise known as the win-win situation in some Washington circles.
For doing that sort of thing. Glad he mentioned what a bunch of cowards the Senate Democrats have become too.
If our Senate Dems had stood up to the Repug thug tactics from the begining we would have had a health care bill before last August. Harry "no nuts" Reid and Nancy "keep that table clean" Pelosi shood have been replaced a year ago. A real majority leader would have gotten Franken seated without letting all the Repug shenanegins slow everything down.
Your mistake is assuming Democratic Leaders would ever dare to go against the will of their slave-masters, the GOP. See the Democratic Leadership has been directly and indirectly controlled by the GOP for 30+ years. Check the historical record, they have never, ever done anything unless given specific approval beforehand by the GOP.
As Douglas Adams once said, [paraphrasing] anyone that amasses the political support to become a leader is far too corrupt to do the job.
I was looking for the deer that was caught in the headlight that was John Boehner's face.
Boehner and Cantor smirking? Disgusting.
Blame it on Bush.
That's okay Johnny.
I'm sure if you had been President instead,then you would be getting all the credit for dragging the economy down in flames.
After all,you're exactly like Bush-another self absorbed nit wit frat boy who gets waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more credit than he deserves.
strategy implemented by the republicans. obama is expected to perform( quick) "miracles" anything less is "fail"ure. this is all perpetual politicization by republicans. it's not about "we the people" but rather
special interests and corporations.
and the media once again, especially now that Obama has said, "If anyone thinks they have a better idea, bring it forward."
I was pleased to hear that Michelle Obama will be taking on the problem of teenage obesity.
I liked Obama's idea of creating a website where everyone in Congress could?/would? come forward and post earmarks. A website where all lobbyist contributions would have to be posted. His pleas for transparency are refreshing.
I like the way he's in the face of the generals by asking that DADT be revoked.
I really liked the fact that he spoke up for equal pay for men and women who perform the same jobs.
I did appreciate his sense of humor and I appreciated it when he admitted that he didn't do a very good job of explaining his healthcare proposal to the American people.
And I know that Obama has this thing of "not looking to the past and only to the future". But if he expects this to be a country of laws, then he has a Constitutional responsibility to look to the past and to do his best to see that justice is served.
Men, women and children have lost their very lives because George W. Bush, Richard B. Cheney, Tony Blair, Condoleeza Rice and many many others willfully lied us into an illegal war of aggression based on lies. They should all face the criminal court system for their actions.
The fact that, according to accounts I have read, the U.S. did/does torture should make every one of us hang our heads in shame and to demand that these practices stop and that those who have promoted them be brought to justice.
Obama disappoints me on these issues and others that I won't go into now.
I will say that tonight I remembered for one fleeting moment or two why I whipped out my credit card for him many times in 2008 and why I gave my time and energies (and even made a stupid YouTube video against Sarah Palin/John McCain!) to do my small part to help him prevail in the election.
I really wish he would now become the President I thought I voted for, and who I believe this country and the whole world desperately needs right now.
it would be a beautiful thing if every progressive blog ran this theme, every day.
and if people would call their reps with this exact thing.
.
Ditto . The trouble is he only has limited power and can't do it alone . The stinking Repugs are a permanent road block , that's all there is to it and as long as the dumb fucks in this country are goin to not only tolerate it but approve of it ... good luck .
Talk is good, but Action is sooooooo much better.
Show me don't sell me.
.
but the speech was horseshite
cant be a mod for a year...then play populist
that horse wont run
It's like the person who gets their ass kicked and then tries to talk shit after the person that beat them up is long gone. He should have come out guns blazing from day one, not wait til a year later, no one believes him.
We've seen what they do when he was conducive to them.
What do you think the teabaggers or the Klan would have done?
If he tries to play nice-nice they hate him, if he goes hard, they hate him. If he would grow a spine at least he could keep his base in tact and hold his head high knowing he didn't water everything down just to appease Republicans. He can't crawl into a corner and cower in fear of what the teabaggers are gonna do for the next 3 years.
In case you didn't notice, he called them out pretty damn good. But, you are right in your own respect. If he doesn't knuckle down with these twerps, He'll lose me.
