Obama gives a speech we can’t take seriously

dougmo2

January 26th, 2011
5:19 am

Does anyone with half a brain take Obama seriously?

arnold

January 26th, 2011
5:34 am

Does anyone with half a brain take Kyle Wingate seriously?

Joel Edge

January 26th, 2011
6:11 am

It was a reelection speech.

Drifter

January 26th, 2011
6:21 am

No more seriously than I can take the GOP after what they did during the Bush years while claiming to be fiscal conservatives.

DeborahinAthens

January 26th, 2011
6:42 am

When I hear the Repugs say they will repeal Medicare Part D, the most expensive entitlement ever shoved down out throats by Dubya, which benefits only the drug companies, I will be a believer. Ain’t gonna happen.

Cutty

January 26th, 2011
6:52 am

Wingfield disagrees with Obama. Nothing new there.

The Right Brothers

January 26th, 2011
6:56 am

Ryan, in typical compassionate conservative Republican fashion, was pulling his “facts” out of his rump in that long-since rebutted rebuttal of his last night. The former aide needs to return to doing what he did best, in a former “career”. Someone needs to give this guy, Ryan, some new material.

TrickleDownStupid

January 26th, 2011
7:03 am

We already know that we can NOT take the republicans or the tea party seriously; heck they believe that all of our problems started the moment President Obama took office. FYI…it didn’t and anyone “with a BRAIN” knows it.

Also, it’s a good thing that the people who were assaulted in Tucson, AZ have medical insurance, because they would have serious medical bills to pay that were NOT their FAULT. I would hate to think what would happen to anyone who did not have medical insurance. That’s what I think about the healthcare debate.

Ragnar Danneskjöld

January 26th, 2011
7:21 am

Good morning all. Skipped the speech,and after reading the pundits, glad i did. Chauncey being Chauncey. Call it the Seinfeld presidency. Walter Williams has a good essay this morning – if we abolished all military spending we’d still have a half trillion dollar deficit this year. The dems were lousy stewards over the past four years, seemingly the worst in history.

Drifter

January 26th, 2011
7:24 am

Lousy stewards indeed…probably because they were trying to one-up the lousy GOP stewards before them.

Aquagirl

January 26th, 2011
7:35 am

Hmmmm….Repeal Medicare D, don’t launch stupid and expensive wars, re-work the financial system so Wall Street can’t rob us blind and then hold us hostage for bailouts, don’t base our economy on housing speculation. That should go a long way.

Seriously Kyle, would you rather Obama take the G.W. Bush approach, pandering for votes doing the above crap while bashing Democrats as fiscally irresponsible socialists? At least Obama proposes investments that could pay off for America’s future generations, not just people who will keep him in power.

Silverchief

January 26th, 2011
7:35 am

Obozo is an idiot !!!!! Ryan in 2012 !!!!

clanmack

January 26th, 2011
7:45 am

RE: Medical care for the Tucson victims. It would be instructive if the medical care payments for Rep Giffords were to be published. How does her medical insurance work? Who pays for it? What are the deductibles? Is any of the care outside of the coverage limits? Does the total coverage amount exceed “lifetime care” limits. How about the same items for the other survivors? I want to see an analysis of these items before and with the President’s Health Care Reform, AND once the Republicans have “repealed”. It would be enlightening to see this all laid out in plain language. I am tired of all the opinion based on second, third and fourth hand information. Let’s get real and see what is what with first hand information.

The Right Brothers

January 26th, 2011
7:52 am

Don’t you know that medical insurance would just be so affordable if only doctors that cut off the wrong body part, etc., could practice without fear of frivilous lawsuits. Brilliant, Kyle. You got any more good cost-saving techniques that you would like to share. How about some home remedies. You got a recipe for penicillin.

Obama is an empty suit

January 26th, 2011
8:10 am

You nailed it. His speech contained lots of vague nicities that will never come to pass. Since he can’t lead, he needs to get out of the way in 2012 and let someone else give it a go. Congrats on having your article posted on realclearpolitics.com, by the way. A local boy done good!

fair and imbalanced

January 26th, 2011
8:11 am

Wingfield took the Party oath while studying for his GED.

farmer ted

January 26th, 2011
8:12 am

Did I misunderstand Bachmann? I thought I heard her say, Bush left office with the debt at 10 trillion and Obama added another 3 trillion. If so, conservatives got some explaining to do.

nativeson71

January 26th, 2011
8:14 am

“Win the Future!”

Is this like Bush’s, “Stay the course?”

