“Article II, Section 3 mandates that the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." It's a tradition which dates, of course, from George Washington, but it has evolved enormously since the Father of Our Country gave his first report to Congress, in 1790.” Schlesinger, Robert (January 2011)
Was this State of the Union Address Obama’s William Jefferson Clinton moment? During President Obama’s historical campaign for the Oval Office he said this, “Just words, just speeches”. Going through the motions but no real passion was on display. Dog and pony show, all caught on prime-time television. One more thing to check off Obama’s bucket list, rule a nation.
I find it a great privilege to live in a nation that allows its citizens to watch and hear their elected president speak on live television. I also find it a great privilege to retrieve the transcripts of ‘The State of the Union Address’ on my computer and then further comprehend it.
Tuesday night, January 25, 2011 was one of those days that we as a nation tuned into our local or cable channel to watch and listen to the 44th Commander In Chief address the nation. Listening closely to every word that communicated from the teleprompter before dropping out of Obama’s mouth I asked myself how different will this State of the Union differ from last years? Unemployment is still too high to show any real economic rebound and the housing problems continue to rear its ugly head. Difference is, Obama was not attacking the GOP every other statement.
In light of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords strong recovery, our nation is known for its direct, face to face contact with our elected officials. Many nations around the globe do not share this right hard fought right. So debate will continue regardless how the Left Wing try to spin the media and yes civil debate is healthy.
President Obama mentioned that, “At stake right now is not who wins the next election -– after all, we just had an election.” But it seems to me that he is not a student of his own words. He is in full throttle election mode and only picking up speed. Any word yet on his birth certificate?
Obama, “It’s whether we sustain the leadership that has made America not just a place on a map, but the light to the world.” Again, Obama is not a student of his own words. Before taking office he bad mouthed America and continued to due so after his Inaugural. Sitting a church for what twenty years with the message structured around how ‘White America’ has robbed the world of its wealth. It doesn’t sound like a healthy message to hang your hat on to me, let alone a philosophy of principles to govern by.
June 2009, modern-day recession ended and recovery began. During the latest State of the Union Obama touts that the recession is over and the market is roaring back, but he stated that the market will not be used as an approval index and we seen the market take a hit Friday, January 28th due to the unrest in Egypt. We are still in a recession. People are still losing jobs in great numbers and houses are still being foreclosed on in record amounts.
Obama likes to say progress is measured by the progress of the American people, but wants to confiscate hard working Americans wealth. I don’t know what to believe about Obama, will he punish the hard workers and reward the loafers? I don’t know, but it sure does sound like it taking into account the words that dressed the pages of his two books.
Everyone would like a good paying job, now more than ever, but it is unrealistic to think that it would only be fair if everyone made the same amount on money. It is like saying that it would only be fair if the wealthy would pay more in taxes, and then again define “WEALTH”.
If we as a nation of revolutionary ideas are going to win the future, government needs to allow the private sector do what it does best, innovate. The federal government is the one that sets tax rates for corporations not the corporation. If Obama would like to see nations around the globe invest in America, then he needs to show America that he is serious in bringing jobs back to our shores.
Obama has a hard time cutting the budget by axing social programs, but has no issues of axing defense. Now in the defense budget we’ll find NASA. Well for many that didn’t know already, NASA is conducting there last couple of space missions. Will NASA be funded by private investors? Your guess is as good as mine. On the social program, in the Bay Area, doctors are conducting sex changes on the taxpayer’s dollar. Should the tax payer be paying for such procedure?
Obama found it to be the appropriate time to attack Big Oil. You know how Americans hate Big Oil, but I find Big Government more of a threat to American Society than Big Oil. It is the federal government that has the spending problem while mounting record deficits, not the oil companies. I’m for clean energy, but I like choice and it is not the governments place to demonize corporations in hopes to gain lobbing support from Big Envio.
For Obama to state that our education system is failing, he would be right. Every year we Americans throw more and more money towards education and still have children not meeting the standard. Is it the teachers or is the curriculum? Every school is different and this is an area I agree with the President. We should reward those teachers, those schools that excel at educating our children and put on notice that are not performing to standard. It’s not a regional issue. All teachers go to an accredited school to get their teaching degree, so they have the tools, but rather fight for more money in their pockets and forgetting who they are, an educator.
College is expensive partly due to the professors. So when professors are willing to take less money then tuition will fall. I can only speak for the community college here in Phoenix, but we have a very good community college program. I wish that the community college offered more degrees, but I’m very happy with the community college system.
Obama went on to talk about lobbying groups, when members of his own staff have resigned to take up the title “Lobbyist”. Like earmarks, Obama said last year that he would shutout lobbyist from the legislative process and the same was said about earmarks, but the evidence is throughout the Obamacare 2000+ page bill.
It is funny to see how many at the Republican Presidential Candidate ideas Obama is trying to make his own today, tax holiday, simplifying the tax code and so on. How about creating another a program that would allow Americans to stay with the current Social Security Program or go to another program that will not be raided by politicians to suit their pet projects?
It is always time to act. Why wait two years to create a spending cut budget, a budget that will reduce the size of government, and not reduce the saving of the American taxpayer. Obama says he cut taxes, but in reality he only kept in place current taxing levels, which in two years time plans on raising taxes.
In closing, I am not in the position to grade the Presidents Address, but I can assure that we Americans do not hate people based on their skin color, race, or religion. This past year was sickening to hear how politicians’ character assassinates a movement, political figure or idea by using the word racist. If Americans can not express their opinion without being labeled a racist, then we have lost the freedoms that so many have laid down their lives to protect.
May God protect and bless our Great Nation and the men and women that defend Her.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/25/remarks-president-state-union-address
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2011/01/25/a-brief-history-of-the-state-of-the-union-address
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/20/AR2010092005999.html
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