Update: The State Of The Union Speech That Wasn't

Update: Lorie Byrd reacts here. I'll update as I see some other reactions.

McConnell's reaction here. 

Like a would be leader hunting an FDR moment, Obama mostly walked through over an hour long speech, interrupted by only muted applause - looking like a man shooting blanks while seeking out Big Game. His something for everyone approach, reminiscent of his campaign, didn't really match up to the facts on the ground as evidenced by his completely partisan and ultimately divisive policies and initiatives.

As one person tweeting the speech pointed out, there were approximately forty different initiatives to which Obama spoke. Consequently, he comes away with no defining moment, no  compelling narrative with which to drive public opinion in a different direction than one that has seen his approval plummet.

Obama praised the concept of separation of powers, then immediately turned to question the Supreme Court's recent decision on campaign finance reform. That tendency caused much of speech to ring hollow throughout.

Obama talked about only looking forward, yet, couldn't resist looking back to try and blame Bush at several points during his first State of the Union address. On the one hand, he presented an optimistic view of America's future, but his rhetoric and delivery were far from optimistic, but perfunctory, at best.

A POTUS yet to answer questions on keeping CSPAN cameras out of White House meetings called for openness. The leader of a political party that locked Republicans out of the health care debate proclaimed his willingness to be open to alternate ideas.

The representative of America's far Left called for nuclear power plants, yet no one could believe his supporters and the party they embrace would ever allow it to happen, as it should. And the same goes for offshore drilling.

It was a somewhat disingenuous, rambling speech delivered without the dash he became known for on the campaign trail. It provided America no answers, because it tried to answer everything and nothing at the same time. Nothing was etched in stone, nor firmly committed to. What Obama came to the floor with was a lot of wishful ideas and preferences with no visible sign that he has the backbone to support and fight for them. It will have no serious lasting impact on American politics going forward. Obama remains more a politician, than he does a president.

One might just as well have watched American Idol and I suspect many Americans did, that, or its equivalent on some other channel. If I had to sum up Obama's speech, it would be, ask not what you can do for your country, but what bigger government can do for you.

I doubt that is the kind of message that will inspire many Americans not already on board with Obama and his agenda to support this president, or his agenda designed to re-frame America in a vision it has long resisted. Obama's is a model more akin to European socialism, than America's history of free markets and maximum freedom and liberty for all.

Comments

[JR Dogman]

Money quote -- I'm surprised Instapundit didn't use it for his link:

"Obama remains more a politician, than he does a president."

[mark l.]

wistful crap.

can't help but think about Matthew 8:28-34.

the demons beg christ to let them enter into pigs, rahter than be exorcised, only to see the pigs run off a cliff and drown themselves.

never could figure out why, given a second chance, they still go running off the cliff.

likewise, given a year to save his party, bambi is breaking for the cliffs.

[charles austin]

And right after criticizing the Supreme Court he called out the Senate and some individual senators, though he was polite enough not to mention any names. The hubris is amazing.

[crosspatch]

Obama doesn't strike me as the kind who gets firmly behind specifics. He seems to want to be all things to all people and if he puts too fine a point on it, he shaves off potential supporters in the process. He wants to talk in generalities and leave the heat of the specifics to be borne by someone else. He will be vague enough so he can distance himself from something should it prove unpopular saying that he didn't mean to implement it in that way yet he can embrace something if it turns out to be a success by saying "yeah, that's what I was talking about".

So ... he is Captain Ambiguity.

Boldly going, kinda, sorta, in the basic general direction that no one has exactly quite been before with a waive or two of the arms and a glance back and forth surveying the boundaries of that general direction forward ... while sitting a Federation Headquarters and letting Star Fleet Command take the heat for deciding the exact course.

He was at the podium voting "present".

[Andrew_M_Garland]

Obama should have given the standard speech, and left it at that.

Excerpt from "A Political Speech: Troubling Times"
http://easyopinions.blogspot.com/2008/05/political-speech-troubling-times.html

=====
I could go on. My staff has compiled a list of 463 of life's difficulties, and I am not convinced that we have listed them all. I haven't published this list, it is too depressing.

The good news is that I am ready to roll up my sleeves, sit down with the very best people who will work with the government, and deliver to you a better life. If we organize things in a different way, and all come together in support of this common good, we can finally get a grip on the situation and prosper in ways that are not even imaginable today.

I want to be realistic. My time in political office may not be enough to complete all of the changes that are needed. I can set the government onto a new path, and it will be the work of others from my party to continue on that path.
=====

[Rich K]

Just as he became in the Illinois senate and the US senate, He now seems bored with being the President.
He really should have tried for Ban ki Moons job where SYCOPHANCY REIGNS SUPREME.

[mark l.]

no reference to ted kennedy. mildly interesting.

[mark l.]

who was the guy behind obama's right shoulder?

never seen him before.

[Jeff]

Its amazing how much he lies and how many people know it ...

I'd say about 80% of people knew Obama was lying about one thing or another. Some people liked the lie, liberals and the nuclear power stuff and some people hated the lie, conservatives and his tax cut nonsense.

Just like in the election when he moved to the middle, liberals knew he was lying and liked the lie since he could get elected with it and conservatives hated the lie because he could get elected with it.

So at any point in time, when Obama moves to the middle about 60-70% of Americans used to know he was lying ... the danger now is that the independents have started catching on to his lies. When he is seen as lying by 80-90% of America and 50-60% don't like it you see polls like we are seeing now.

Liers can't talk their way out of it, they have to DO their way out of it. Does Obama seem like much of a doer ?

[seekeronos]

"---the demons beg christ to let them enter into pigs, rahter than be exorcised, only to see the pigs run off a cliff and drown themselves.

never could figure out why, given a second chance, they still go running off the cliff.---"

The pigs didn't want them demons either... and since it is the nature of demons to destroy everything they can, it was probably the most likely reaction.

[Nickie Goomba]

I've nicknamed him Toonces the President. Personally, I enjoyed the speech. I've never seen him more transparent.

http://itdontmakesense.blogspot.com/2010/01/short-history-of-obama-presidency.html