Obama State of the Union Message: From “Yes, We Can” to “Yes, I Get It”
Posted on 24. Jan, 2010 by James Devere in American Politics
In the wake of the Massachusetts special election, Democrat incumbents are nervous that the President’s agenda is costing them political capital that they just do not have. In reaction, Obama plans to stake the 2010 mid-term elections on change: a change in his fundamental message from “Yes, we can” to “Yes, I get it.” But, can he resist the urge to blame the Republicans, and not go to bat for his policy of spending? The AP reports on the Administration’s preparations for the State of the Union address noting, “It all points to the message Obama wants to convey: Yes, I get it.” But does he really?
Ben Feller, writing for the AP, comments, “Obama will propose ways to help the middle-class. But any new ideas probably will play a supporting role to the plainspoken narrative he wants to tell, that his agenda works for people despite their growing doubts.”
“Obviously you want to write a speech in a way that is interesting enough that people want to listen, and that leaves them feeling a sense of momentum and progress,” senior Obama adviser David Axelrod told The Associated Press. “But these are serious times. I don’t think this is a time for rhetorical flights of fancy.”
All this leads to the anticipation of a speech that is less a State of the Union Address and more a State of the Obama Presidency Address. Obama has already tipped his cards on his feelings about the anger of the American electorate. In a recent interview with George Stephanopoulos, the President commented that the voters “are angry and they’re frustrated not just because of what’s happened in the last year or two years, but what’s happened over the last eight years.” Until Obama realizes that there is a fresh anger amongst the people he will continue to miss the boat.
President Obama has made few public comments on the Tea Party movement and those that he has uttered were not kind. On April 15th of last year, the date that the Tea Party really started to gain momentum, ABC’s Dan Harris said on Good Morning America, “The White House says the President is unaware of the tea parties and will hold his own event today.” On April 29th, at a Town Hall in St. Louis Missouri, Obama made his first public comments about the Tea Party. “So, when you see – those of you who are watching certain news channels that on which I’m not very popular–and you see folks waving tea bags around, let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our healthcare costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security.” Unfortunately, we never got that serious conversation, nor have we seen a cut in healthcare costs or a stabilized Social Security system.
Now, almost a year later with the Massachusetts defeat fresh in the Administration’s mind, we will be treated to a State of the Union Address where the President will speak to a joint session of Congress and attempt to take control of voter anger and channel it into his agenda. Let’s remember the last time Obama addressed a joint session of Congress. The famous “You Lie” healthcare address gave momentum to the popularity slide of both healthcare reform and Obama himself. The arrogance of that address coupled with actions of Congress in drafting a bill in a “transparent” closed-door fashion, have left the public with a very bad taste for the methods and methodology of this President and his liberal allies in Congress.
The “Yes, I get it” attitude is something that can only be pulled off by a humble man. Can Obama change? Can he view the fresh public anger for what it is: a rejection of his political agenda, an outpouring of resistance against increased government spending? Or will he stick with the same agenda and address the misguided opposition in a deluge of “let me be clear” statements that are anything but clear? Can he put forth a comprehensive plan to fix the economy? Will he suddenly decide that it is okay to be tough on terrorism?
Maybe he can “change,” or maybe we will see another soft on the economy, soft on terrorism speech filled with liberal green job economic recovery rhetoric and a let’s engage the dictators foreign policy. Maybe. Until then, here is to looking up the president’s address.
Additional Reading: My Way News – Obama’s State of the Union Address: Yes, I get it.
Does Preident Obama have the character to be President?
Tell us yes or no and why at http://www.DoesCharactercount.com.
Thanx
The Tea Party Movement is an American tradition. It comes from a tradition of local home rule, where government was no further from the governed than one day’s horseback ride, and individual interests were more important than are community interests. That led to a more involved citizen, through town hall meetings and even vigilante movements. The Tea Party Movement is but an extension of these American traditions and perfectly correct. It is what the elite few who want to rule the many, as the current Democrat Party and many old-line Republicans, would oppose. The differences are cited in the Changing Face of Democrats, Our Libertarian Roots Lost, on Amazon and claysamerica.com.
This may be one of the few instances where I am glad someone was not true to their word!
"All this leads to the anticipation of a speech that is less a State of the Union Address and more a State of the Obama Presidency Address. "
Why must it always be about him?
An ego this big really needs looking after, not more appearances on national television.