When President Barak Obama walked into a subdued House Chamber just over twenty-four hours ago, he quickly noted that he was among a different crowd from the previous year. But did everyone notice? It seems to me that he really did not care! He delivered what is arguably a good speech among a crowd that included about eighty people from a Party that, for many, do not even believe he is entitled to be the President of the United States. Oh, those pesky little “Birthers.” You know who I am referring to, right? The group that insists the President does not have the appropriate documentation to be a citizen of the United States, and, therefore not able to truly be the President of the United States. Personally, I hate when folks simply call him “Obama.” Do we no longer have the decency in society to recognize one whom has obtained the highest office in our Country? In any event, the President did not seem to miss a beat. He provided a speech that superceded the politics of the day, spoke directly to the American people while encouraging them to innovate, create, and seize the day. All of this on top of a “stern” warning that “together we will move forward or we will not move forward at all.” I have to confess that at first, I did not feel all warm and fuzzy. I wanted to hear something about gun control; especially after the heinous crime committed out in Tuscon. I also would have loved to hear our President discuss his previous accomplishments. Afterall, if you listen to some people in this Country, he has done nothing in two years. Forget the fact that he pushed through more legislation in two years than his predecessor did in two years. I also would have loved to hear more about the two wars we are currently engaged in. But folks, that is not what the State of the Union is all about. It is not about me, and it is not about you. The State of the Union is well, all about the current State of the Union. And that is precisely my point: The President clearly has a clear grasp on our current state and realizes what must be done in order to move forward. So, tell me: Why all of the criticism against this President’s speech? As a contributor to another site, I have heard all sorts of accusations such as “he did not really address the current needs of our problems,” to “it was the same old speech he provides every time.” But was it? Really? Were you watching the same speech I watched?
Here is the reality of the President’s situation: He is working with a divided house that is now comprised of three parties; republican, democratic, and tea parties. Of course, one can argue that there really is no difference between the Republican and Tea Parties and I would have to agree. But it is precisely this fact that lends credibility to my argument: The President inspired a Nation wanting answers to the current economic, housing, and unemployment issues. Did he deliver? I think so. The message according to our President is to “work together,” move forward, and stop looking in our rear view mirrors. Yet, there are many that I truly believe will not be able to do this simple task. You know who I am speaking about? Yep, the Congressman Paul Ryan’s and Michele Bachmann’s of this Country. See, these folks, it seems to me, do not want this President to succeed. Take all three of the delivered speeches made that night, and you tell me which one(s) were optimistic and which ones were the same ol, same ol! Of course, Congressman Ryan wants to inject fear into the American electorate by telling us that we are in big trouble if we don’t cut spending NOW! Think about it for a moment: He and his party already got what they wanted for the wealthiest of our Country in the Congress’s last session; an extension of tax cuts for Americans, especially for the upper two percent earners and corporations of our Country. Now, Congressman Ryan, who proposes the privatization of Social Security for those under the age of fifty-five, and the elimination of Medicare as we know it today, wants us to believe it is okay to take funds away from the middle class working people in our Country, but to allow those wealthiest of our land to remain untouched. We all have seen this picture before and it didn’t work. The good old “trickle down” theory that says we need to get government out of the way, provide more power to corporate America, in order to see job creation. Hogwash! Didn’t the former President George W. Bush ascribe to this theory only to land us in the worst economic situation since the Great Depression? And what did the Republican minority do in the Senate for the previous two years? They stonewalled every single piece of legislation they could get their hands on. In some cases, they fillibustered only to end up passing these s0 called controversial pieces of legislation with overwhelming support. In my estimation the Republican Party remains the Party of “no.” And worse than this, they utilized the same old play out of their playbook: inject fear in the American electorate, tell the electorate that they have the single solution to the problem, and go after every single program that allows the Government to do what it was designed to do; assist the American people. Even the President discussed this in his message along with his concerns that the Government needs to be streamlined in order to be more efficient, however, he did so in optimistic fashion rather than the negative tone carried forward by the Republican response. And what about partisanship? Did Congressman Ryan from Wisconsin even hear what the President had to say? I mean really! In order for our Country to move forward, it will require every single one of us to get in the game. President Obama may not have said it just as I will here, but as Bob Dylan said: “The times, they are a changin.”
