The State Of Our Union

    President Obama, produced an eloquent, informative and utterly boring SOTU speech.  President Obama, is running toward the middle.  His recent legislative "success" and bump in approval ratings, after capitulating to demands by Republicans to extend tax cuts for the rich, have lead him to believe that the middle is what will get him re-elected.   In his speech Obama simply took easily agreeable ideas, and proposed that if adopted our country will be strengthened.   His proposals crossed both sides of the aisle. They make sense, most are good ideas, and yes they will strengthen our union.   However, not a single one of his proposals or ideas is one that the country desperately needs. Not a single one of his proposals is one that will revolutionize our country or dramatically change its course.  Together as a single package, his proposals are solid, reasonable and in the short-term may lead to him being re-elected.
  However, Barack Obama was not elected to be a mere administrator, or compromiser.  Barack Obama was elected to transform our country.  He was elected as the candidate of change, and hope.  I expected more.  I expected leadership.  I expected Obama to live up to his own reputation as a great speaker and equal that reputation with great accomplishments and great action.
   The President failed to speak on several issues in which his leadership is sorely needed.  Where was his call for increase in gun control?  If there was ever a time to call to renew the popular assault weapons ban, now is the time.  The President did not talk enough about unemployment.  It is still way too high and when the underemployment rate is included climbs to 19%.  Decreasing this number is the #1 way to improve the lives of everyday Americans.  Where was the talk about global climate change?  The problem is real, and has real consequences, and the President cannot ignore it.  The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United, and its allowance of unlimited corporate spending along with the continued misinterpretation of the 14th amendment (corporate personhood) is perhaps the biggest threat to our democracy, and it was completely ignored.  And finally the increase in income inequality, and decrease in social mobility over the last 30 years is a direct result of the economic policies of the last three decades, and has only grown worse with the great recession and must be met head on and confronted and reversed.
   The President must do more than just compromise on these issues, he must lead.  The President must stand on his principles on these issues.  He must do what is best for the country and not what he thinks will get him re-elected.  He must take his stand and take his case directly to the American people.  Obama has claimed on several occasions that he would rather be a transformative one term president than a mediocre two term president.  Well, I don't believe winning a second term and being transformative must be mutually exclusive.  But Obama must remember what got him elected in the first place.
  Barack Obama was elected in 2008, because of a historically high turnout by young people.  These young voters, (23 million 18-29 yr olds)  elected a rather young, first term senator, with an amazing ability to speak clearly and inspire them to action.  Yet, it is these same young voters that are historically unreliable, and unengaged.  It is these same young voters that stayed home in 2010.  However, they still crave that hope, change and leadership that candidate Obama promised.  They may not pay attention, or notice that it takes two branches of government to pass laws, and they may not care.  Obama must engage and speak to these voters or they will stay home in 2012.  What they want is leadership, and Tuesdays speech was not one of a leader but rather one from a compromiser.  If President Obama wants any chance of re-election and if our country wants any hope to emerge from our recession and regain the prosperity of the middle class then let's hope that Obama decides to lead.