State of the Union 2012
- Thread starter Shegokigo
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I assumed it was going to be a stump speech, and can read the transcript later faster anyway. I'm guessing he talked about clean energy, taxing the rich at a higher rate, and that we need more "political unity" and a pledge to work together with those willing to work to make things... uh, work.
Am I far wrong?
Am I far wrong?
Oh, I forgot about the obligatory "I'm awesome" portion. Here's my (probably definitely very biased) summary of the transcript:
- I ended the Iraq war and brought our troops home
- I got Bin Laden and many of his lietenants
- We need to work together for
- jobs
- high tech
- energy security
- prosperity
- stable economy (interestingly he used the phrase "hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.")
- We are faced with challenges similar to what we saw after WWII, and the solution is similar
- My grandparents served in the war as soldier and factory worker (I'm american, dangit!)
- We are part of something larger, and we need to share
- If you work hard, you should be able to support your family, own your home, send your kids to college, and retire comfortably
- We should not settle for rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer - everyone should "play by the same rules"
- The reason we are in this spot is due in part to the global market, and partly because banks and regulators failed us
- We stopped the job loss hemorrhaging
- We've fixed financial regulations so it doesn't happen again
- I'll work with those who will work with me, and fight those who oppose me
- We need to renew our manufacturing sector
- I fixed the auto industry (HAHAHAHA! It's sad that people will believe him.)
- We can fix other industries in the same way (
)
- We're going to tax businesses that send jobs overseas (I like how he pretends it's reversing a tax break)
- We're going to tax non-US based businesses
- We're going to give a tax break to businesses who make their products here (how?)
- We're going to increase our exports (this whole package is going to make the WTO non-happy, free trade for everyone, some more than others)
- We're looking at you, China
- I expect businesses to pay for worker training - work with your colleges and design programs that will give you the workers you need
- We need to give schools the resources to pay for good teachers, and reward the best teachers
- I want states to require graduation, or schooling until 18
- We can't keep subsidizing tuition
- Schools that continue to raise tuition should expect less federal aid
- We need to give citizenship to those who come to the US for education
- I reaffirm my commitment to prevent illegal immigration
- But we need to come up with a plan that allows productive illegal immigrants to stay (yay doublespeak!)
- Let me take a moment to name drop Steve Jobs
- I call on congress to come up with a plan to encourage entrepreneurship
- We need to increase energy innovation
- I'm opening 75% of our potential offshore oil and gas resources
- Natural gas is an energy winner for the US - Drill, baby, drill! Oh, it'll also increase jobs.
- Clean energy is another big winner for the US. It's not working yet, but it will if we keep working at it! I promise!
- I don't think congress can come up with a good climate bill - but I think we can all agree on clean energy, so get going already!
- Let's encourage energy usage reduction via tax incentives
- Let's do more public works to rebuild crumbling infrastructure and create jobs
- We don't have money for it, but let's pretend that ending the iraq war freed up money, and you can use that pretend money to do this
- I want congress to enact a plan that will allow people to refinance their mortgages, and we're going to tax banks in order to pay for this plan
- Without endangering our public safety, we need to remove or modify regulations that place arduous burdens on small businesses where they don't make sense
- We need to regulate banks more heavily. Bad banks! Bad! Bad! We're not going to bail you out again. (unless we need to...)
Wow this is a long talk. I'll try to cut back to one line per every two or three paragraphs...
- We need to increase taxes on the wealthiest to cover the deficit
- We need to rein in medicare, medicaid, and social security, without hurting our seniors
- If we allow the rich to be taxed at a lower rate, it hurts everyone. Seniors are starving
- We need to reform DC, lobbyists, etc, etc, etc
- Duplicrats and replicons need to work together
- Smarter, more efficient, more effective gov't
- I ended the Iraq war, and we remain commited to peace in the middle east. Iran is dumb
- We are still a major power in the world
- I renew our commitments to our vets
- I ended the Iraq war and brought our troops home
- I got Bin Laden and many of his lietenants
- We need to work together for
- jobs
- high tech
- energy security
- prosperity
- stable economy (interestingly he used the phrase "hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.")
- We are faced with challenges similar to what we saw after WWII, and the solution is similar
- My grandparents served in the war as soldier and factory worker (I'm american, dangit!)