Folks, let’s face it: we do live in a new age, with technological advances requiring new skills, that for many are simply intolerable. But we have a choice: We can either sit here griping and moaning or we can jump on the President’s challenge and actually do something about it. I do not see the Republicans seriously dealing with these challenges, nor, do I see them actually accepting the will of the American people. Their first issue they dealt with was to repeal the current Affordable Health Care Act of 2010. Okay! Now what? Or, as I like to shout out in other blogs: Where are the jobs Speaker Boehner? I mean that is really what the Republicans campaigned on isn’t it? Every single time I turned my television set on during the previous two years, all I heard the then Minority Leader say was: “Mr. President, where are the jobs?” I think it only fair that as Americans, we challenge the Republican party to the same standard. Repealing the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 will not create jobs or put food on American’s tables. Obviously, I was less inspired by Congressman Ryan’s Republican response than I was the President’s speech. And, lest your wondering: this is not due to my polticial inclincations. I just don’t think you win over the American public when they are struggling so badly, with sharp criticism of the current President by laying blame for the current economic deficit in our Country solely at his feet. Does the Congressman think the American public is that stupid?
Furthermore, I find Congressman Ryan’s message to be vague. Just where do you want to make these cuts, Congressman? And furthermore, why don’t you just fess up and tell the American public the truth: You want to overhaul Social Security and Medicare. And just what products are these seniors supposed to purchase with those vouchers Congressman Ryan? Currently, there is no product out there for Seniors and with the way the Insurance Companies “cherry pick” their policy-holders, I sincerely doubt our Seniors, who worked so hard to establish themselves will find themselves with the same quality health care that the current Medicare system provides. And, lest we all forget: It was the failed Bush economic policy that got us into this mess in the first place. The last I recall, the former President Clinton handed over a surplus with a balanced budget to President Bush. Now, that President Obama is in office, I imagine the Republican party would like to see our President wave a majic wand making all of our current problems disappear. Furthermore, as our current President took on this great economic crisis, perhaps even saving it from going off a cliff, all the Republican party could do was to sit on the sidelines and remain the party of obstruction while criticizing his every move. Where is their creativity? Mr. President: I really hate to inform you, but it seems to me that the Republicans will not assist you or our Country in our time of need. They will continue to fight you on every investment you as many other Americans see as essential, while relabeling your efforts from “investing in America,” to spending.
And then we had the incomprable Michele Bachmann provide us with her Tea Party Republican response. Did she even know which camera to look into when she spoke that night? Or, was she looking at the Koch Brothers standing there nodding their heads in support? Of course, I realize the Koch Brothers were probably nowhere near Congressman Bachmann, but you can bet one thing, they have provided a large amount of resources towards her Tea Party acitivities over the previous two years. In my estimation, it is this group of people that poses the greatest challenge to our President and Country. They consistently marginalize the Presidents legitimacy, insist they need to “reclaim America,” and utilize the most heated rhetoric that I personally have witnessed in decades. And what about Fox News, with Rupert Murdoch at the helm? That network is anything but “fair and balanced” when they allow people such as Glenn Beck and his colleagues speak into the camera. Yet, the network has provided a “safe haven” for the tea party crowd to make their case to the American people. Please! This group of people has sold the American electorate a check that is basically worthless. And lest their group doesn’t follow the polls: Their favorability rating in this Country has plummeted to an all time low. Michele Bachman and Sarah Palin ended up at the bottom of a straw poll conducted in Iowa. Yet, the Tea Party persists in selling the American people on the idea that somehow this Country has been taken hostage and that “domestic terrorists exist in Washington.” How can we as Americans fall for such rhetoric? And tell me this: Where DID the America go that they want to reclaim as a group of people. Folks like Dick Armey and organizations such as Citizens United, Americans for Prosperity, the Heritage Foundation, and a wide array of other contributors are lining the pockets of this movement. I just wonder when they are going to realize that they have been used by the Republican Party in order to gain leadership in the House? Or, even more disconcerting, perhaps the Tea Party