President Obama’s State of the Union address last night came across as a monumental bore to anyone that follows politics and was just more of the same rhetoric that has consistently been a hallmark of this administration.
Thankfully.
Many experts had agreed that had Obama pushed for executive instead of legislative action to change the course of the economy and enact political agenda changes to the nation, it could have lead to a constitutional crisis and a potential break in the government. Speaker of the House Boehner threatened to sue in the Supreme Court if the President enacted change with “a pen” instead of congressional authorization. It was no doubt, a seminal moment in American history.
Fortunately, the President blinked.
It was due, in no small part, to his abysmally low personal approval rating and the increasing tensions in the American people. We have been divided as a nation like never before, rivaling the differences we had in 1861 which led to Civil War. The President recognized this and spent a great deal of his speech addressing it, while pushing forth his unpopular agenda. Obama announced he would take his case to the American people and left it at that.
Yet, it should have been expected. Time after time, the President has taken this course with other nations and other projects. Obama brought us toe to toe with the Russians over Syria, drawing a ‘red line’ over the use of chemical weapons, and then backing down when faced with a serious escalation.
Examine the Iranian situation: he agreed to a deal that really is no deal and the Mullahs of Iran are now laughing at us publicly. On Obamacare he failed to enact the legislation he wanted; was forced to compromise on major components, and ultimately produced a plan that is unworkable and doomed to failure.
For all the tough talk Obama gives his political enemies, he is all bluster — a fact that should have been recognized by the GOP elite who threw conservatives under the bus in order to avoid a fight during the budget negotiations last year.
This president has failed to produce one viable solution to the problems facing this nation in his 5 years in office. Politically a success, but as a President, he is a consummate failure.
His speech pounded home the usual political talking points under the guise of mistruths of economic success, but will do little to solve the problem of the vast majority of people who simply stopped producing. His argument that we should see a diplomatic solution to the specter of war in the Gulf will not protect the Israelis from another holocaust. His pleas of amnesty for illegal aliens will not improve job availability for millions of citizens who can’t find work. The theory that we need guaranteed returns on new reformulated investment accounts will not make the people invest more, or make our retirements any easier. His talking points about all his leftist ideas will not fool the American people.
We are on to you now Mr. President and he is aware of it.
Perhaps it is the best message we can take away from that speech last night.
Thomas Purcell is the host of the popular radio show Liberty Never Sleeps, and author of “Shotgun Republic.”
