This was the best State of the Union address in my memory.
I’m so surprised, and so happy. There were three or four lines in there early on that I was so happy about, and just so surprised at, that they they brought tears to my eyes. And that last few minutes of the speech–the part that segued from voting rights to gun violence issues and victims, and back again to voting rights–was just plain magnificent.
And as someone who repeatedly mocked the people-as-props thing here on AB during the last week, I have to say that this time it was done really beautifully. The story of the 15-year-old high school majorette who returned home to the south side of Chicago from performing with her team at the inauguration, only to be gunned down randomly in a park near her home, had really grabbed me emotionally when I first read about it, and her mother’s presence there tonight was incredibly effective in illustrating the essential point. And the live video of the 101-year-old Miami lady who waited in line for hours to vote was a moment I’ll remember for a long time.
This was a beautiful speech, beautifully delivered.
It was good theater? Okay. Now what?
I had pretty low expectations, flipped on a net, NBC I think and was kind of blown away. Then the talking heads came on and I thought, ‘These people live in a different universe than I do. Each one trying to out smart ass the next one.’ And this isn’t a political junkie site, this is a mainstream network. They are supposed to be explaining this stuff to middle America and they are barfing up this completely bullshit inside baseball nonsense. Chuck Toddler and the in-bred crew of naval gazers. I couldn’t turn it off fast enough. No wonder the public doesn’t understand any of this stuff.
I confess, I didn’t watch, largely because I am sick of the 9th grade, adolescent locker-room boys mentality of the so-called “press corp”. I am tired of them mis-characterizing what is said, I’m tired of their snark, their self-important attitude (what they have to feel important about eludes me). I watched Frontline at 8 about the fiscal cliff battle, and watching some real journalism just left me cold to watch what I feared would be, as Dan says, just theater.
Maybe I should have watched, but I just don’t have the stomach for it anymore.
Since liberal speeches became laundry lists of special interests the quality of the speeches has declined immensely, at least from a technical speaking viewpoint.
The dog show was better, read the speech later.
And yet, yesterday I beleive Obama’s press man did say Obama is still for the chained CPI.
Rusty
i was agreeing with you until i realized you had said “liberal” speeches.
do you really think “conservative” speeches are any better?
now that i think about it, i prefer laundry lists over hate filled lies.
but don’t take that to mean that i don’t agree with Sandi and SW and Rdan
for the reason Dan Becker cites.
and some less observed very bad things Our President is up to.
No, no, this was much more than theater. Much more.
I didn’t watch the Rubio Show, so I missed the reaching-for-a-water-bottle-but-wishing-it-were-a-Vodka-bottle-instead moment. I wish I’d watched, but I didn’t. And normally, I’d be irritated that so much is being made of the long-drink-of-water thing. But I do think it sort of summed up what had happened, and that Rubio knew it. The message is finally getting through, loud and clear: the Republican emperors have no clothes. They lost the election in November. And last night, they lost any real chance to reverse what is becoming a juggernaut against them and their nonsense spewing.
Obama proposed a good hike in the minimum wage. And he backed it up with a strong supporting argument. Etc., etc.
And some of the juggernaut has enough of a face now–a 101-year-old lady, on federal legislation on access to the polls; the parents of a deceased but photogenic 15-year-old high school drum majorette, joined by so many, many others, on gun-violence issues–to freak out the likes of Marco Rubio. It’s over, for today’s Republican Party.
I share your fear about the specifics of what Obama will do on Social Security. And there are major problems with his positions and actions on some other things left over from his first term. But I had the same feeling last night that I had after watching Bill Clinton’s convention speech last Sept. The basic game is over.
Bev,
Please describe the basic game first, and then how the game is relevant to problem solving, albeit in the current political arena.
SW sez: They are supposed to be explaining this stuff to middle America and they are barfing up this completely bullshit inside baseball nonsense.
Then Beverly sez: The message is finally getting through, loud and clear: the Republican emperors have no clothes. They lost the election in November. And last night, they lost any real chance to reverse what is becoming a juggernaut against them and their nonsense spewing.
I wish I could agree with Beverly, but I am more in sync with SW, and here’s why. What I see happening around me is that the batshit right wing is doubling down, not that they for one moment think they have a serious problem. I know that the rank and file are not getting the unvarnished truth from our media, whether so-called liberal or Faux News. So, the only thing that will get their attention is when their own precious ox starts getting gored.
Case in point, here in NC, the legislature just gutted unemployment benefits, said a big, fat, “go to hell” to Medicaid expansion, was ready to put in charge of early childhood issues a woman who has publicly railed against any such “benefit” from state agencies, and basically turned a deaf ear to anyone who isn’t fully on board with the teabaggers’ (and ALEC’S) agenda. Meanwhile our mentally ill rot in jail or under an overpass somewhere, since they closed the state system and never replaced it with the community based one promised. Of course, there is “no money”. Yet cities still offer bribes to companies to play musical chairs with jobs, the latest being Proctor & Gamble extorting another million from Greensboro to add (supposedly) 200 jobs. There is always money to throw at Big Bidness. Funny how that works.
Granted, NC is has gotten redder, but we used to be the progressive voice in the south. No more. There is a solid wall here to prevent anyone entertaining the idea that the emperor is buck naked.
SW was talking about the pundits, I think, Sandi, not Obama’s actual speech. I think SW was saying that the pundits missed the effect of the speech. And, Dan, what I meant by the basic game was the contest for public opinion. We’ve won that.
Beverly
there is no permanent winner of the contest for public opinion. it will change as soon as the R’s can think of a clever slogan.
and it won’t matter, because whoever wins the election will still work for the banks. and that includes mr O.
despite the sweet talk.
coberly:
Notice I didn;t say anything positive about GOP speeches.
Bad in a different way.
Rusty
noted.