wasn’t used at all, and they and the Republican Party are now one? Either way: I see no hope, optimism or challenge from this group of people. Don’t get me wrong: There are many good people participating in this movement, and, quite frankly, anytime you get people to move in this Country, engaging in the issues of the day, well, I think it is a true accomplishment. But make no mistake: These people are not the “grass roots movement” they proclaim to be. Further, I simply cannot get beyond the heated lunacy and rhetoric from the leaders of this group to hear what they might do if they secured the Presidency in 2012. Moreover, I am afriad to find out. What I do see is negativity, a lack of promise and the creation of policies that would take this Country backwards. But hey, “never underestimate the power of we the people, huh?” You betcha! <wink>
In sum: The President may not have provided his most powerful speech, however when you consider what he had to deal with walking in that Chamber, I say Mr. President, you have my support. I heard you loud and clear! We do need innovation, specifically in the areas you discussed. We do need to tap into the creativity of our people in order to have our Sputnik moment. We do need to develop our infrastructure, develop better teachers, be concerned about the quality of education in our Country, develop fast rail systems, and all of the other things you proposed. And yes, we do have the greatest Country in the world: We do big things as you stated so clearly! The only question I have is this: With a Republican majority in the House coupled with an angry mob of Tea Party people, will they cooperate with you and your agenda? This question is so relevant to the post I make folks, because I see our President consistently reaching across the aisle in an attempt to bring the people of this Country and her elected leaders along, only to have his hand slapped too many times. We need to tell the Republicans that they need to come up with a plan, any plan, to promote growth in this Country without taking resources away from the middle class which is the backbone of our Country. We also need to tell the Tea Party that if they want to have credibility in our Country’s dialogue then they better get quality leaders, more informed than Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Michele Bachman, before we can take them seriously. And finally folks: We need to remain involved in our current debate. We need to take the President at his word and finally realize that perhaps, just perhaps, he CAN lead us through this mess which was created by the former Republican establishment. So, let me ask all of you: Who gave the most effective speech that night? Was it the President? Or, was it Congressman Ryan? Or, perhaps it was Michelle Bachman? Personally, the President has my vote. How about you? Can he count on you for your vote? I would love to know your thoughts and look forward to hearing from you.
Till then,
Mark Bear
Mark, welcome to Blogging Blue; we’re glad to have you!
Zach, glad to be a part of the family at Blogging Blue. I apologize for the length. The post sort of got away from me.
Mark, no worries about the length and welcome aboard!
Hi Zach,
Just a quick note of thanks for your grace regarding the length of my first article. In addition, my prayers are with you regarding your little one. If there is anything I can do to assist you or yours, please do not hesitate to contact me. Be well!
Welcome to Blogging Blue. Don’t apologize for the length, some things cant be said in a bumper sticker!
Hi Proud Progressive,
Many thanks for your vote of confidence and kind words! I look forward to providing thoughtful posts and articles while contributing here at Blogging Blue. Be well, and once again, many thanks for your input!
Dr. Bear:
Thank you for this insightful post.
Nice to see you as a contributor.
Although I think the President could have been more difinitive in his visions, I got it!
It is extremely gratifying to know he is committed to looking ahead instead of looking back. We need more positive thinking in this country.
The vitriol and escalated hyper-hatred has been a disservice to America
Hi Carole,
I think you hit the nail on the proverbial head here when you discuss the vitriol and escalated hyer-hatred taking place in our Country. There are those who believe that all of this stuff has simmered down in our Country. However, all one need to do, is to watch Fox News to see that these people are still at it. My only fear is that we as liberals do not over-react in some manner which escalates the situation. I truly believe that this is exactly what the Tea Party group wants, or at the very least what Glenn Beck wants. He makes statements on the air that “violence is coming and it is coming from the left.” Even the Monday after the tragic shootings took place in Tuscon, Mr. Beck decided to make a public statement indicating on his site his desire to have no violence in this Country only to see an image of him on that main page holding a gun. One has to wonder what his intentions are. Candidly, I do not want to find out! Many thanks for your contributing to the dialogue and please come back again! Be well!
