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Pre-SOTU Open Thread

President Obama's State of the Union address begins at 9pm ET. If you are not by a TV, you can watch live on C-Span here or at the White House website.

The topics: "Restoring security for middle class families after a lost decade of declining wages, eroding retirement security and escalating health care and tuition costs," unemployment, health care, and the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Any drinking games? (5.00 / 0) (#2)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:08:05 PM EST
    What are the odds that he says the words "Nobel Prize" during the speech?

    2 shots if Michelle's sleeveless- (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by Joan in VA on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:42:26 PM EST
    it's helpful to start drinking before he starts speaking.

    Parent
    Get ready to gulp a double (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by Cream City on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 07:38:29 PM EST
    of something, anything, when we get to this part of the speech.  Per the WH's Robert Gibbs:

    The president is going to explain why he thinks the American people are angry and frustrated."

    Okay, see, what I think, as an American person, is that he ought to be listening to us explain it to him. . . .

    Parent

    Ok, I'll get ready a triple in case (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 07:44:22 PM EST
    he says we're "bitter".

    Parent
    Chug, chug, chug (none / 0) (#9)
    by waldenpond on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:20:37 PM EST
    Drink on 'bi-partisan'?

    Parent
    Nah, I don't trust the ER response (none / 0) (#10)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:21:51 PM EST
    where I live, should I drink that much.

    Parent
    'inherited' take (none / 0) (#13)
    by kidneystones on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:26:43 PM EST
    two sips.

    Here's a prediction: this will be the first speech where the number of 'we's outnumber the number of 'I's.

    I never watch infomercials. My tastes in that kind o crap run more to the 700 club and vintage Jim and Tammy. Who could forget Jimmy Swaggart's tear-filled many mea culpa's.

    Oh yeah, expect the head to twitch back and forth like one of those little bobble-heads with the jaw jutting out halfway into the hall.

    Parent

    He must be very stubborn: (none / 0) (#14)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:27:59 PM EST
    Bush corrected several problems in his speaking over the years. I'm sure Obama has been told how annoyingling patrician he looks when his nose is up.


    Parent
    Nah (none / 0) (#21)
    by kidneystones on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:43:21 PM EST
    He's simply TERRIFIED!

    Folks on the right are now voicing my secret fear: that he's going to snap/Jimmy Carter style and meltdown. Not on camera, but privately.

    This is the problem and one I suspect we can all understand. Somebody asks us to perform a task beyond our abilities, to answer a question we don't truly understand and may not be able to grasp.

    On another thread I noted that we don't really know whether he passed or failed Econ 101. Do we? That was a jab.

    Then I started thinking about it. Maybe he did take the course and fail it, or get a poor grade.

    Either way, words alone aren't going to solve anything and from what I'm reading about the House private meetings on the next step for HCR  the message appears to be: 'ignore Brown and we're f$cked'

    The difference between now and '94 is Dems have 'me'. I suspect that straw is slipping even from the great man's grasp. If he let's go..

    Biden Time!

    Parent

    What do you mean when you (none / 0) (#22)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:44:30 PM EST
    say Carter snapped?

    Parent
    TNR: Presidency on Brink of Collapse (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by kidneystones on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 07:20:26 PM EST
    That's the problem.

    Had a chat with someone who actually benefited from the struggling economy here in Asia last night.

    She's been charged with pulling the fat out of the fire for one part of her company. She enjoys the confidence of her boss. They all took a pay cut of about 5% last year, but year to year revenues remained steady.

    Contrast that scenario with what the US is facing. Paulson claims that without the stimulus unemployment would have hit 25%. My guess is a large part of the US problem is that very few business people in America today have much confidence in the Obama team's ability to pull this out.

    I am so not concerned with DODT at this juncture I'm astonished anyone has the temerity to broach the issue, especially the WH who trot their commitment to gay and lesbian rights out whenever they fear liberals might be straying too far from the reservation.

    This gang evidently feels that keeping unemployment at 10% is doing a good job.

    The TNR editorial is sobering.

    Parent

    I would like to move to Asia---esp. (none / 0) (#39)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 07:26:09 PM EST
    Japan, then Korea.
    1. I love the food,
    2. I play go
    3. I'm about as unAmerican as they come---never had a car, don't want one, never buy on credit, etc. People here think I'm crazy.
    4. I have no faith in this country's direction.


    Parent
    Ho-ho (none / 0) (#42)
    by kidneystones on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 07:30:15 PM EST
    Asia is nice. So is Europe and Australia. I prefer America at the moment.

    You folks still have the finest research universities in the world.

    I'm a big fan. One of the best things about the US is that the country is far bigger and more interesting than its leaders.

    Good thing, eh?

    Parent

    Sure, but the food in so much of (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 07:32:00 PM EST
    the country is deadly.
    I've been in the Midwest and South recently. Man, did I pack on the lbs.
    Now I'm in a place where the food is lousy and the weather is great, so I've lost 40 lb. (with lots of exercise too).

    Parent
    Wow! (5.00 / 0) (#54)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 09:17:43 PM EST
    Congratulations on that.

    Parent
    thanks! (none / 0) (#57)
    by observed on Thu Jan 28, 2010 at 07:23:34 AM EST
    Funny story about best (none / 0) (#47)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 07:41:18 PM EST
    research universities. A very famouse Taiwanese born American mathematician told me that several decades ago he was taking Japanese lessons from a Japanese lady in Taiwan.
    One day, some math grad students were also there, and when they heard he was a Harvard prof, they oohed and aahed and said that Harvard was a world class university. The lady responded by saying that she thought there were two world class universities: Imperial University of Tokyo, and Imperial University of Kyoto.
    HA.

    Parent
    snapped (none / 0) (#29)
    by kidneystones on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 06:56:51 PM EST
    probably isn't the right word. When the problems overwhelmed the man and he clearly understood he wasn't going to be bringing the hostages home.

    I found a lot to like in Jimmy, but 21% interest rates are impossible to defend. A genuine smart guy, Jimmy figured he could figure it all out.

    He lacked the brute aggression necessary for the job. The current occupant doesn't have the parts to crack heads either. Nor, does Brown, I suspect.

    There's a large element of coercion involved in practicing the art of the possible. Republicans understand that, as do successful Dems.

    I don't see one standing before the American people tonight.

    I see 10% un-employment and PANIC!

    Parent

    I really did not expect that (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by observed on Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 07:22:54 PM EST
    1 year of Obama would make me appreciate how skillful Bush was, politically, not at ALL!
    For one small thing, Bush knew the value of being underestimated.
    He was NOT as stupid as he let on, of that I'm sure.

    Parent