Posted on 01/25/2010 8:29:23 AM PST by traumer
Populist or professor? Contrite or uncompromising?
President Obama will have a chance Wednesday to reintroduce himself to the nation when he delivers his first official State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress.
The prime-time speech, which will be aired on all major TV networks and cable stations, could hardly come at a more critical time for a president grappling with double-digit unemployment, sinking poll numbers and the possible collapse of his top domestic policy priority, an overhaul of the nation's health-care system.
"As often as the president has spoken over the past year, critics on the right and left have largely defined him," says University of Notre Dame American studies professor Robert Schmuhl. "For the State of the Union, he needs to redefine himself, who he is politically and what his core principles and policies are."
In Ohio on Friday, just three days after Democrats lost the 60th Senate vote that gave them an edge in pushing their agenda through Congress, Obama struck a decidedly populist tone.
Shunning a necktie for a midday town hall-style meeting in Elyria, Obama told the crowd again and again that he'll "never stop fighting" for them on issues from health care and jobs to education and accountability.
On Wednesday, however, the setting will be decidedly different: formal and steeped in history and tradition.
When he speaks to the nation from the House of Representatives' chamber, he will take "the biggest stage the president has" to speak to the people, says Michael Gerson, White House speechwriter for George W. Bush.
How he responds to last week's message from Massachusetts voters, who gave Republican Scott Brown the seat held by Sen. Edward Kennedy for nearly five decades, could set the political course for the next year and beyond.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Good points.
I would love to see TOTUS go blank about half way through his Axelrod written piece of crap that is intended to be a report to congress on how the executive sees the country.
This is going to be another election speech, nothing more.
Don’t waste anytime on this unless they allow Rush to do some questioning of Imperial Wizard and three card monte dealer.
I will not be listening to his lie-a-thon as I will be doing something much more important such as picking my nose or cutting by toe nails.
No one should be surprised.
When he was asked what skills he had to be president, his handlers said that he ran an effective strategy to win the white house.
CAMPAIGNING is his only skill.
He can’t actually campaign on an ISSUE, just smoke and mirrors and graphic designers’ poster campaigns.
If the media wasn’t pushing him in 2008 as their boy, he would never have won the White House.
It was unprecedented the level of media bias in 2008. A debate moderator has a book about his wonderful campaign slated to come out on his projected innauguration day? Really?
America got punk’d.
Barry, can you provide us with proper identification?
Any chance FNC would bring in Dennis Miller to do on the spot commentary during TOTUS’ bore-a-thon on Wednesday? Seems that PMS/NBC used to do that when Dubya gave a speech. At least with Miller, we’d have a few laughs regarding the “rebirth” of TOTUS.
If he needs any single symbol to show America, he should hold up his Nobel Peace Prize as one of his accomplishments in 2009. He was selected only a month into his presidency as the “winner”.
He’s Warholian. Famous for 15 minutes.
Biden says Obama just wanted to stop by and say "hello". It's obvious Obama has a prepared speech with TOTUS in tow. What a joke.
sw
I didn’t hear the automatic save for employees. No doubt federally controlled.
Obama to Offer Aid for Families in State of the Union
WASHINGTON — President Obama will propose in his State of the Union address a package of modest initiatives intended to help middle-class families, including tax credits for child care, caps on some student loan payments and a requirement that companies let workers save automatically for retirement, senior administration officials said Sunday.
>> President Obama will have a chance Wednesday to reintroduce himself...
“Let there be no mistake, uh... I mean, it was all a mistake... I’ve changed... the people spoke... and, I uh... will govern from the middle until uh.... the 2010 elections... “
Who is he going to pretend to be this time?
sw
I mostly gave up on SOTUs quite some time ago, but I think this one may be worth watching in a macabre sort of way. I think Obama may really crash and burn Wednesday night.
ML/NJ
“Populist or professor? Contrite or uncompromising?”
Marxist? Socialist? Commie? All?
It’s gonna take every ounce of stamina I have to listen to this plastic puppet talk for 40 minutes.
Is he going to wear a tie?
Fortunately, my latest request from Netflix should be here by then.
Yerkel the Turtle?
What irks me is the way he talks, “I” am allowing, “I” am giving the little people these breaks.
I am so powerful. It’s about me. I giveth and I taketh away.
I for one will not be watching his speech live, not even on FoxNews. I might read a transcipt later.
If the 47% that don’t favor him watched something else on Wednesday, and gave his SOTU speech low ratings, it might send a message. Not that they would listen of course, but it would still be a message.
BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!......
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