Go get ‘em Dr. B! Glad you’ve found a place to go long and go deep.
Hi Karolyn,
Many thanks for visiting the Blogging Blue site. I look forward to your meaningful dialogue and input that I have come to expect from our time on the White House site and threads. Be well!
quote: Dr Bear
We also need to tell the Tea Party that if they want to have credibility in our Country’s dialogue then they better get quality leaders, more informed than Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Michele Bachman, before we can take them seriously. And finally folks: We need to remain involved in our current debate
end of quote
Spot on, Dr. Bear. I am honored to have read your post
Andy
Hi Andy,
Many thanks for your kind words! I am deeply honored to have you visit the site and contribute to my blogs! Keep coming back to visit so we can engage in meaningful dialogue. Be well!
Andrew, who are the quality leaders on the left to take seriously? Because when they propose more spending, government programs, and more taxation, I have a hard time taking them seriously.
Good morning forgotmyscreenname,
While you pose this question to Andrew, I want to sort of jump in here if it is permissible with you. First, there are several quality leaders on the left that can be taken seriously. For example, several of these quality leaders actually fought for a Bill called the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010. While I realize you may not agree with this Bill, the reality is one can disagree with a specific policy at one moment, only to find oneself in support of it at another time. A prime example is those individuals purporting to be against the Death Penalty. While it is obvious that those commiting heinous acts should end up on death row and probably executed, the reality is this: If it were your sibling, or relative who was convicted for a crime that he or she did not commit, I sincerely think you would quickly adope a different posture regarding your support of the Death Penalty. That is, people tend to be situational when it comes to idealogy or policy agendas set by those they dislike in office. However, I digress here.
One such person that I sincerely think IS an individual who is a quality leader is our current President. Now, I know you and I disagree on this point, but here is where I am going with this. Let’s assume that you do not in any way agree with the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 due to your disliking him. Should you get sick and begin reaping the benefits of the Bill, I think your opinon may change. I do not know this for certain, and many people when confronted with such a “thought experiment” deny it outright. However, I tend to agree that all ethics, all decisions, all policies are adopted by individuals on a situational basis.
The point I make here is no matter who I should promote as someone on the Left that I consider a quality leader, I think you would most likely disagree with me. There is however an explanation for this sort of construct prevalent in ALL of us; including me. We all are guilty of a phenomenon called confirmation bias. That is, we all tend to focus on that information that supports our viewpoint, while dismissing any relevant information that could potentially change our mind. Another problem has to do with what we call in social psychology, the Fundamental Attribution Error. Once again, the majority of us are guilty of this error; including myself. What it simply means is that we end up interpreting problems through the frame of personal disposition rather than situational determinants. Trust me when I say this: situations tend to determine one’s behavior and beliefs. Research has supported this concept consistently over a fairly long period of time.
In sum, it would be utterly senseless to provide you with the names of people that I felt were quality people unless you were able to overcome your bias about the Democratic Party or liberals for that matter. We do tend to idolize those that agree with us on specific issues placing halo effects over individuals who support these ideas openely. The question is this: Can all of us, including myself get beyond my personal bias and belief perseverance to hear the other side. I sincerely hope I can accomplish this most difficult problem. Many thanks in advance for allowing me to add my two cents worth here. Be well!
The issue is that regardless of political affiliation that the participants have to adhere to a certain level of truthfulness. I.e. outright slander, and libel as a talking point for political cheap shots from now on need to have consequences.
I hope this eventually becomes a new seed for our political heritage.
