As you have no doubt heard by now, President Obama made a “Congressional Address” last night, and it is certain that the media in all its varied forms and voices will be evaluating his message and parsing his words throughout the day.
So…I wanted to provide a brief list of highlights and analysis regarding both Obama’s speech and the Republican response, delivered by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.
President Obama’s Address to Congress:
Highlights:
- I won’t comment or quote extensively regarding the expected “motivational/inspirational” components of the speech. I think that these elements are expected, and will go as far as to say that Obama seemed to do a good job of delivering the intended messages of determination and optimism, and they appeared to be well-received by the legislators in attendance.
- ECONOMY:
- Criticism was levied: “Short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity…we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election…difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.” He cited Congress’ waste of the 1999-2000 budget surplus in order to make the wealthy wealthier…the use of private jets…and the buying of homes that people knew they could not afford. In short…no one was spared…citizens, banks, and politicians all share a portion of the blame for the current economic situation.
- He made a clear statement of his overall intentions, which falls squarely in line with Democratic Party philosophy: “Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down.“
- In order to restore lending, Obama announced that the federal government will initiate a federal lending fund – to provide auto loans, college loans and small business loans.
- Big bipartisan applause line: “I intend to hold these banks fully accountable for the assistance they receive, and this time, they will have to clearly demonstrate how taxpayer dollars result in more lending for the American taxpayer. This time, CEOs won’t be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks or buy fancy drapes or disappear on a private jet. Those days are over.“
- He elaborated that this would require both increasing and cutting federal spending. More will be spent on energy, medicine, and education. Less on things like Afghanistan and Iraq, and wasteful practices within the Medicare system. Few specific examples of “waste” were provided.
- The considerable oversight of the various stimulus spending was handed to Vice President Joe Biden…with the rationale, “nobody messes with Joe.”
- RESPONSIBILITY:
- In a clear reference to President Kennedy, he reminded Americans that Kennedy’s call to action and civic responsibility was “a twilight struggle for freedom (in the 1950s and 1960s) led to a nation of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world.” As then, this crisis was represented as also holding great opportunities: “The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities, in our fields and our factories, in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth.“
- In what drew an exceptionally strong response, Obama remarked on citizens’ responsibility to their country in terms of education and self-development: “…dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country — and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.“
- FOREIGN POLICY:
- It was observed that there was no mention of Iran or North Korea in the speech, with considerably more attention paid to the domestic economic crisis than to foreign policy.
- The hunt for Al Qaeda and other extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan was mentioned…but few details provided.
- ENERGY:
- China was mentioned, but only as a good example of working to increase energy efficiency, and as the primary creditor to the United States’ considerable debt. He lamented that, “Never before has the United States relied on a single country’s government for so much financing.“
- Another lament regarded our foreign oil dependence: “We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before.” He put forth that the stimulus programs would double the nation’s renewable energy resources…and would create jobs in the areas of “making our homes and buildings more efficient.” He continued that renewable energy must become “the profitable kind of energy.” $15 billion dollars a year would be allocated to further develop wind turbines, solar power, biofuels, clean coal, and to raise fuel efficiency standards in vehicles.
- OTHER:
- On taxes…he scolds GOP propagandists a bit: “…let me perfectly clear, because I know you’ll hear the same old claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime.“
- Healthcare reform was listed as essential, but few details were provided, other than a mention of the passage of S-CHIP, the bill to provide healthcare to children.
- Education reform was similarly listed as essential. There was a mention of charter schools, but few other details were mentioned.
- The full transcript of the speech may be found here.
Analysis:
- Initial polls show (here is one such poll with analysis) that the speech served one of its primary purposes…to raise confidence. Prior to the speech, 63% of Americans polled approved of Obama’s plans to deal with the economy…after the speech, 80% of those surveyed approved. The number of people who think Obama’s plan will help their personal financial situation jumped from 36% to 51% after the speech. One study showed a 26 point increase on the subject of taxes, an 18 point increase in approval on the deficit, and an 18 point favorable increase on the subject of Iraq. These increases often transcended party lines, with all demographics of viewers reacting favorably.
- Pundits reactions were generally very favorable, even across ideological lines (here are some). While it should be no surprise that liberal pundits were more favorable than conservative ones, most agreed/conceded that the right tone, one of optimism and hard work, was hit. A few have noted that, in a speech that was realistically expected to have more “inspiration and information” than “specific plans and details,” there were still a significant number of specific action items mentioned in particular areas.
Governor Bobby Jindal with the Republican Response:
Highlights:
- Jindal started the speech by acknowledging the groundbreaking change that Obama’s rise to the presidency represented and Jindal then continued on to compare Obama’s personal story to his own story and family history.
- Following his praise of Obama’s accomplishment, Jindal early on set an overall tone of criticism…while most of the barbs were certainly aimed at the President and the Democrats, Jindal did make mention of the failures of both parties in Congress.
- Similarly, Jindal (without getting into specifics) made a form of apology for the failures of the Republicans over the last eight years: “Our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust – and rightly so. Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say: Our party is determined to regain your trust.“
- His emphasis was clearly in line with the current Republican platform of small government, tax cuts, and aid to small businesses.
- GOVERNMENT:
- Jindal repeatedly extolled the need to avoid looking to the government for solutions: “The strength of America is not found in our government. It is found in the compassionate hearts and enterprising spirit of our citizens.“
- In a move criticized by some, Jindal cited the federal government’s failure to handle the Hurricane Katrina crisis properly as a reason not to trust the government to be able to address the economic crisis. He told a story involving Sheriff Harry Lee, where a government bureaucrat was defying the sheriff and preventing rescue workers from going out in boats to save people. See below in “analysis” for why telling a story involving Harry Lee might not have been the best move.
