Wednesday, January 27, 2010

State of the Union, etc.

I watched the president's speech twice. It just happened to be rerun-ed on the station that I was watching at the moment. I did though read through the official transcript. Obama musta gone off-script because the particular quote that I was searching for wasn't there on the official transcript .... (paraphrasing) "If you have a better idea, bring it up. Bring it up and I'll have a look at it." I think the president meant it, too. With this year's State of the Union address, I related with Obama as being a local boy, instead of his capacity as the President of the US, the most powerful person on the planet. Last year he was the President, this year, he was more Barry. Still overall the best orator that ever held the office. He seems to genuinely care about da people. While Bush was more "I, da man," deploying the military off to Iraq as if he were playing with plastic boats in the bathtub.

Ironically, the National Republican Party is in Honolulu, Obama's hometown, holding their winter meeting with Republican leaders from all 50 states here to devise national strategy. They must think there's something in the water. I have just the magic water for them. Fresh from the Ala Wai canal. Anyways, Obama still comes off as a bit naive with his illusion or even disillusion of bi-partisanship. The Republicans will always vote against Obama's bills, solely on the basis that he's a Democrat. Obama has been in office for a year already, and perhaps the reality is beginning to sink in. I don't count myself as either a Republican or Democrat insofar as national elections, but the Republicans aren't ever gonna cooperate with a Democrat president and abandon their goal of scuttling the presidency.

9 comments:

Rowena said...

I guess I'll wait til this evening's news to hear all about it. Obama is flooding our national tv, with news on his flavor choice of "gelato" (there's just no equivalent in italian for shave ice or snow cone) or the fact that he has become the poster boy for everything from ice tea in Prague to Savior of the Internet on one particular italian facebook page. Politics aside, you just look at the guy and can't help but think "right on, braddah!"

Ann da sista said...

There was a blurb from him on NPR yesterday - and the quote made me respect him all the more. He basically said that he'd rather be a really good one term president, rather than a mediocre two term president. The sentiment felt like he truly felt he's doing the best for our country now, rather than doing things in an effort to win come three Novembers from now. I'm still rooting for him. He entered office at a really, really crappy time. So far, he's keeping his head above water....

blournalist said...

Doesn't the granita count as the Italian equivalent of shave ice or sno-cone?

Cloudia said...

What do you call elected officials who would rather see the other party fail than help the country in danger?
Traitors! Hate that they are here in Waikiki!

kahuku said...

why can't we all just get along. I've been so disillusioned by the whole political situation in this country. We finally have someone who wants to do something for the people, and those against the vision sabotage it.

RONW said...

kahuku- sadly it's not only by the actions of the Republicans. The Democrats have their own agendas to promote, mainly earmarks for their districts, barring that they just offer feeble support.

RONW said...

**excuse me for the belated replies .... I would have sworn that I had replied earlier, but ??....**

Rowena- there is a shaved ice — "Snowbama — which is a combination of lemon-lime, cherry and passion-guava" which was da particular combination of flavors Obama selected while he was here on vacation.

Ann- Obama seems sincere and selfless. At any rate, he won't have trouble getting re-elected because when 90 percent of the blacks vote for you irregardless, and these loyal voters make it a point to show up at the polls, it'll take a lot to unseat him.

Cloudia- it boggles the mind that the Repubs would even entertain a notion of holding their national winter meeting in Honolulu, of all places. Obviously just a strategy to draw more media attention. Indeed, the Republican brand needs all the help it can get. Personally, I don't believe the nation is ready to accept a Repub administration nor a Repub Congress in Washington DC at this moment, not after the lack of oversight over Wall Street that took place on their watch. If the crash (averted) didn't happen last year, it would have been virtually impossible for the same house of cards not to flop over in the near future.

Kay said...

Didn't you think he did a great job with his meeting with the Republicans. They really are annoying.

RONW said...

Kay- I only saw clips, but during the course of, Obama interrupted a repub congressman from giving a "campaign speech" instead of posing a question which I thought was humorous. How the Repubs wish that Obama was in their party.