Thank you Mark Bear for the honor you gave me in having me participate in this community
Andy
Hi Andy,
You are so correct about the amount of misinformation being put out in the public by this group of people. Interestingly, and I do think it important to note, it seems they are losing steam as their approval rating has dropped in the polls as a viable alternative of governance. As recently as yesterday, the number of Senators that participated in the Tea Party Caucus was four Senators. Hopefully, this group of people will be silenced as we move forward allowing for productive debate in our Country. Thanks for your contribution. Be well!
I read you post on your blog site. Fabulous, Dr. Bear. Good job.
I do agree that the President said some great things, and I agreed with much of what he had to say. As a person with an environmental background, I applaud the fact that we need more public transportation; Minnesota (for all the progressive touting) has none to speak of. Our congestion is close to that of LA, who at least have the BART. I also obvioulsy think we need to invest in more green energy and that we need to stop giving tax breaks and investing in “big oil.” However, until the infrastructure is built, we need to continue to rely on low cost oil products. Corporations like big oil will only raise prices to compensate for tax loss. What I think needs to happen is that we need to reign in corporations more before we cut the cord, so to speak. The amount of bonus money and profits these CEO’s are making on the backs of Americans is at best unconscionable, and at worst criminal. Worse, our political system is backed by these people at the cost of jobs, healthcare, and basic needs of our citizens. I would have liked to have seen the President mention algae production for energy sources. Ethanol from corn is wreaking havoc on the water supplies of rural communities. All the talk of earmarks and vetos etc. were great parts of the speech as well. And, of course I think that the partisanship has spiraled out of control and has served the country poorly.
What I felt most lacking, especially as an unemployed person, was the Presidents’ address, or lack thereof, of the REAL unemployment rate and what is happening in this country.There needs to be something serious and drastic done to meet the needs of the unemployed. There are 99ers ( people who have exhausted all their weeks of UI benefits) falling off the rosters every day! There are people with Masters Degrees, PhD’s, and more workign at places like Home Depot, if they can get in. This is a travesty and further causes our young people to question the value of education and going into huge debts when there are no jobs or the prospect of losing their jobs just when they hit their stride.There are 100′s of thousands of unemployed workers who are over 40 and facing large and blatant age discrimination with no recourse. I know of a person who was fired due to his age and told the boss that it was illegal and that he could sue. The boss said of course you can sue but you won’t because you don’t have the money for an attorney.
Hi Denise,
I applaud you for your concern about others and their life situations they find themselves in. If only we had leaders in the Republican and Tea Party led Congress who could see what you describe. Perhaps, they do and really do not care. On the other hand, perhaps they are blinded due to the extensive record breaking corporate donations which assisted in getting them elected into the House. Either way, you describe the greatest concern I personally have with this so called “grass roots movement,” and the Republican led House. It seems to me they simply could care less. This leads me to tell you that while I obviously agree with your point about the President outlining a clear and decisive plan regarding the record unemployment, I do not think he really had the luxury of promising anything to the Country. Imagine this President knowing in his heart that he has no chance whatsoever of getting any sort of legislation passed regarding investing in the creation of jobs, especially when the current Speaker has gone on record indicating there would be no compromise. Further, had he made any sort of solid outlined promise regarding this issue, then people could accuse him of not following through on his commitment. I do not know whether he really could have done anything more than what he did during that speech. Do I think he is aware of the situation? Yes! He knows if things do not change his re-election is possibily in jeopardy becuase the cold truth of the matter is at the end of the day, the people of this Country vote in light of the current economy. Who made the famous statement: “It’s the economy, stupid.” However, I sincerely do believe this President did the best he could with what he currently has. Many thanks for contributing Denise and I hope to see you back here again. Be well!
http://heartsdeepinwisdomandwideincharity.blogspot.com
I am putting up this website (of which I am the “keeper”) because it offers some possible healing help for those of us who may feel dismay, irritation, upset or whatever after weeks of struggle with a person whom I fear typifies many of our more extreme, unbalanced fellow citizens. I look forward to some peaceful discussion and yet realize that encountering what we are leaving behind is, nevertheless, still in front of all of us.
