Zombie blogging the president’s speech

I inadvertently found myself listening to the White House Dossier’s live stream of the President’s speech, so it occurred to me that I might toss out some comments if inspired.  However, since the man bores me to death, I thought that calling this post “Live blogging” was a bit optimistic.  Zombie blogging seemed more apt to the state of mind I’ll inevitably experience within minutes of his simultaneous hectoring and soporific tone — and that doesn’t even touch upon content.

I’ve never live blogged before, so this is something of an experiment (and it may cut off abruptly if he bloviates . . . er, speaks too long).  Forgive me, and ignore me, if this is a complete fail.

There must have been a lot of prep before this speech.  He appears sans teleprompter.

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Second sentence — it’s politic’s fault.  “A political crisis that’s made things worse.”  That didn’t take long.

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Summarizing the American dream.  “Anybody could make it in America.”

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Washington has failed Americans.  Can “we stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy?”  (My editorial comment:  I can see that this is going to lead, inevitably, to demands for more of the same Washington interference that’s failed Americans before.)

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Here’s the plan that Congress “should pass right away.”  There’s nothing “controversial” he assures us.  It’s already got bipartisan support, he says.  And it will all be paid for.  (Is that a bridge you’re trying to sell me?)

I feel him gearing up to expand the government, although I’m intrigued by his promise to cut payroll taxes in half across the board.

This is the “jolt.”  “You should pass this jobs plan right away.”

Still offering puffery, but no details.  It’s a very weird speech saying, if you pass my magical job bill, the economy will instantly transform, because the government will hand out money to small businesses that hire people, who will also get tax cuts.  I’m all for helping small business and tax cuts, but I’m finding this speech bizarre.

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Now comes the infrastructure plug.  We need to build a vast new infrastructure system hiring millions (did he really say millions?) of unemployed construction workers can build them here and now.

Obama is suggesting that the money would go to private construction companies, but I have my doubts.

He’s talking roads, bridges, schools, etc.  Re schools, believes that kids can learn only in shiny new buildings.  Hmmm….  Tell that to Kansas City, Mr. President, home of the most expensive, dysfunctional school system in the world.

Obama is again promising shovel ready jobs.  He keeps saying his act, if passed right away, will immediately pour money into the economy.  Haven’t we heard this promise before?

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Obama is promising to do away with red tape, and to authorize immediate work, dependent on project and economic needs.  He promises that this idea is bipartisan in origin and history.  “You should pass it right away.”

I’m finding this urgent pressure, after 2.5 years of presidential malaise bizarre.  It’s like listening to a president hopped up on speed.  His speech is pressed, his rhythm chopping, and his urgency unnerving.  Very strange.

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The speech is also uneven in structure.  It’s got repetition, but no rhythm.  MLK understand building a speech with rhythm.  This is merely frantic.

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Promises tax cuts for companies that hire veterans.  Question — if Obama is suddenly sold on tax costs, why should the government decide who or what earns them?  Why not tax cuts across the board.  Let the business world decide what to do with the money.  This again is all about government control.

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Tax cuts for hiring veterans, tax cuts for hiring the unemployed, tax cuts for hiring contractors, tax cuts for this, and tax cuts for that.  But the government is still deciding how businesses should spend their money.

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Obama promising a $1,500 per family tax cut under his bill.  In other words, he’s suddenly embracing, wholeheartedly, the Bush tax cut.  Weird.

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I’m swirling around in a sea of “tax cuts,” “pass this right away,” “jobs,” urgency,” and on and on.

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Obama promises to cover cost of jobs bill and to stabilize debt over the long haul.  I missed what underlies this promise.  Spending cuts.  A ha:  The crux:  raise taxes on corporations and the rich.  Didn’t we used to call them employers?

Buried in this sea of frantic rhetoric, we get to the hub of the matter:  he is going to raise taxes.  He is going to try to direct the economy.

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He’s going to reform MediCare.  *** Wait a minute!  Wasn’t that one of the purposes of ObamaCare?  I’m confused.

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Back to class warfare.  Republicans are the bad guys who won’t tax the rich.  Warren Buffet wants to pay more taxes.  Tax code needs to be more fair.  Everyone needs to pay “their fair share.”  (Did this guy never learn about noun/pronoun agreement?)  He knows that all the rich people are desperate to join Buffet and give the government their money to waste.

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This is snake oil.  He’s making tax cut sounds, but this is about class warfare.  He’s going to transfer wealth to select classes, and take it from others.  It’s that simple.

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Attacking oil companies:  oil companies versus small businesses.  Except that he doesn’t seem to notice that small businesses are going under because they can’t afford fuel costs.

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“This isn’t class warfare.”  Uh, yes it is.  It’s not “simple math.”  These aren’t “real choices.”  But he’s pretty sure Americans will agree with him.

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Obama’s now talking about rebuilding the economy to save the middle class.  Says we have to “out-build, out-educate, and out-innovate every other country on earth.”  I bet this is going to require more government interference in our lives.  He’s promising to pay faster on government contracts, which would be a good thing.  Promises to cut red tape that slows companies from going public.  Is promising to help people re-fi mortgages at the current low interest rates.  I’m having visions of ghosts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

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Wants trade agreements that make it easier to sell American products abroad, while enacting legislation that helps American workers.  I’m wondering how he sees both happening….  He doesn’t say.  Considering his friendship with Trumka, I have visions of a unicorn world that pays American workers even more, all the while forcing businesses to sell products for less overseas, but he’s not saying . . . yet.

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Still puffing.  No plan.

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Here goes the Obama straw man argument:  Republicans want to cut government spending, and eliminate most government regulations.  He’s the voice of reason.  He’ll get rid of wasteful spending.  And he agrees that there are “some” rules and regulations that are burdensome.  I’m waiting for the “but”….  He will not economic crisis be used “as excuse to wipe out the basic protections that Americans have counted on for decades.”  Here comes President Obama to save Americans from evil Republicans who are forcing them to choose between jobs and safety.  Wow!  The straw man arguments are piling up with incredible speed.  Did you know Republicans want to expose kids to mercury poisoning?  I didn’t.

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Big strawman:  Republicans want anarchy.  No government at all.  Did you know that?  I didn’t.  Obama is now very reasonable.  We’re rugged individualists, except we need big government at our back.

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My children are calling, and I’m sick of this.  I can’t take his pressed speech, his straw men, his demands, his class warfare, his big government dreams.  The front part of this speech was a feint, with all the tax cut talk.  The meat is here:  under Obama, big government is here to stay.  This Zombie is checking out.