2015 State of the Union Address what are your thoughts?

So far I think Obama is sounding strong and positive and Boehner is looking like a sour puss.

@janbb Can I ask what points do you feel he is sounding strong on?

You can ask but I don’t find it productive to engage in political discussions on Fluther any more. We all know where we stand.

My thoughts are these, he whistles his ‘esses’...fucking hilarious.
Reminds me of the beaver in Lady & the Tramp…“sshay, it workshhh shhwell”

I liked that he mentioned improving our infrastructure. Didn’t another bridge fall today? Or, yesterday? Gawd I’m tired. I’m not sure which day.

He mentioned health care insurance, that more people are insured, but nothing about really cracking down on prices, which is something that bothers me.

I really like that he talked about making trade a more even playing field.

@janbb That does not to help further intellectual discussion here if one is not willing to substantiate their comments…I wish you would because shared thought is how people see a slice of commonality in our beliefs.

Did he just say something about pillars? I think that was a mistake.

I get the feeling he is going to try to do a lot before he’s done. Let’s see what he accomplishes.

@JLeslie In 1996 I stood under a MAJOR tollway bridge here in Chicago with an Engineer who proceeded to inform me to just how bad our infrastructure was back then in that he in no way would use that bridge ever….Even with the repairs proposed it was not enough to restore it to a safe structure we all take for granted. In my professional opinion and until I see concrete steps to change what we are not doing today….Improving infrastructure is an empty talking point Congress has dragged their hands to actually doing something about yet tonight’s STOUA is all about rah rah we will do something to improve red/blue dialogue so we can fix this problem….I ask why have we wasted more than 6 years doing nothing about our infrastructure and equally as important issues?

@Cruiser What did the previous administration do for infrastructure?

Maybe some disasters will get us some better bridges. God forbid. Hurricanes damaged causeways and bridges here years ago, and so we have some very nice seemingly sturdy newish ones now.

He just ended with, “God bless you, and God bless this country we love.”

I think the right wing will go crazy with that and using the word pillars.

@chyna We have to go back to more than the previous administration as I am talking Clinton….and back then my company was an approved material for fixing the major repairs needed 20 years ago that have not even come close to being remedied and I know first hand how this issue has been swept under the carpet and mere Band-Aids have been thrown at the problem. We as a country and not just here in Illinois have a very serious infrastructure deterioration problem. I do not say this to sell more of my product as I do not sell much if all to this industry, but I say this as a person who has seen first hand the talking out the side of the mouth dynamic of politicos that is controlled by the big cash funding of corpotations that benefit from Gov contacts to the local payoffs that allow for shortages on repairs we expect. I must remind you I am in Chicago do business in Chicago and have witnessed the worst of the worst corruption and our local, state and Federal officials are the worst of worst offenders. Bottom line we are all so screwed.

@Cruiser I only came here to apologize for calling patriotic people childish lol. I don’t pay attention to politics much anymore. I feel even democrats are just right-center and everything is still about money and not people.

I will still vote but I feel pretty powerless and broken until a real superliberal comes to save the day hahah. :/

@JLeslie God bless America has been uttered by other presidents starting with President Nixon but not really catching on until President Reagan and has been a standard ending of most speeches since then. Source
Why would the right wing go crazy about that?

@chyna He didn’t day God bless America, that’s the problem.

He used pillars in the speech, there are 5 pillars of Islam, and then he didn’t specify America.

I didn’t watch it but I did read criticism of the way the Speaker of the House introduced him. Can anyone elaborate?

I haven’t heard Obama’s state of the union speech but I did receive a taster regarding Internet infrastructure. Given the idiots we have governing here, who think it’s sufficient to implement Internet infrastructure that is sufficient for the needs of society 10 years ago, it’s refreshing to hear from a leader who gets that we need to establish communication mechanisms that will allow us to progress and remain relevant into the future.