HI Winifred,
Many thanks for your providing us with your blog site. However, I have to ask you: What are you saying here? Do you feel that you will not be able to find the “possible healing help” right here? LOL!
No! I fully understand your thoughts regarding our previous several weeks on the White House thread. It has been tenuous at times however, my entire rationale for writing that piece was due to my thoughts that it would bring in a representative demographic of what is going on in our current political climate. I never felt that it would generate the traffic it did however I was blessed to have it. I imagine, this is what makes our Country the greatest on the planet. We are able to debate issues despite our positions and remain standing at the end of the day! I am so glad you are here, and I sincerely look forward to your thought provoking posts in the future. Be well!
Hi Dr. B,
Great post as always , I found most interesting in the President’s address is the understanding that we have grown into a Global Community and the important change this has made to our Country and it’s growth.
Hi Maria,
First, many thanks for your kind words. Second, your understanding of our President intimating that we are now a global community is something not everyone wants to hear; however, it is the stark reality of our current situation. I can personall recall when earning my undergraduate degree, the Speaker at our commencement indicated that any one of us not embracing technology, despite our respective disciplines, would be left in the dark. How right he was! I can recall sitting at my commencement wondering what I was now going to be able to do with my Bachelors degree in Psychology. The truth was; not much! Furthermore, I can recall taking only one course in computer technology, and this course was required. Oddly, I truly had no grasp on technology at the time of that particular graduation. It was not until I entered graduate studies that I became comfortable with the current technology we have today regarding computers. Think about this for a moment Maria: Who would have ever believed just fifteen years ago, that we would be paying our bills online, communicating more with others online than through snail mail, and running businesses via the computer. Obviously, there will be those individuals who do not want to move forward with the challenges technology brings. I know, because I was one of those people. But with a bit of practice, one can master the essential skills necessary to master this animal. Many thanks for your contribution Maria and, once again, many thanks for your introducing me to this site. I would have never thought I would be a contributor on a reputable site such as this. I owe a note of gratitude to you for this!
Be well!
I must say Doc, that this is the first speech I have heard form the President in a while and I found it most satisfying. Ryan started out good, with a moving tribute to the wounded Congresswoman, but I must confess, the only reason I could even listen to him was that I was put into such a good mood by the President’s speech.
Ryan quickly moved onto fearmongering with the Economy, but he did mention some of the concerns about unemployment that Denise referenced.
You do have to admit there is problem to address it.
What will be the Repub solution? Budget cuts that will result in more people being laid off. Me for one. I work for a museum and they want to slash all arts funding and do away with the NEA. After ALL of their carrying on about “free speech” before Boehner and Cantor even got into power, with threats of slashing the ENTIRE budget of the Smithsonian Museum, they censored a work of art. The video classic “Fire in My Belly”. So I am going to DC this weekend to defend culture.
I will be happy to be in DC for a CHANGE at least Obama is there!!!!!
Hi Reynolds,
Even worse than the Republican’s plan for budget cuts, did you hear about Rand Paul’s dramatic budget cut proposal. He wants to do away with the funding for Housing and Urban Development, a 28% reduction in funding for the Centers for Disease Control, and other departments. If I am not mistaken, he wants to propose a five hundred billion dollar spending reduction for 2011 alone. What does this mean to us? Plenty! This is why we must remain involved in order to ensure proposals such as this have no way of passing. On the other hand, I seriously doubt the Republicans will even allow this proposal to see the light of day on the floor. Or, at least I remain hopeful! Be well!
Quote : Mark Bear, PhD
We also need to tell the Tea Party that if they want to have credibility in our Country’s dialogue then they better get quality leaders, more informed than Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Michele Bachman, before we can take them seriously. And finally folks: We need to remain involved in our current debate. We need to take the President at his word and finally realize that perhaps, just perhaps, he CAN lead us through this mess which was created by the former Republican establishment. So, let me ask all of you: Who gave the most effective speech that night? Was it the President? Or, was it Congressman Ryan? Or, perhaps it was Michelle Bachman? Personally, the President has my vote. How about you? Can he count on you for your vote? I would love to know your thoughts and look forward to hearing from you.
end of quote
It may be that what I have to say will seem too radical, but it is my distinct impression that the Tea Party wishes to put junk performers ( NOT LEADERS) in congress as a deliberate attempt to degrade the institution to the point that the popular citizens agree to an “upgrade” to an authoritarian system.