Gmason

January 26th, 2011
8:17 am

After watching last night, I have come to the conclusion that Obama is schizophrenic. Infrastructure, blah, blah, blah – isn’t that what the “stimulus” money was supposed to be used on? What happened to that?
It was as if he had been in a coma for the last two years and had no idea what has happened in the interim, woke up and gave the same speech he gave two years ago.

Paul

January 26th, 2011
8:18 am

“Win the Future” is the title of Newt Gingrich’s book. I know the president wanted to move to the right but come on – stealing Newt’s words?

USMc dawg

January 26th, 2011
8:20 am

Obama is an EMPTY suit. This SOTU was merely “window dressing” for a RE-election campaign kickoff speech.

What the Heck has Obama done for the last two years regarding the deficit and out of control spending? NOTHING!

He is worse than just a weak leader; he is dishonest, conniving, and Sly.

And did I mention UNQUALIFIED?

farmer ted

January 26th, 2011
8:21 am

bachmann is palin on blotter acid.

bob

January 26th, 2011
8:26 am

Deb in Athens, where do you get your stats ? The precription drug plan will cost more than medicare itself ?

old timer

January 26th, 2011
8:27 am

Empty suit…empty words

bob

January 26th, 2011
8:28 am

Obama ran on reducing spending, he increased spending, now he is running on reducing spending.

Joel Edge

January 26th, 2011
8:32 am

It was a nice speech. It apparently made nobody happy.
Some of us weren’t happy with the spending in the Bush years. Even unhappier before with the bi-partisan sell out of American jobs in the Clinton years. With vague promises of jobs to come. After two years of Obama and the same kind of spending and even more promises of green jobs and jobs from exports. We seem to keep falling for the same promises.
But y’all just keep arguing amongst yourselves.

Fed Up

January 26th, 2011
8:33 am

Well, the president said exactly what I expected he would say. NOTHING. We have what’s worse than a lame duck president….an idiot in the White House. Ya still liking that change guys? I think we should stop paying every country in the world billions of dollars in aid and concentrate that money on balancing our budget. Billions to Egypt who has become 90% muslim and working hard everyday on how to slit our throats? Get real.

Close our borders and tax every illegal in our country and STOP giving them free medical care, food and housing and see how many stay. Americans are getting the short end of the stick and it’s time we stood up and took back our house. We are allowed to shoot someone breaking into our house, why not push that law to our borders?

A Hearty Cheese Sauce

January 26th, 2011
8:34 am

At least Obama is being successful in some areas while all you naysayers are poo-pooing him. I predict Obama will be the most Mediocre President of all time.

get out much?

January 26th, 2011
8:35 am

well, at least he did not talk about going to Mars.

Joel Edge

January 26th, 2011
8:36 am

And someone has noticed it sounds a lot like Bush’s 2006 speech.

Fed Up

January 26th, 2011
8:36 am

The only thing Obama is successful at is taking multi-million dollar vacations on our tax dollars. The man is a pro at that.

DebbieDoRight

January 26th, 2011
8:38 am

Wow Kyle — it took you repugnants exactly what……….???……….30 minutes after the SOU speech to kill all that “bi-partisianship” talk huh? Is that a record?

Peter

January 26th, 2011
8:39 am

Poor Kyle no vision……..

I guess it is hard to take the Republican Seriously when they say they want to cut the deficit after Bush and his gang ran us so far into the red, we had tarp, bailouts, and needed Billions of spending, so we would not have a second Great Depression.

I guess Kyle is all for Governing like in our state of Georgia……for instance the leaving Republican governor buys property this year, and was willing to spend more as he left office, then what the value of it was two years ago.

Amazing …..the Georgia tax payers have purchased the only land that went up in value perhaps in the entire country.

Kyle didn’t you say you own a house in Buckhead you could have never afforded without the housing crisis ?

The former governor cut education, but created a $25 million Fish farm.

We elected a new Republican Governor who lied to the State about his personal finances.

We have the Tea Party who spend 1 billion dollars on ear marks, while telling us they want to cut spending to the bone.

Kyle…..no vision from you and the Republican’s but plenty of lies to go around, kind of like fees that were collect to help the environment and then spend other places, or the GA 400 toll road.

What is your vision or the Republican’s Vision that America can take seriously ?

Cut education ? Less regulations so we have another financial crisis ? Let the rich get richer and the poor get poorer as the IRS has been reporting in every year we had Bush ?

Mission Accomplished …… The bilking of the treasury with cost plus contracts ?

