Auschwitz
The State of the Union Address - A Different Perspective
29/January/2010 12:06 Filed in: Web News
| Oikos
Thoughts
A
multiple-choice question concerning Wednesday
January 27, 2010.
Which of the following events should have added to your understanding of the world and the interpretation of those happenings that may significantly impact your future?
Speculation before the State of the Union Address centered in the quandary of whether President Obama would stay on the liberal or progressive course of his first year as President or would he shift his emphasis towards the political center like Bill Clinton did in his first term. The most verbal conservative pundits were both right and correct, in Obama’s world, “The era of big government is not over and is alive and well!” at least from his Administration’s perspective.
Before we continue, am I the only one in the world that finds his speech giving technique extremely annoying? First of all he lifts his head like he is peering over and looking down on all the people, or perhaps it is more like an old man trying to read something through the bottom of his bifocals. Then he continually shifts from one teleprompter screen to another, never ever stopping to make eye contact with the primary camera. All the TV anchors really don’t find it all that hard, with some it seems that is the only thing they do well. Maybe we could buy another device with some Federal stimulus money and it could be mounted on the camera, or even on the back wall of the speaking venue, and then he could make his speech like a normal celebrity.
In an interview somewhat on the appearance of recent setbacks his Administration has suffered, the President responded somewhat in the following paraphrase: I would rather be viewed as a one term messianic President, rather than being a two term mediocre one.
This response seems totally out of touch with the reality, which is probably, if he does a really mediocre job in his first term, chances are still pretty good that he will be reelected. If he does even a reasonable job, he can’t be defeated. The only way he will not be elected to a second term is if he continues on the current course and his policies turn out to be a complete disaster. Viewing the Obama presidency as an “act of God” as a catalyst for traditional renewal now seems to be the bent of the rising constitutionally pragmatic historic center of the American citizenry. The pundits that view this as somehow an adrenalin boost to the Republican Party are just so – twentieth century. Read More...
Which of the following events should have added to your understanding of the world and the interpretation of those happenings that may significantly impact your future?
- Barack Obama gave his first State of the Union address to Congress as President of the United States of America.
- In Europe there was a commemorative service remembering the sixty-fifth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
- I bought a frozen pizza on my way home after getting my car repaired, ate it during the President’s address, and then thought about how impossible it would be to pay for it with real money.
- All of the above.
Speculation before the State of the Union Address centered in the quandary of whether President Obama would stay on the liberal or progressive course of his first year as President or would he shift his emphasis towards the political center like Bill Clinton did in his first term. The most verbal conservative pundits were both right and correct, in Obama’s world, “The era of big government is not over and is alive and well!” at least from his Administration’s perspective.
Before we continue, am I the only one in the world that finds his speech giving technique extremely annoying? First of all he lifts his head like he is peering over and looking down on all the people, or perhaps it is more like an old man trying to read something through the bottom of his bifocals. Then he continually shifts from one teleprompter screen to another, never ever stopping to make eye contact with the primary camera. All the TV anchors really don’t find it all that hard, with some it seems that is the only thing they do well. Maybe we could buy another device with some Federal stimulus money and it could be mounted on the camera, or even on the back wall of the speaking venue, and then he could make his speech like a normal celebrity.
In an interview somewhat on the appearance of recent setbacks his Administration has suffered, the President responded somewhat in the following paraphrase: I would rather be viewed as a one term messianic President, rather than being a two term mediocre one.
This response seems totally out of touch with the reality, which is probably, if he does a really mediocre job in his first term, chances are still pretty good that he will be reelected. If he does even a reasonable job, he can’t be defeated. The only way he will not be elected to a second term is if he continues on the current course and his policies turn out to be a complete disaster. Viewing the Obama presidency as an “act of God” as a catalyst for traditional renewal now seems to be the bent of the rising constitutionally pragmatic historic center of the American citizenry. The pundits that view this as somehow an adrenalin boost to the Republican Party are just so – twentieth century. Read More...