Before you think this is nuts, I saw in the White house thread a reference by a person I swear was a POLITE version of Carlson ( still a Tea Bagger) whom said the following
” I hope that there is a better system of governance put in, so Sarah Palin does not have to demean herself in running for POTUS ”
I swear to GOD I saw this.
What the Tea Party wants is to drive popular elections into a choice between organizational senility and JUNK, so the citizens acquiesce to
an authoritarian government.
Andy
Hi Andrew,
I believe I spoke about this on our thread, A HOUSE DIVIDED, at the White House Official site’s thread. It is my belief that the strategy this group of people have is similar to the strategy adopted by those embracing the ID movement. It is called the “Wedge strategy,” which simply means they want to drive a wedge between those who disagree with them. I have heard rumors on talk radio that the Tea Party crowd actually encourages and endorses their constiuents to participate on liberal leaning blogs and talk radio just to bring about confusion among that particular demographic. Whether this is true or speculative remains to be seen. I have seen my fair share of people posting on the White House thread comments that seem to have absolutely no relevance to what was being discussed. Off the wall comments are daily fodder for these people and it appears they attempt to drive anyone embracing a different political view from them nuts! So, here is my theory which I have articulated in other places: What if the leaders of this party actually do engage in such activity? Is it so far fetched to believe that the ultimate goal is to disillusion those of us with differing viewpoints to surrender and just give into them with the belief that we are defeated as a group of people. Quite possible. However, if you ask me, that party is losing steam on a daily basis and they are the “gift that keeps on giving.” Many thanks for your contribution Andrew and I hope to see you here on a regular basis. Be well!
One semi shocker. I.e. I do believe that the tea Party also would not care what sort of government forms if it causes a collapse of the Republic. From what I can see, they want to re instate a landed aristocracy. I.e. a form of barons, as sheriffs or agents of control of whatever post constitutional system would evolve if the Republic dies .
The tea baggers have openly called for revolt against the federal government with local sheriffs in charge of any law enforcement needed.
One thinks back to the Civil Rights era with horrible memories of Bull Connor and other sheriffs who fought integration orders.
They had no problem with the expansion of Federal powers during the Bush administration.
So why now?
Reynolds,
I truly feel and believe with all of my heart that the entire Tea Party movement suffers from several issues which I will briefly outline here. These issues contribute to why this group has so many problems with the expansion of Federal powers.
First, the group suffers from “group think.” This is a term coined by social psychologists indicating that the group as an entity does not allow for alternative opinions, diverse input, or even debate. It is “their” agenda, and they make quite clear that they are one hundred percent correct, and the rest of the people in the Country are incorrect or misguided in their thinking for having differing viewpoints.
Second, the group suffers from a sense of paranoia regarding Government expansion due to the amount of mis-information placed in front of them by their leaders. In fact, from a social psychological perspective, we would probably consider this group bordering on cult-like activity. However, when the leaders place mis-information out there such as the “President is out to take all of our guns away,” and “there will be death panels if we pass the Health Care Bill,” it can only lead to a fear among the people which serves as the catalyst for their revolt. Please do not get me wrong: There exist many good intentioned people inside this movement that really do want to better the Country, however, the leaders seem to be abdicating their roles.
Finally, I think the gravest danger posed by this group of people is their lack of empathy, concern, and consideration of those less fortunate in our world. That is, they do not seem to care about the disenfranchised or those in need. This is grave because it demonstrates that our society has evolved into a place where individualism prevails over community. Of course, the goup would argue that they demonstrate their desire of community by participating in the affairs of government today, however, this is a long stretch from caring about the people who suffer the most in society. In a nutshell, they come across as ruthless and heartless in the realm of compassion.