Jeff W

January 26th, 2011
8:39 am

I don’t know. I’d like to know how the Iraq War or tax cuts for the rich are going to pay for themselves when they never have. Oh, and how is Medicare Part D not socialisam, tyranny, and the destruction of all freedoms(every government dollar spent leads to the destruction of liberty according to CONs)

Charles X

January 26th, 2011
8:40 am

Kyle, is this the first time you’ve noticed this? I’m just wondering, because he’s done this kind of thing since day one.

Peter

January 26th, 2011
8:41 am

The vision is Obama for the next 6 years…that is the vision Kyle and the rest of the do nothing Republican’s are afraid of !

Good Grief

January 26th, 2011
8:42 am

A Few Points to Kyle’s Blog and some readers reactions:

1. Yeah, Bush left office with a $10 trillion deficit, but there was a deficit when he took office. We weren’t exactly on the plus side of the ledger when GWB started. The fact remains that Obama’s administration and congrress have added a little more than $3 trillion to the debt in two years, while it took Bush eight years to run up around $5 or $6 trillion. Still bad numbers.

2. There is a rather large contingent of Republicans and Tea Partiers out there who know that these problems go way back, and it’s not all Obama’s fault. Our problem, as Jeff Foxworthy once stated, is that we “can’t keep the most ignorant amongst us from off the TV.” Then again, there was a loud group of liberals who seem to think that our nation was absolutely fine when Clinton was in office, but somehow, the day Bush took over, we went to hell in a handbasket.

3. Is anyone else bothered by the fact that we’re still 22 months away from the next Presidential election and already Obama is priming the pump for his campaign? (Are we still allowed to use the word “campaign?” It seems like a violent, uncivil term considering the times we live in.)

4. “Win the Future” has been around for some time as a Republican talking point. I think Gingrich used it for a book, and a GOP-support in Oregon has websites for ir. Odd that a Democrat would be co-opting the phrase.

5. The State of the Union address would probably be watchable if it weren’t for the half-hour of self-congratulatory, self-aggrandizing showboating that takes place before.

A Hearty Cheese Sauce

January 26th, 2011
8:46 am

Its so much fun watching OFumble, studder, stammer and try to con his way out of the mess he has made. What a LOSER!!

Face it kiddos…ObaManure is goin down in flames.

TrickleDownStupid

January 26th, 2011
8:48 am

The republicans and tea party members have not provided a specific idea or any details to what their plans are for this country.

They are just a group of cry babies; now is your chance to do two things: (1.) Help the economy or (2) Continue to whine about what the democrats are not doing or will not let you do.

I expect them to sell us the story that ” Now it will take time for the economy to improve” or jobs prospect to grow.

Also, as I saw my 401K plan decline over the last few years; I thought about what Social Security would look like if we had been allowed to invest the money in the stock market. So, I say NO to Mr. Ryans suggestion that we invest SS; I believe that we should continue to contribute into both and hopefully we can all have a middle class retirement or better.

The republicans and tea party members will continue on their quest to Trickle Down Stupid.

DebbieDoRight

January 26th, 2011
8:48 am

bob: Deb in Athens, where do you get your stats ? The precription drug plan will cost more than medicare itself ?

Wow bob (small “b”) — read any papers in the past SIX YEARS? Duh!!

Gerald Ford

January 26th, 2011
8:48 am

My fellow Americans. We shall soon awaken from this long National nightmare.

Steveo84

January 26th, 2011
8:48 am

The Republicans added something like 123 amendments to the healthcare bill. Sounds like bipartisan to me, even if they didn’t vote fore it in the end.

Steveo84

January 26th, 2011
8:50 am

Also, one can take this speech seriously because Reagan and both Bushes did the same thing – promise smaller government and smaller government bills year after year while letting government grow and budgets hit the stratosphere.

DebbieDoRight

January 26th, 2011
8:50 am

Amanda G – I think you have Obama confused with you during your “lost” middle school years……Meth will do that to you I’ve heard.

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
8:50 am

“Also, as I saw my 401K plan decline over the last few years”

Well either you are lying or a very much uninformed investor. I suggest you begin putting your Nose full of nickels under your mattress.

Charlie

January 26th, 2011
8:51 am

Last night’s SOTU showed the folly of the liberal agenda to anyone who reflects beneath Obama’s surface patina. My favorite example, we simply MUST do better in science and math education. There are already more than 100 separate federal programs devoted to science and math education, so, hey, let’s add more! Why not find just one, that actually accomplishes something? Or, even better, get the federal government out of the picture and let states innovate?