I don't want to give you PTSD. But here's a link to Bush's last SOTU address. You can fast forward it past all the baloney.
Sorry. But I think this will put things in a little better perspective.
Ok, Mr. President. You've got six months...A year if you get something (anything) done before that.
But I have a message for ya: Get. Er. Done. Kick ass and take names before its too late.
Don't f@k this (last) chance up or it Oh-ver.
(I won't be holding my breath.)
I don't like making Reagan out to be some mythical figure that was great, but he took something good that President Reagan was trying to do and used it to try to bring Republicans along with him. The Republicans like to talk about history, but if history takes an honest look Obama's Presidency, they will see him reaching out his hand in brotherhood, while Republicans chose to give him a swift kick in the knees instead. He's making the effort to engage them, they choose not to. There are still moderate conservatives out there that need to feel like he's speaking for them too and if he continues to engage them and the Republicans continue to tell him to go you-know-whathimself, then these moderates may come along with him for the ride instead. It's a much better approach then the one the Bush/Gingrich Era Republicans have taken.
I liked that he took jabs at members of both parties, especially in the Senate, for stalling crap that the country needs to fix right now. Overall, it was a really good speech.
The next thing you know, they'll call you an Obama apologist.
I agree. What he's doing is called tact. But it's a risky game he's playing. The deck is stacked against him. Odds are not in his favor.
But, he might be able to pull it off. If he does, he divides whats left of the GOp. And that, would be a major accomplishment. Then, they're done for awhile.
Nice speech. I'm sure he's glad he got that out of the way.
Now, time to get back to work screwing the people with Rahm and Timmy.
I have heard these speeches for three years could not force myself to listen to another one.
he has no business being pres.
he is weak and spinless. but gives great speeches. how much longer will the voters see him for what he is.
follow the money and you will find out why the demos pretend to be for the people but then fold.
demos give it up sign up independent neither party represents you.
i did hear a repub state some pretty good lies after speech.
the good news capitalism must self destruct what would the world be like if capitalism did not self destruct?
it is based on survival of the fittest and creates a society of haves and mostly have nots.
I think we're long past legislation now.
As a constitutional scholar, Obama should know that.
The conservative activist judges didn't quibble about the wording of campaign finance laws that can be tinkerd with
They opposed the whole concept of campaign contribution limitations in toto
Although I think the one limiting the amount from individuals is still in effect
Which is ironic since there is no ambiguity or abstraction involved in seeing an individual as a legal "person."
With the precedent established it means any future law can be challenged in court for constitutionality.
Unless there's a change in the court.
What is required is an amendment, and for simplicity so there's no wiggle-room for conservative-activism, make it for public financing of campaigns.
What was so good about this SOTU?
He gives a good speech. Yeah...we know that.
Wants healthcare "reform" done. DUUUUUUUH!
But, no mention of the public option. No mention of eliminating the insurance mandate. So, he said essentially...pass this shitty bill, make the insurance lobby happy and we'll (the politicians) all be fine.
WTF was with picking on colleges? Want tuition to go down, Mr. President. SUBSIDIZE HIGHER EDUCATION!! We subsidize every other shitty little industry in this country.
we must subsidize the one that puts on Saturday circuses in the fall.
Oh...you mean religiious services? Yes, actually we do subsidize those.
suffer. Jock 28-21 (OT)/
Of course blame it on Bush and the Republicans! It's only been a year. The country (and it's economy) is so big that it less like a horse that has the bit in its mouth and more like a runaway train. Or maybe a better analogy would be to think of the largest ship going full bore through the ocean and only having a tiny little rudder to change directions. It will take a long time for us to dig the country out of this hole that was created well before Obama took office. Bush and Cheney were still blaming Clinton in their 7th and 8th year of their administration.
and show his testicles to eveyone like his base, as represented by many commenters, has demanded. He ran on doing just that and that is why he won.
Never. I would think that is obvious by now.
...the Repukes would have sat on their hands if Obama had called for putting St. Ronnie Reagan's puss up on Mt. Rushmore. All they want to do is oppose ANYTHING he proposes, even if it directly benefits THEM. What a bunch of fucking ASSHOLES!!!
Login or Register to post comments.