Many thanks for your contribution to the dialogue. Be well!
You wrote: “The State of the Union is well, all about the current State of the Union. And that is precisely my point: The President clearly has a clear grasp on our current state and realizes what must be done in order to move forward.”
And how did he prove that he has a clear grasp?
What about Guantanamo?
What about the military commissions?
What about the Patriot Act?
What about National Security Letters?
What about the drone attacks in Somalia?
What about the Chinese in the Gulf and the restoration of the 4th Fleet?
What about the drug wars in Mexico rolling into the US?
What about the Mexican drone plane that crashed on the US side of the border?
What about his alienation from Europe?
What about India and Sec’y Clinton’s efforts there?
What about those 100,000 teachers that he wants without increasing the federal budget?
What about putting Jeffrey Immelt in charge of a group on Competition? GE’s guy absorbs competition, he does not foster it.
What about the National Treasury? The Federal Reserve.
Harrumpf!
This was an empty suit speech. When I hear about the State of the Union I want to know what is happening in every cabinet department. I’ll take a Bill Clinton SOTU any day over this.
And President Obama would do well to use polysyllabic words once in a while to reflect his education.
Who cares about an implied future of government reorganization when Obama cannot name a single principle that he would follow?
And earmarks? Ha! I am not impressed that President Obama threatens a veto. The only campaign promises he has kept so far are the ones in which Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi carried the water for him.
This SOTU was not written for people who follow politics but for the average American who is likely to admire his tie and his grace.
Hi Partially Blue,
I think you have it correct at the end of your response: The State of the Union (at least this one) was not drafted by this President to deal with the bitter partisanship in Washington. In other words, it “was not written for people who follow politcs but for the average American.” I think that is my entire point. When Kennedy spoke to the Nation, he spoke to the people. When FDR spoke to the Nation, he did the same thing. What good would it have been for the President to concentrate on just the Divided House he is currently dealing with. I think it was a brilliant strategy. Many thanks for your contribution to the dialogue. Be well!
I didn’t hear him say anything about earwax either.
He didn’t mention unicorns or leprechauns either. I’m terribly disappointed.
Yeah, and come to think about it, he didn’t mention whether there really was a “pot of gold” at the end of a rainbow. Geesh, what is going on with this man?
Hi Steve,
You know you really do have a valid point here! The President should have said something about the earwax that apparently Congressman Ryan, Congresswoman Bachmann, and the former Governor Palin have in their ears! But then again: I do believe that this would be now covered under the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 and they cannot be discriminated against for pre-extisting conditions. Oh! So sorry! I almost forgot myself here: The Congress already has the exact same plan that they want to take away from over 35 million people in this Country. I do not know whether the former Governor is covered but hey, it is worth a try. Many thanks for your most insightful contribution. Be well!
Well, Steve. I am unimpressed that you do not know the difference between earwax and Guantanamo, et al. I guess the speech was truly written for you.
Is it possible that PB and SC are from the same “roots,” meaning alter egos?
That might explain their in-common fascination with the diversionary tactic of “ensnaring with minutia?” It does seem to be working.
No, it’s not possible. I’m afraid you’re going to have to take my word for it.
One other thing, the president should have mentioned about putting scientific funding on something other than a discrecionary basis. I.e. if science is necessary for keeping America competitive with other nations, then why is this necessary component not on a permament funding basis ?
It is lost in the signal to noise ratio of communication chaos in the political discourse, but it should not be!
Andy
Andrew
I think in the upcoming months you will see some very strong initiatives put forth by the President and the administration that are directly linked to his broad statements in the SOTU about competitiveness, education and the like.
It is just really too bad that he inherited the mountain of problems he did, and then got a one-two punch on top of it with the financial melt-down.
The whole dialogue with and among the American people would be far different in a environment less interrupted by the state of the economy in the last two years.
I do think he has done a stellar job given the many balls he has been juggling.
The only failure, as I see it, was not getting the message out clearly enough and early enough, and then not countermanding all the misinformation as it evolved.
Watch him fix it though!