Similarly (and this was at the G20 rather than during the state of the union speech) Obama had the balls to call out our (Australia’s) leadership and remind them we all have a responsibility to respond to the challenges of climate change. He did it respectfully but he said what needed to be said.

Obama rules. Love him.

Never mind infrastructure, Jimmy Carter had great bone structure, you can go a long way with bone structure #mtrushmore

I liked it very much and feel very sorry that the GOP will fight him on everything every step of the way. Boehner’s sour face said it all.

He did say “God Bless America.” What are you talking about, JLezlie?

Nope. Here is the speech. You can just go straight down to the last line. You know some crazy fanatic right winger is going to try to say he is not talking about the US. If they don’t latch onto it I’ll be shocked.

Interesting how so many people remember it as him saying God Bless America. Interesting from a scientific point of view how memory works. I accuse my husband of this and he never questions himself. We all do it.

I have seen articles taking apart Bush’s speeches as having a lot of Christian messages that nonChristians don’t even understand how the wording speaks to Christians. I’m not saying I buy into or worry about Bush’s speeches or Obama in that way, I’m only commenting on those who hate him might see something there they can pick apart or use to rile up the fanatics.

I think the word choice might be curious to some people.

I heard him say it at the end. (I personally think there shouldn’t vbe any mention of God in politics but that’s just me.)

@janbb Heard him say what? God Bless America? He didn’t. He said what I wrote above and what is written on my link. I can probably find a video of the speech if you’re interested. You might not care. Which is fine. I’m not trying to prove you wrong. It’s more interesting than anything.

I agree about leaving God out of political speeches, but that’s not what happens here. My SIL many years ago when I was first dating or married (not sure) said she liked how the President says God bless America, because in Mexico religion and government are kept so strictly separated. My response to her was I don’t like that our President says it, we have some very blurry lines on things like that, and I wish they weren’t so blurry, but it doesn’t bother me enough to worry about it.

I support his comments on the minimum wage, on women’s pay equality, on women’s health care, and education…...I hope he continues to kick ass (finally) in his last months in office.

I took a look at the end of his speech on YouTube and he was faithful to his script and did say
“Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.”

I think to most people listening to his speech “God bless this country we love,” means “God bless America,” and so that is what they remember hearing. It meant that to me, but I’m not a fanatic right winger wanting to twist his words. If I were a speech writer I would have advised stick with the typical wording. Most people heard it as God Bless America anyway. Or, at least some jellies did, which I bet is how most democrats heard it, and even many republicans.

@JLeslie Ah, got it now. People are quibbling about that? Faux News indeed.

I didn’t watch it. I have reached the the point that I can’t even stand the sound of his voice. He is the only politician I know who lies constantly (not just once in a while) and the Media and his “seal clapping followers” buy every word.

After the evil Obama steps aside next year, who are the Americans going to bitch about then?
The only thing the Rep/cons are for seems to spend nothing on anything except the Military and give the wealthy big tax breaks, And oh yeah cripple or kill any or all labour unions they can.
How is that going to help the working slob?

I thought it was a great speech. Middle out economics instead of trickle down (which doesn’t actually trickle down). I think free community college and tax breaks to help people afford childcare could be major game changers for the economy, although I don’t expect to see those ever get off the ground.

Overall I think Obama’s done a hell-of-a-job transforming this country from the cesspool Bush and the Republicans left it in when he took over, especially with an obstructionist Republican congress fighting him tooth-and-nail on every issue. They could have supported issue X the day before, but as soon as Obama agreed with them, they opposed it to make him look bad.

Well…..didn’t hear it, is it on YouTube somewhere?

@Hypocrisy_Central I’m sure you can find it on cnn.com.

If true, this seems proof positive the the Republican party, as an organization, doesn’t sweat the little stuff – like truth an honesty.

@janbb I have no idea if they are quibbling. I just caught it when he said it.

I would like to send some people to Mars.