I've avoided punditry as best I can so I can throw my two cents into the tin can. I personally love the State of the Union. The pageantry, elegance and sheer gusto I get from seeing this. Going to be weird not seeing the parties sat together, though clearly I understand why.
Love the networks complaining they didn't give out the full speech yet. Really? Is this really that big a problem? My Miami note says, I don't see Ileana Ros-Lehtinen near the President's entrance. Des she only do it for the GOP Presidents? And there it is, six minutes later, "Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States." I want that job. Trivial note: I like what Michelle Obama is wearing.
Calls for Boehner and Giffords early. Then talks about corporate money going up. Weak start but, thankfully he pivots, but a quick message to Wall Street. He's now going into an ad for the United States. In the process he compares the Wright Brothers to Facebook. Boehner hasn't cried yet, in 15 minutes. Wow.
"This is our generations Spudnik moment." That's the big quote for the night. Biomed, clean energy, he's saying all the right things. He's trying very hard to not laundry list. I don't get why you invite people you talk about, like the Allen brothers. How many President's have talked about energy? Obama's idea of putting man on the oon in ten years is 2025? Yikes. Asking the elimination of billions of dollars from oil companies, who says the end up bs'ing some sort of "clean energy" thing where they qualify for new mandates.
Obama mentioned "clean coal". That's gonna go down like acid with liberals. United States is now 9th in people with college degree per Obama, then he says responsibilities lies not in classrooms but parents. AMEN! This is the single thing politicians usually don't understand. He states that a classroom should have "high expectations and high performance" which means he's now a TFA honorary person. Race to the Top, is also a big block to the head of the education unions. Obama calling for a change from not to No Child Left Behind. Obama is talking about Bruce Randolph here in Denver. TFA places here at Bruce and I know a couple of teachers there, including my roommate at Institute. Obama calls for "become a teacher; your country needs you."
Community colleges getting a call out is brilliant, because many education experts believe this will be the key to improving the education system and getting additional training vocational and educational levels back to where they should be.
Illegal immigration and a touch upon the Dream Act makes me believe that Obama is now playing to the latino/hispanic groups. This could be key to forcing GOP money to going into the Southwest in two years. Remember, the 2012 campaign kicks off tonight.
Obama trying to push high speed rail is interesting considering states short of New England, California and New York kill these because of cost (look at Florida.) The call for doubling exports by 2014 is actually a very intelligent idea and was originally proposed by the US Chamber of Commerce and agreed to by SEIU.
Obama talks about working together with the GOP. I'm not sure that's good electoral or political posturing, thankfully he throws repeal right out. Repeats the pre existing conditions being thrown out and the age of 24 for students. His health care section seemed to be his single strongest policy portion.
Notice how reducing domestic freezing for spending drew little applause from anyone. He includes some military spending in there. He again does a smart pivot to defend social security. He lectures the GOP on how spending alone isn't going to be enough. Obama has agreed to Medicaid and Medicare cuts being on the table and malpractice suing reforms, what will the negotiating position be? Touches on the third rail of social security, this is where he plays to the Democratic base. Goes after tax breaks for the rich, defends social security and refuses to give in to annual pressure from the GOP to open it up to the stock market.
His turn to foreign policy seems odd but it also seems a political move meant to indicate to people that we are no longer fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq to the levels of the previous administration and also a wink to "I'm doing what I'd said I do."
I'm not sure if it's the "bipartisan seating" or if it's the lack of specifics but I see both sides of the aisle standing up a lot tonight. Boehner looks annoyed all day though. I love seeing Congressmen and women highlighting the speech or reading along. It's always fun when Obama talks health insurance and Boehner looks pissed. I'm still sad for the lack of tears from the Speaker though. The promise of earmarks in a bill being vetoed will not happen. This is what Congress fights for left and right. Hell Rep. Keith Ellison already tweeted about this:
keithellison
Sorry President wants to veto all earmarks. Most congressionally directed spending helps local communities. Selfish, pointless ones bad.
Not too many individual policies thrown out here, while still touched a variety of points. My personal favorite point of the speech because of my current profession is what I'll take out of it, but I'm sure that many will focus on his lack of specifics, his almost campaign speech, and an odd mix of jokes and policies in the middle.
"We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair; that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline."
Questions I don't have answers to:
How many Congressional members were playing Angry Birds?
Was Obama trying to get Biden and Boehner to cry?
Your thoughts welcome.
Also: Republican Congressman's tweet: "Mr. President, you don't believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism."
http://twitter.com/...
Cross posted at my blog