John

January 26th, 2011
8:51 am

President Obama’s speech was certainly better than the doom and gloom, fear mongering speech given by Paul Ryan or the one given by Michele Bachmann. Ms. Bachmann, the Constitutionalist, called on the President to sign a balanced-budget amendment. Does she now know how our Constitution is amended? The president has no role in amending the Constitution.

carlosgvv

January 26th, 2011
8:51 am

Kyle, experience should tell you to take a State of the Union address about as seriously as a Party platform at a convention.

Peter

January 26th, 2011
8:53 am

The Republican vision fro Georgia….less education, a Fish Farm….and Praying for rain !

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
8:54 am

Obama reminds of a Donkey Pinata.

JT

January 26th, 2011
8:56 am

At least Bachmann kept her response simple……..yeah, fits her constituency and her capability.

Deuce

January 26th, 2011
8:57 am

Obama will say anything and pretend to be anything to get re-elected, and this was a campaign stump. He has proven to be the most incompetent, unqualified, and disastrous president we have had in modern history. He had overwhelming support when he took office, albeit much of that was fueled by racism and emotional guilt. Unintelligent or easily influenced naive and ignorant people would have been “moved” by his speach last night. Others would be too: typical liberal sycophants who think whatever “their” guy says is brilliant and sincere, without any desire or ability for critical, open-minded analysis. Closed-minded and intolerant, they will attack the more thoughtful, informed, and analytical minds who don’t believe or agree with everything Obama says and does by resorting to the only weapons they have: name calling, labeling, and of course, attacking former Presidents.

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
8:57 am

Obama is just so stupid. Sometimes I kinda feel a little bit of sympathy for him. Then theres Biden…thats another blog all unto itself.

Wyle Kingfield

January 26th, 2011
8:58 am

I’d rather listen to W say “bring it on” while I’m eating my Freedom Fries.

DebbieDoRight

January 26th, 2011
8:59 am

Below is an example of “re-writing” history….:

1. Yeah, Bush left office with a $10 trillion deficit, but there was a deficit when he took office

WTF!! Clinton left with a SURPLUS what Dumbya wiped out his first year in office. Talk about stooooopid!!

Good Grief

January 26th, 2011
9:00 am

John January 26th, 2011 8:51 am
President Obama’s speech was certainly better than the doom and gloom, fear mongering speech given by Paul Ryan or the one given by Michele Bachmann. Ms. Bachmann, the Constitutionalist, called on the President to sign a balanced-budget amendment. Does she now know how our Constitution is amended? The president has no role in amending the Constitution
____

I agree with your last statement, but I think it extends to many memeber of Congress. A lot of them, on both sides of the aisle, have no idea what’s in the Consitution, much less how it is amended. I dealt with that when talking to friends about the GOP plan to read the document on the House Floor. They said they couldn’t believe that the GOP would read a document with so many racist undertones, to which I said that we couldn’t just take things out. We had to leave the bad amendments in there, along with the ones that rescind or repeal those amendments, so that we learn from what we’ve done wrong in the past.

But to the first part of your statement, I’ll apologize on behalf of Conservatives everywhere. We’re sorry that the response to a speech by a liberal President didn’t make you feel all warm and fuzzy. But know this, sometimes we don’t have time for warm and fuzzy. I said last night that the thing we need is a President who’ll go into the SOTU speech and tell Congress to “sit down and shut up” because there is a lot of crap that we’ve got to fix, and acting buddy-buddy ain’t gonna fix it.

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
9:02 am

When ObaManure speaks its all smoke & mirrors. Just another dog and pony show.

Nothing to see here folks, lets move it along…

need to work now

January 26th, 2011
9:05 am

You understand that Obama doesn’t write legislation, right? So he didn’t “act” on medical malpractice reform because the Democratic-dominated Congress didn’t include it. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a different mix of power now–one that that is far more likely to get that issue through for Obama’s signature. He basically said he’d be for it, so it’s on Congress to “act”.

JoeFann

January 26th, 2011
9:08 am

Wah, wah, wah. I didn’t do it! Yes, you did! He did it, he did it! No, it was his daddy! Wah, wah, wah. Blah, blah, blah.

You’re right. They ALL did. They ALL lied. They ALL tossed their principles right out the window the day they were elected. Don’t you get it? Rs and Ds are just the two sides of the same coin. Why? Because their primary job, once elected, is to be re-elected, not to govern. And whose fault is that? Yours. Mine. Ours. Because for at least 60 years, we never required accountability. And because each side has enough sheep to continue self-propagation, we never will. Until we legislatively remove the option of perpetual re-election, nothing will change. Two terms for Senators. Four terms for Representatives. 20 years for Supreme Court Justices.

Require accountability (and accounting skills!) Fire them all. