PRESIDENT OBAMAThe "State of the Union Address" is an annual event in which the President speaks directly to the people of the United States, particularly the Congress, about the State of the Union (nation). He uses this opportunity also to layout his legislative plans and programs, and persuades both houses to act on them.
Historic State of the Union Address
This year's State of the Union address is a historic moment. This moment is a dream that was seemingly impossible to millions of Americans some 40 years ago. President Obama spoke for about and hour 20 minutes, and interrupted about 80 times with applause from mostly his party.
Unpopular 12 Months
Unlike other presidents who stood on this podium, President Obama faced a number tremendous challenges and his entire administration depends entirely on how Americans received this speech. From my own log, President Obama's focused more on Jobs and the economy, and spent quite a deal of time defending himself of the policies his administration puts on the table in the past year. Some of the most unpopular policies including the closing of the State-of-the-art Guantanamo prison hours after taking office by executive order, which, after a year in office, still in operation. Democrats supporters and Independents hailed the idea, but didn't support bringing prisoners to mainland US who would received constitutional rights as ordinary Americans. After a year, Americans are clearly divided on this and his promise to close GITMO never materialized.
Second unpopular policy of the Obama administration is the so-called "Cap and Trade" which let many law-makers nervous at the current state of the US economy. The CNT is a job killer and one that aims at breaking US industry down for the benefit of developing countries where no carbon emission laws exist, and where pollution is not regulated as in developed nations. It is a Liberal move according to Conservatives, to reward trade partners and green environmentalists who were crucial to President Obama's victory in 2008.
Another very unpopular Bill now pending, and one which threatens to demolish President Obama's administration's competitive advantage; the Health-care Reform. The US Health-care system is one that is operated on free-market basis. It is a system which health-care plans or packages are sold to the people by private Insurance providers. The Health-care overhaul had been President Obama's main campaign promise, but as he attempted to put it into law, Americans hit back. A strong resistance to the government proposed overhaul of the US health-care system suddenly emerged on both sides of the aisle. Once passed, the Health-care bill will have the Federal government as another Health-care insurance provider. Evidence shows that the Feds planned to make its own Health-care insurance cheaper in order to attract the majority, or those who can't afford insurance plans. Forecast shows that eventually all US workers will be in the US insurance policy, funded by taxpayers at a huge tax-increase of the century. To many, this is Socialism at best, or Communism at worst. And to some, it is a huge conspiracy to put all Americans under the control of the US federal government. They hit back with their ballots. When realizing this, the Obama administration changes its health-care focus and goes after Health-Insurance companies and also changes its mantra to "Health-insurance" proposal.
As a result, the US voters rejected two US Democratic governor's as their first rebellious efforts, and in Massachusetts, the Voters rejected the only crucial Democrat Party's vote necessary to pass the Health-insurance bill; the late Kennedy's Senate seats that provided the "Filibuster Proof" for the dominant party. Voters handed it over to the Republican candidate, Sen. Brown. And to make it worse, President Obama broke his promise to keep the debate on these important issues on the Internet and on TV (C-SPAN).
Facing these very tough challenges, President Obama chose his words carefully. At times he wooed the Republicans by promising a strong energy policy which the Republicans have been fighting for for many years. But while trying to reach across partisan line, President Obama is not apologetic and extremely aggressive and at times, combative.
President Obama and the Past
Through out his speech, as expected, President Obama started by outlining the huge deficit he claimed to have inherited, the hardships he witnessed before entering the White House as justifications for the steps he had taken. He then dwell extensively on "jobs creation," which baffled critics because after taking office, 5 million people have been without jobs. He claimed in his defense that the Bail-out money which he inked to law in his first few months in office, created 2 million jobs and save even more.
He touched briefly on terrorism, but quickly moved on to another issue that touches deeply the emotions of the American people; the Haiti catastrophe. President Obama used the US efforts on Haiti to demonstrate American care, love, and compassion.
GITMO never Mentioned
Despite using GITMO to gain the support of people of his party and Europeans, as demonstrated by his winning of the "Nobel Peace price," President Obama chose not to talk about it in his speech. Just recently, to make matters worse, the three term Mayor of New York, Bloomberg, announced that the terrorists held at GITMO aren't welcome in New York; a position he didn't take when the plan was initially announced. He initially supportive of that plan. Another possible reason is that two of the master-minders of the December 25 attempt bombing of the Detroit bound American Jetliner, were former GITMO prisoners who were released to Saudi Arabia with good intention under a SA rehabilitation program, by the previous administration. A revelation that stalled President Obama's decision to close GITMO. These are likely reasons why the president decided not to talk about in his historic address to the nation.
Biggest Eye-Popping Statement
In all, the most eye-popping statement of the entire speech was President Obama's promise to repeal military policy "Don't ask, Don't Tell" which had enabled gays and lesbians to serve in the US military. This is also coincided he ongoing legal battle in California in which pro-same-sex lawyers taking on the Proponents of the anti-same-sex state law, code-name "Prop8". In the ensuing weeks of the legal battle, pro-same-sex lawyers and witnesses took swipes at President Obama for not forthright with his Pro-choice rhetoric, particularly his views on gays and Lesbians. His statement, however, will change the whole Military culture and perhaps helps overturn the California legal battle in favor of gays and lesbians.
Its all About Obama
At the end of the speech, President Obama made himself the climax of his historic "State of the Union" speech by firmly saying that he doesn't quit! However, he can only do so much, and how long will he remain optimistic is quite another story. I won't be a surprised if President Obama resigned before his term ends or quit at the end of his first term. Losing his "super-majority" support in the House and the Senate will mean a complete incapacitation of this ambitious president, but only time will tell!
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