Speech was way too long, way to scattered and way too boring. Like every SOTU.

Substance was mostly great. If he would half of what he says he will, he'd be the best President since FDR.

As far as SOTUs go, average, In terms of speeches, like every SOTU, horrible.

with a check for "failure to live up to one's potential"

not sure regarding the "works well with others category"

Watch this shot, Bret!

Meanwhile, homeowners and the unemployed are going to wake up to the same problems facing them 'pre-inspritation'.

What he has consistenly failed to deliver is action that is consistent with his words, fight consistent with his claims to be standing strong, commitment to one, true, guiding principal, courage to risk personal popularity for a larger, and greater, good.

Leadership is so much more than words; were that not so, we would not be in the turmoil we are in.

After the Geithner testimony, after the revelations on exigent letters, post-action legalization of illegal activities, strong signals that the lifelines of Social Security, Medicare amd Medicaid are at risk of executive-ordered "reform," emphasis on campaign-style messaging as a substitute for good policy, I do not understand how anyone could be confident the government is in good hands.

Speeches do not equal leadership; I would caution everyone to hang on to some healthy skepticism and not be swayed by stirring rhetoric alone; consider the rhetoric of the campaign and how that has translated to the business of governing.  

But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know.

2. Bailouts:

So I supported the last administration's efforts to create the financial rescue program. And when we took the program over, we made it more transparent and accountable. As a result, the markets are now stabilized, and we have recovered most of the money we spent on the banks.

To recover the rest, I have proposed a fee on the biggest banks.

Not so. "The rest" is the TARP money: $700 billion. The financial rescue program in toto was more like $22 trillion in guarantees (though not all "spent" it's the guarantee that creates the moral hazard). See this post for Yves on Obama's obfuscation on this point (and, of course, Booman).

Notice the silence on breaking up  the banks. The econobloggers are going to rip him a new one on that, and they'll be right.

* * *

DADT furor
Terror Trials

He retook the narrative, now they have to control it for 2 months.

He also shifted responsibility to congress, especially the right.  

I am embarassed that I said he was jumping the shark.  

Battles are always better fought from the high ground.  But right now the high ground is a lonely place.....

Politically shameless nothingness.

Saying "no" to everything is not leadership.

And...

We were sent here to serve the citizens - not our ambitions.

But what did it all add up to?
I don't know.

I thought one strange moment was when he openly criticized the Supreme Court for their decision allowing unlimited corporate donations. I agreed with the sentiment, but it certainly was a "YOU LIE!" moment from Obama to SCOTUS.

On a feeling level, he started out talking like a populist. About the people in our country who are suffering. People looking for work.
Things like that. That was nice. Thanks.

Then he said he wanted to freeze what amounted to all spending not related to war. Not many people think that that move will help Americans looking for work or trying to save their homes.

He said all combat troops would be out of Iraq by August. That's nice. But then - with all the "support" we are leaving there, including a gigantic palatial embassy and staff, how much money will that save us? I want us out of Iraq. Don't get me wrong. But in the context of a discussion of our domestic economy, I would like to know how much of the 800 million dollars we spend there every day will become available for programs and people here at home.

He made no mention of the compromises that he and the dems made on the healthcare bill. He mentioned nothing about the mandates. He said nothing about fighting to include a public option.

Then he lapsed into rah rah cheerleading.
"I won't give up".
"Change you can believe in" made a cameo appearance.
"God Bless America".

With Obama, it doesn't matter what he says.
We can only know how things are going by seeing how things go.

The smirking GWB, with the phoney good old boy attitude made me want to put my foot through the TV.

Obama has that minister quality in his speech that reminds me of why I left the church. I hated to be preached to!

So while I might give him a A- overall, given the somewhat modest achievements to this point, it really isn't going to have much staying impact with me beyond what temporary satisfaction one gets from a good Chinese meal.  Yes, it was mighty tasty to hear Obama talk about addressing the job situation, and the negative reaction he elicited from one Sam Alito when he denigrated the recent Sup Ct decision on corporate speech was a small culinary delight.  

But even some of the slower folks in the Obama admin now realize that the people are demanding bold action from the Dems, and that well-delivered professionally-crafted political rhetoric has a much shorter shelf life a year into this presidency than it did at the outset.

For content I give it a D+ and for delivery I'd have to say a C.

I liked that he is finally acknowledging the anger and pain of average Americans--yet some parts left me stunned. As in, "calling for a jobs bill tonight"-- why on earth didn't he have a jobs bill when he took office? Or within a couple of months? He didn't know how bad things were--really? Yet he does have yet another bank bailout all planned up and ready to go.

As Tim Gunn would say, with  exquisite understatement: "This worries me."

Also, I really resent being scolded about how important it is to bail out the banks--yet again--and all that talk of "yes, I know you hate it but it's necessary" made him sound like a mother giving her child medication. I detest that "we know what's best for you" tone from politicians, as if we don't have the right to our anger at what they're doing and as if we really don't know better.

Here it is:

  1.  I don't like the tennis head teleprompter style, or can't stand his voice--translation:  I hate it that everyone says he can give a good speech, so I have to find something wrong about his style to tear him down ...

  2.  He lacks passion and doesn't connect with real people--translation, I never liked the guy and that is why he can't connect with me....

   3.  He has failed to actually do anything of value, so what he says doesn't matter--translation:  nothing he says will change my mind.

   4.  And most predictable of all:  Hillary and Bill would have done better....

listen kids.  no one ever criticized Obama saying "he's a crappy speech giver!!!!"  no one ever said that.

next thing you know krugman will be darkening photos cause that's what obama devotees think is done by people who criticize obama.

what a whole hell of a joke.

what an abomination.

the whole narrative.  start to finish. the real narrative.

all the pretending.

just wonderful.

YES!!!! GO OBAMA!!!!! GO!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT A WONDERFUL SPEECH!!!!!!  just don't call me a racist.  I think Obama is perfect.

Hate to tar you with the same brush. I encourage you to rethink your grading criteria.

and Many Eyes

Who can compete with EXXON, CITGO, and all those big boys.  They can buy most of Congress now.

Meanwhile the ghost of our former self as a nation haunts us daily.

"I was trying to think about who he was tonight. It's interesting: he is post-racial, by all appearances. I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he's gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and passed so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it's something we don't even think about. I was watching, I said, wait a minute, he's an African-American guy in front of a bunch of other white people. And here he is president of the United States and we've completely forgotten that tonight -- completely forgotten it. I think it was in the scope of his discussion. It was so broad-ranging, so in tune with so many problems, of aspects, and aspects of American life that you don't think in terms of the old tribalism, the old ethnicity. It was astounding in that regard. A very subtle fact. It's so hard to talk about. Maybe I shouldn't talk about it, but I am. I thought it was profound that way."