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The Speech
posted at 2010-01-28 08:33 | Last modified 2010-01-28 08:58
President Obama gave his first State of the Union address last night. If you missed it, or just want to read it, the full text is online here.
The AP found a few issues in its fact-check, as did Politifact, but overall, most of the feedback I've seen from pundits, polls, and regular folks is that it was a pretty solid speech. I thought so, too. It was a more pragmatic address than you might expect from Obama – light on lofty rhetoric, plain-spoken and a little pugnacious at times.
There was also some gentle humor in the speech. On Twitter, Greensboro’s Mark Binker asked whether other presidents had built laugh lines into their SOTUs. I’m not sure about that, but I think it worked in this case. Obama’s big task was (and still is) to get Congress and the country back on his side. A little humor never hurts.
So did the speech do the job? Well, it’s a good start, but a belated one. Political Wire's Taegan Goddard summed it up: “President Obama spent more than an hour making arguments he should have been making for months.” Obama admitted as much in his speech, adding that he’s planning to spend more time out of DC talking to voters. I expect that’ll help him all the way around.
The Response
The Republican response to the address was delivered by new Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, who gave his speech in front of a live audience in the VA statehouse. McDonnell’s regarded as a rising star in the party. It was a solid performance, if a little flat. You can read the text here.
Alito’s Reaction
It wasn’t quite a “You Lie!” moment, but Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was seen shaking his head and apparently mouthing the words “not true” when Obama criticized last week’s Citizens United ruling for opening the doors to foreign money in elections. It was a breach of etiquette, perhaps on both sides, but Politifact says Alito may have a point.
NC Reactions
Democrat Bob Etheridge called it a “strong speech.” From his statement:
"North Carolina and our country still face serious economic challenges. American families are facing hard decisions everyday on how to make ends meet. We need leadership that puts aside partisanship with a commitment to work together to create opportunities for all those who are willing to work hard to make the most of their God-given abilities. I look forward to working on a bipartisan basis, with Republicans and Democrats alike to achieve these goals."
NCDem Chairman David Young reinforced the jobs message. An excerpt:
"President Obama and North Carolina Democrats are fighting every single day to put North Carolinians back to work, create good jobs, and strengthen our economy for the long-term. The additional steps he laid out tonight focus on helping middle class families who are struggling in this country to get ahead.
"In addition, the President unveiled earlier this week a three-year freeze on spending that will end programs that don't work, streamline those that do, crack down on special interest access, and bring a new responsibility for how tax dollars are treated. It's time to get our fiscal house in order so we don't pass on a crippling debt to our children and grandchildren."
I didn’t get a response from the NCGOP, but Republican Senator Richard Burr posted this reaction on his blog:
"With Americans disgusted by our growing debt, out of control spending, and non-existent job creation, the President's main priority needs to be turning our economy around. While the President's call for a spending freeze is an important first step, the devil is in the details. This proposal falls extremely short of what the American people demand - a smaller, less expensive federal government. We need to move further and make actual cuts if we are truly serious about reversing Washington's spending habits.
So what did you think of the speech? Let me know – and tell me if I can quote you.
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