| There was plenty of programmatic content as well ... and I think the high point came when Obama said that $30billion recovered from resurrected financial institutions should be spent on community banks for the sole benefit of small businesses. Excellent idea!
The freeze for 2011 on government spending will be flensed before the start date, believe me. There will be cross the board strictures about up-grading to Windows 7 or travel restrictions or the sorts of things that are about working in government, but not about what government does for people. That would be suicidal ... and it just will not happen. Mark my words.
The "don't ask, don't tell" policy will become a football in an election year. The admirals and generals will balk, but Obama owns them now, so a coup is very unlikely on these grounds. I think we will get the reform and stop losing talented people we need in government. It will be ugly though.
I think that Obama came close to resonating with the populist mood across the nation. He is too cerebral and refined ... by nature ... to have gotten sweaty and hoarse about it, though. People will understand that saving the financial sector was important, although Obama left out the most important reason ... the international standing of our financial sector in the world ... still #1 ... but if it had become #2 or worse the situation inside our country would quickly have deteriorated into major trouble.
I think ... aside from their truculent unwillingness to participate constructively in government ... the GOP behaved as well as Lieberman behaved during the speech, that is, many got caught on camera making snide remarks with telling facial expressions ... Cantor was another. Thanks to all this, I think it was an important "win" for the White House and Democrats ... and I think they thought so too.
JB |