- ECONOMY:
- Jindal warned that the Democratic plans would “...grow the government, increase our taxes down the line, and saddle future generations with debt.“
- Jindal cited some examples of what he considers wasteful spending in the Stimulus Bill, including “$300 million to buy new cars for the government“…this is known as the “golf cart” myth: the money is actually allocated to replace older government vehicles with more fuel efficient vehicles, and some military bases will receive electric “cart-like” utility vehicles. He also mentions “$8 billion for…a ‘magnetic levitation’ line from Las Vegas to Disneyland.” That’s right…the train that is not mentioned anywhere in the Stimulus Bill…both of these claims were disproven a week ago.
- He stated that Republicans’ opposition to the stimulus plan rose out of their desire to “...create jobs by lowering income tax rates for working families, cutting taxes for small businesses, [and] strengthening incentives for businesses to invest in new equipment and hire new workers…Democratic leaders in Congress rejected this approach.“
- OTHER:
- On healthcare, he cautioned that a patient’s decisions should be made by their doctor with the patient’s consent, and not by government bureaucrats.
- On foreign policy he warned, “Now is no time to dismantle the defenses that have protected this country for hundreds of years, or make deep cuts in funding for our troops.“
- On energy, he made no mention of specifics, but did call for conservation, increased efficiency, and alternative fuels.
- His only mention of education revolved around touting reforms they had made to the New Orleans educational system.
- At other times, Jindal’s speech took on similarly “campaigning” tones, talking more about his accomplishments in Louisiana than the national situation…such as when he claims to have cut 250 earmarks from his state’s budget, cut state taxes six times, and passed ethics laws.
- A transcript of the speech may be found here.
Analysis:
- Democrats and Republicans alike did not have the kindest words to describe Jindal’s speech: “amateurish,” “laughable,” and, “a missed opportunity” were among the critical descriptors.
- Pundits also took note on Jindal’s overreliance on the red meat staple of tax cuts…perhaps unwise since current polling shows not only broad support for Obama’s stimulus plan…but also the public’s current disillusionment in the “healing power of the tax cut.” Some show the public’s support for tax cut remedies as low as 10%.
- Commentators were also quick to point out that (as mentioned above) a couple of the spending items Jindal criticizes are either VERY popular…or they don’t even exist.
- It did not go unnoticed that Jindal’s speech contained an overabundance of references to his own accomplishments as governor. At a time when Obama is calling for politicians to place the economy before their personal campaigning interests…some saw Jindal’s speech as his “first 2012 presidential campaign speech” and therefore, inappropriate to the situation.
- Sheriff Harry Lee…maybe not the guy that Jindal should be propping up as a hero. After Katrina, Lee suggested his deputies should randomly stop blacks as a form of crime prevention. He specifically mentioned that “young blacks in rinky-dink cars” driving in white areas should be stopped whenever possible. He retracted these statements due to public pressure, but never apologized. Shortly before his death Lee claimed, “We know the crime is in the black community. Why should I waste time in the white community?“
- New York Times columnist David Brooks, appeared on PBS, and posited that the whole “we can’t trust government at all” position is not really an effective way to show that you have a clear plan for solving problems…it’s a pretty defeatist position for a GOVERNMENT LEADER to be adopting. Brook said, “I oppose the stimulus because I thought it was poorly drafted. But to come up at this moment in history with a stale ‘government is the problem,’ ‘we can’t trust the federal government’ – it’s just a disaster for the Republican Party. The country is in a panic right now. They may not like the way the Democrats have passed the stimulus bill, but that idea … that government is going to have no role, the federal government has no role in this … it’s just a form of nihilism. It’s just not where the country is, it’s not where the future of the country is. There’s an intra-Republican debate.“
- You know you’re in trouble when you’re a Republican governor, criticizing President Obama…and these statements represent the highest praise FOX News can even drum up:
BRIT HUME: “The speech read a lot better than it sounded. This was not Bobby Jindal’s greatest oratorical moment.”
NINA EASTON: “The delivery was not exactly terrific.”
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: “Jindal didn’t have a chance. He follows Obama, who in making speeches, is in a league of his own. He’s in a Reagan-esque league. … [Jindal] tried the best he could.”
JUAN WILLIAMS: “It came off as amateurish, and even the tempo in which he spoke was sing-songy. He was telling stories that seemed very simplistic and almost childish.”
Having read both transcripts carefully…I have to say that it was painfully clear that only one of these men had a plan…and facts…and focus…and the American people in mind…and hope.
UPDATE 3:31 PM:
- Rush Limbaugh has weighed in on Jindal’s speech…”[T]he people on our side are really making a mistake if they go after Bobby Jindal on the basis of style. Because if you think – people on our side I’m talking to you – those of you who think Jindal was horrible, you think – in fact, I don’t ever want to hear from you ever again…I’ve spoken to him numerous times, he’s brilliant. He’s the real deal.” This is, of course, in response to conservative writers and commentators who have described Jindal’s speech as “cheesy,” and “insane,” among other things. It’s no surprise that Rush would come to Jindal’s defense…in the past Jindal has admitted to reading Rush’s books and that he is a “huge fan” of the radio program.
- GOP strategist Ed Rollins wasn’t very kind. He called Jindal’s speech “painful” and, alluding to the future fight for the 2012 Republican nomination, he added it was “a good night for Sarah Palin.” More here from his interview with Anderson Cooper.
- Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman displayed his usual directness: “So what did Bobby Jindal choose to ridicule in this response to Obama last night? Volcano monitoring, of course…The intellectual incoherence is stunning. Basically, the political philosophy of the GOP right now seems to consist of snickering at stuff that they think sounds funny. The party of ideas has become the party of Beavis and Butthead.“