I took some time today to carefully read Obama’s state of the union speech, something I normally wouldn’t do because most years I feel the SOTU speech is an exercise in self congratulatory gibberish and hyperbole; an exaggerated list of things the president has done or, having not done them, promises to do in the future. But since the last 9 months have featured an endless series of tedious debates by republican presidential candidates, an avalanche of empty rhetoric, mindless and reflexive accusations against him and blather of the highest order, Obama’s speech was his chance to answer it all in one systematic way with the eyes of the electorate on him. I have taken him to task during this time for his well-meaning but ultimately futile attempts to reason with his political opponents. Most of 2011 was a complete waste of time in that regard; a series of high profile dick-measuring contests and pissing matches that accomplished almost nothing and served only to distract the whole country from the business of actually solving our problems.
Ironically, my long and thoughtful review took place with the most recent “debate” as backdrop. Last night in Florida the four candidates once again assembled in their suits and power ties and took questions from a hand picked member of the hated media. This time it was the venerable Wolf Blitzer – a name as incongruous as Rock Hudson. As the field has grown smaller and the two leaders start to distance themselves, the debates have also become more pointless, cloying and personal and the contrast between the ridiculous name calling slander-fest in Florida and Obama’s focused and mature speech Tuesday night was stark. The continued spectacle of these “debates” – with all the gravitas of a third grade lunchroom argument over a dodge ball game outcome - has to be humiliating to republicans everywhere on some level.
From the starry-eyed argument about the relative expense of moon colonies to the full frontal exhibitionism of Cuban pandering, this thing had all the class of a farting contest. It is almost sad to watch the other two candidates – Saint Santorum and Crazy Uncle Ron Paul – try to remain relevant while the mud-wrestling cage match goes on next to them. And make no mistake, Florida is looking more and more like a tipping point. Romney’s inevitability has come into question since Newt body-slammed him in South Carolina and another loss to him here in Florida would damage his credibility severely. Newt is on the ropes himself – under funded and fighting against the entire republican party – he really has to win Florida to be able to continue because of the way the next round of primaries fall.
After Florida there is a series of caucuses, which could serve to affect momentum and fund raising but they don’t lock up delegates. So the candidates have to spend time and money and have much to lose and not really much to gain. There aren’t real primaries scheduled until the end of February. It may be a bare knuckles bloody fight until then or Florida may spell the end for one or more of the ravaged and tiring candidates.
Meanwhile their fate is, to some extent, tied up with John Boner, Mitch McConnell and the republican congress and this is what made the SOTU speech so interesting. Obama laid down a marker on Tuesday. Say what you want, argue with him about this policy or that policy, but the fact is he made a very compelling case for his presidency while at the same time, laying the inability to get anything done in 2011 squarely at the feet of congress – and specifically, the house. There was nothing radical, vaguely socialist, Kenyan, Muslim or typically liberal about the path he laid out. Finally after months of trying in vain to get the people who loathe him to cooperate, he has recognized that there was nothing to be gained anymore by being conciliatory. He wasn’t asking them anymore; he was telling them. He was rational and practical and pragmatic but with an edge that was recognizable.
Meanwhile progressives are in a lather, picking through Obama’s speech and finding fault with him on his handling of the banks and his refusal to either insult or disband the military. When are we all going to grow up and understand what it means to work together to pull in the same direction? Apparently, not any time soon. Because like it or not, the fact is that a large part of the president’s role is as commander in chief. That doesn’t have to mean he wanders around starting wars for no good reason any more than it means he can unilaterally pull troops out of Japan or close Guantanamo. He is supposed to lead but others have to choose to follow or not. If he wants to close Guantanamo and is opposed by 90% of the senate over political concerns, is it then a purely political calculation when he abides by the will of the people as expressed by that 90%? More unilateral action by a president can quickly morph into a Hugo Chavez-like dictatorship and we certainly don’t want that either.
The president spoke to the economy in general, tax equity, job creation, energy, education and yes, the deficit. The republican response was their usual mix of criticisms sprinkled again with thinly veiled accusations of socialism and racial code. Since the Southern Strategy was implemented in the 1960s, Republican presidential hopefuls and the party as a whole have carefully embraced racial exclusivity, evangelical fervor and wildly militaristic nationalism while as a practical matter, working mostly to enrich the party’s moneyed establishment. This cynical approach continues as is embodied in both of the leading candidates as well as in the Congress.
Mitt said – with a straight face and buckets of faux sincerity like only a man with 250 million dollars in assets can – that Obama is “detached from reality”. Newt’s trying to hide his more terrifying gestapo tendencies – like going door to door in the middle of the night to arrest judges who dare disagree with him - by trying to convince everyone he’s Ronald Reagan incarnate, offering as dubious proof a 15 year-old clip of Nancy Reagan offering him scant praise at some Elk’s Lodge annual dinner. Newt, that was 15 years ago when she could still form rational thoughts. How is that relevant now?
Somewhere in a clubby, dark-paneled room, the republican version of the smartest guys in the room – their “Masters of the Universe”- are sitting around looking blankly at each other and wondering how, in the name of god, have they let it come to this; “We have two fourteen year-olds running for president – WTF?” Meanwhile Obama is humming Al Green and deciding who will take Hillary’s place in his second term.
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