- We are part of something larger, and we need to share
- If you work hard, you should be able to support your family, own your home, send your kids to college, and retire comfortably
- We should not settle for rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer - everyone should "play by the same rules"
- The reason we are in this spot is due in part to the global market, and partly because banks and regulators failed us
- We stopped the job loss hemorrhaging
- We've fixed financial regulations so it doesn't happen again
- I'll work with those who will work with me, and fight those who oppose me
- We need to renew our manufacturing sector
- I fixed the auto industry (HAHAHAHA! It's sad that people will believe him.)
- We can fix other industries in the same way (
)- We're going to tax businesses that send jobs overseas (I like how he pretends it's reversing a tax break)
- We're going to tax non-US based businesses
- We're going to give a tax break to businesses who make their products here (how?)
- We're going to increase our exports (this whole package is going to make the WTO non-happy, free trade for everyone, some more than others)
- We're looking at you, China
- I expect businesses to pay for worker training - work with your colleges and design programs that will give you the workers you need
- We need to give schools the resources to pay for good teachers, and reward the best teachers
- I want states to require graduation, or schooling until 18
- We can't keep subsidizing tuition
- Schools that continue to raise tuition should expect less federal aid
- We need to give citizenship to those who come to the US for education
- I reaffirm my commitment to prevent illegal immigration
- But we need to come up with a plan that allows productive illegal immigrants to stay (yay doublespeak!)
- Let me take a moment to name drop Steve Jobs
- I call on congress to come up with a plan to encourage entrepreneurship
- We need to increase energy innovation
- I'm opening 75% of our potential offshore oil and gas resources
- Natural gas is an energy winner for the US - Drill, baby, drill! Oh, it'll also increase jobs.
- Clean energy is another big winner for the US. It's not working yet, but it will if we keep working at it! I promise!
- I don't think congress can come up with a good climate bill - but I think we can all agree on clean energy, so get going already!
- Let's encourage energy usage reduction via tax incentives
- Let's do more public works to rebuild crumbling infrastructure and create jobs
- We don't have money for it, but let's pretend that ending the iraq war freed up money, and you can use that pretend money to do this
- I want congress to enact a plan that will allow people to refinance their mortgages, and we're going to tax banks in order to pay for this plan
- Without endangering our public safety, we need to remove or modify regulations that place arduous burdens on small businesses where they don't make sense
- We need to regulate banks more heavily. Bad banks! Bad! Bad! We're not going to bail you out again. (unless we need to...)
Wow this is a long talk. I'll try to cut back to one line per every two or three paragraphs...
- We need to increase taxes on the wealthiest to cover the deficit
- We need to rein in medicare, medicaid, and social security, without hurting our seniors
- If we allow the rich to be taxed at a lower rate, it hurts everyone. Seniors are starving
- We need to reform DC, lobbyists, etc, etc, etc
- Duplicrats and replicons need to work together
- Smarter, more efficient, more effective gov't
- I ended the Iraq war, and we remain commited to peace in the middle east. Iran is dumb
- We are still a major power in the world
- I renew our commitments to our vets
Ugh, banks. It's easy, really. Put back the restriction on banks on either being investment banks OR savings institutions. Not both.
I don't think you'll find anyone outside of Washington who disagrees about campaign finance and lobbyist reforms. I don't care how many times people say it, corporations are NOT people.
I don't think you'll find anyone outside of Washington who disagrees about campaign finance and lobbyist reforms. I don't care how many times people say it, corporations are NOT people.
I'm gonna give him a pass on the US Auto Industry thing, if only because it's too fucking complex to argue about. GM's back in #1 and that's really all he needs to point to at this point.
I still can't help but laugh every time GM is brought up because I keep thinking about their "electric" Chevy Volt.
BananaHands
Staff member
I think it's going to put fire under the Republican Party's ass.
They've been running against each other while portraying Obama as this weird, evil caricature. He's not perfect, but if last night is any indication they're going to be knocked on their asses when running against the actual Obama.
Added at: 14:34
And yeah, 3/4s of that speech could have been summed up with him pointing off camera and stating "Scoreboard."
