Two years from today, Barack Obama’s Presidency will be no more. Tuesday, in his State of the Union, he recast six years of failure as success, drummed up new initiatives that will never pass, and gave a speech that will be all but forgotten within two weeks.
The president had two years of Democrats controlling Congress. He could have gotten so much of what he wanted. Instead, he got a health care plan he still is forced to defend against growing unpopularity. He also got banking and finance legislation that is not doing what he promised. That is just about it.
With just two years left, it is as if the president has decided he can untuck his shirt, loosen his tie, and go full liberal.
A president who intended to withdraw American troops from the world stage is having to recommit troops. A president who claimed we were safer than we have been in the past is having to come to terms with new terror attacks and new threats. A president who declared ISIS “junior varsity” at this time last year, now hopes everyone forgets that.
With just two years left, it is as if the president has decided he can untuck his shirt, loosen his tie, and go full liberal.
All State of the Union addresses are filled with oratorical fluff for bipartisan applause lines. They are also all filled with a laundry list of items that sound good, but will never see the light of day. Tuesday night’s speech follows that formula.
The president centered his domestic ideas around “middle class economics.” But instead of the can-do work ethic of the middle class, the president is proposing taxing middle class families saving for education in the name of making education “free.” Gone are the days of individual reliance,initiative, and thriftiness in middle class economics. According to President Obama, “middle class economics” consists of government spending, government dependence, and higher taxes.
With just two years left, it is as if the president has decided he can untuck his shirt, loosen his tie, and go full liberal. He can rage against the dying of the light in his term, but his policies and initiatives will never see the light of day. At a time when more and more Americans distrust big government, he will also do his party’s 2016 nominee no favors.
For six years, President Obama has behaved as if he wants the trappings of power without the responsibilities of power. Tuesday night, standing before representatives and senators, many of whom got their jobs by campaigning against him, it was all about Obama.
At least we only have two years left.
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