Obama cranks up populist pitch (The Hill)

[jefferson_dem]

Obama cranks up populist pitch
By Amie Parnes - 01/24/12 09:15 PM ET

President Obama used his election-year State of the Union address to issue a loud call for economic equality based on “responsibility from everybody,” a theme prefacing his 2012 campaign message.

Cranking up the volume on the populist message that the wealthy should pay higher taxes, Obama said the goal of economic equality was a return to American values and “the defining issue of our time.”

In the address — dubbed a “Blueprint for an America Built to Last” — Obama used the power of the bully pulpit before a sharply divided joint session of Congress to take the offensive and pledge that while he would work with lawmakers, he also intended to “fight obstruction with action.”

The president said “no challenge is more urgent” than to support the middle class.

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules,” Obama said. “What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values but American values. We have to reclaim them.”

<SNIP>

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/206293-obama-state-of-the-union-2012-congress-economy-jobs

[tabatha]

1. I thought Obama also looked young and energetic tonight.

[Skittles]

2. LOL

"The president said “no challenge is more urgent” than to support the middle class."

is he just now figuring this out???

[SunsetDreams]

4. "is he just now figuring this out???"

No, it's not the first time he's said as much. But with the do nothing Congress, specifically House Republicans, he has to keep repeating himself.

[zbdent]

17. he's tried to say it before

but he was filibustered ...

[joshcryer]

3. And note, this isn't just populist rhetoric like 2008, this is populist policy proposals.

[99th_Monkey]

5. Me thinks OWS was/is Obama's stalking horse? ~nt

[denbot]

6. Not a stocking horse, but cover for moving back to the left.

We got his back.

[99th_Monkey]

29. Actually I think the term fits rather nicely.

stalk•ing horse
noun

• a political candidate who runs in order to provoke the election and thus allow a stronger candidate to come forward.

ORIGIN early 16th cent.: from the former practice of using a horse trained to allow a fowler to hide behind it, or under its coverings, until within easy range of prey.

Not that it's a perfect fit, nor is it true that any of this was conscious or intentional, but still.

[ObaMania]

7. Lip service is all it is.

Deeds, not words Barry. People are hurtin' out here and you let people like Mittens get away with paying 15% tax rates. Too little, too late I'm afraid.

[Amonester]

8. The obstRuctionists will never send him a bill to raise them up to 30%.

So what do you think he should do? Sign an executive order????

Riiiiiiight....

Better strategy: try to give him a more 'left-leaning' super majority than 2008 as soon as in 10 months... or bust.

[cliffordu]

27. Yep. What you said.

[primavera]

9. Everybody mouths the same empty key words

I was struck listening to the Repuke response by how similar their speech sounded to the president's. The Repukes claim to want to address income inequality and joblessness and to work together to promote fairness and a level playing field, yada, yada, yada. But is anyone on either side going to do anything about it? Of course not. They've demonstrated a thousand times over that their visions for how to accomplish those things are so divergent that there is no way for them to work together. Repukes will continue to shoot down any proposal a Dem introduces and vice versa. And, given how extreme Repuke ideology is these days, inactivity beats the alternative of helping Repukes further the country's drift towards a fascist plutocracy. But in the absence of any substantive common ground, all both sides have left is just empty slogans: freedom, liberty, justice, blah, blah, blah, wave the flag, wave the flag. Wake me up when somebody actually does something.

[olegramps]

14. Just what would you propose for him to do against obstructionist Repukians?

They not only resist increasing taxes on the wealthy they what to reduce taxes on capital gains to ZERO. Get for real and start supporting Obama.

[unkachuck]

22. "Too little, too late I'm afraid."

....yep....but I think I understood his logic....as soon as you take a position, you make someone happy and then piss-off someone else....his desire was to please everyone, his risk is to please no one....

[Son of Gob]

23. Barry? Where have we heard that before?

Just call him boy and get it over with.

[dmosh42]

10. Good speech by the 'ultimate politician', and now onto the follow-up based on his convictions!

And I do believe he will do he follow up, because it will be part of his campaign.

[IamK]

20. that ship sailed in 2010... he had a majority and did not use it.... now its all just excuses.. n/t

[cliffordu]

28. Kinda not.

But don't let the fax get in your way.

[Fuddnik]

11. Put on your hip waders.

[JJW]

12. If GM is Obama's success model

Then we can expect low wages (half of what they used to be), reduced pensioon plan, and no right to strike. We are now competing with third world labor.

[olegramps]

15. I can only suppose that you like the Republicans solution of GM complete collapse.

They were all in favor of bailing out the banksters, but the hell with the working folks at GM. I am beginning to wonder if this forum has been totally taken over by his Republican enemies.

[lonestarnot]

24. What is it that you don't get about, "Send me a bill!" ?

[sarcasmo]

13. Time to pay up rich folks.

[bottom line]

16. Thank You www.whitehouse.gov & DU

I don't have a TV, almost 61
clicked on DU, clicked on "enhanced live stream"
Have now moved my "Get Involved Obama..." replaced with www.whitehouse.com for my places visited everyday...
You know busy...
How cool was that? At white house dot, scrolled over chairs of whom sat with Michelle & other interesting articles.
The graphs with the State of the Union, are OUTSTANDING!
Better than a rock star
Thank You

[bvar22]

18. It certainly beats out the...

.."Cut Government Spending", "Reform" Entitlements, and Time to "Eat Peas" rhetoric of last year.

Dare I "HOPE" again?




You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their Campaign Year Rhetoric.
[font size=5 color=green][center]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
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[rudycantfail]

25. Dare I hope again?

I love it! I guess it's better to laugh.

[Uncle Joe]

19. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, jefferson_dem.

[Tarheel_Dem]

21. K & R

[awoke_in_2003]

26. well we do have elections coming up. nt