They've been running against each other while portraying Obama as this weird, evil caricature. He's not perfect, but if last night is any indication they're going to be knocked on their asses when running against the actual Obama.
Added at: 14:34
And yeah, 3/4s of that speech could have been summed up with him pointing off camera and stating "Scoreboard."
Man, that speech could have been given by President McCain. Congratulations on moving the goalposts
Except the whole, let's lower Military funding and help the Middle Class and cut tax breaks for the rich and the other half of the entire speech.
Otherwise, yeah totally McCain-ish.
Dave
Staff member
The biggest problem is, he can't do ANY of this stuff without Congress. And we all know how well Congress likes to work with the President. If Obama cured cancer and saved a baby from choking to death, the Republicans would find a way to say it was a bad thing. Probably because it put oncologists out of work (All those jobs LOST! Thanks, you Muslim!) and that the baby should have been allowed to die (Survival of the fittest!).
Michelle Obama came out against childhood obesity and the Republicans went nuts. Damn her for wanting to get our kids healthier!!
Michelle Obama came out against childhood obesity and the Republicans went nuts. Damn her for wanting to get our kids healthier!!
Obama is clearly a moderate. Why are liberal democrats still shocked when he doesn't act like a raving partisan liberal?
BananaHands
Staff member
I'm sure the constant use of a filibuster that the Republican party pulled didn't help.
Added at: 18:16
"Moderates!? In OUR government!? The media won't allow it!"
Because for no logical reason they imagined he would be a raving partisan liberal when they voted for him, and now they blame him for their wholly undeserved disappointment.
It's Bush's fault really.
I never thought Obama was "the answer" nor did I vote for him.
Dave
Staff member
Holy shit, he didn't even vote? My god Charlie, just shut the fuck up about politics from here on out.
Added at: 10:34
I would completely support the removal of the filibuster entirely. I don't care who is in power, it's a stupid tactic.As BananaHands said....
Dave
Staff member
At one time the filibuster was a force for good and put to good use. But that was before our politicians went nuclear with the partisanship. I mean, it's rather telling when nearly every bill presented is split right down party lines and even a few defectors make such a large difference. Their allegiance is no longer to we the people but to their party - and they are run by the mega-corporations and super rich.
There was a great story that took place in the 70's. A newly-elected Democrat arrived in the House and started talking to minority leader. After a while he asked "So where are the Republicans? I want to meet the enemy." The minority leader responded by saying "Republicans aren't the enemy; they're the opposition. The Senate is the enemy."
It goes to show how much that perception has changed in this country over the last few decades.
It goes to show how much that perception has changed in this country over the last few decades.
If you're passing on an opportunity to participate, you don't get to whine later. Think about how that plays in a workplace. If you're in a meeting and the group is making a decision, you should give your input. This is even more important if you disagree with what the group is doing. You definitely can't be quiet, then trash the group's decision later. I view voting the same way.
BananaHands
Staff member
I don't care if you vote for "Mickey Mouse", but you should at least pay enough attention to your government to get involved in an election. You lose all credibility if you're going to whine and complain and not do anything about it.
Added at: 18:54
Exactly. I hate it on both ends. Fuckin' Hipster Liberals complaining about how everything should change, having no solid idea or belief on the subject and looking down on everyone else.
Added at: 18:55
Huh. I voted in 2008 and 2010, I dunno where you got the idea I didn't.
BananaHands
Staff member
GasBandit
Staff member
Heh, so is "STFU Charlie" officially a forum meme yet?
I don't think that's a good idea. There might be a time in the near future when a democrat filibuster might be all that stands between the nation and a national gay marriage ban.
I would, however, support the removal of the filibuster from the judicial nominee confimation process.
Democrats had near 60% in both houses. With jellyspined RINOs still in like Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and more, the Democrats could have broken just about any filibuster they wanted to, if they moved in lockstep. But they didn't. Once they gained control in 06, the Democrat party started turning on itself. There were just as many Democrats against just about any given issue as there were for it, even on signature Obama issues. Really, between 06 and 10, the republicans were pretty much a non-factor.
Added at: 13:14
I'll have you know voting Libertarian is a perfectly cromulent option.
I voted third party, take your mouth off the two party system's fat cock
BananaHands
Staff member
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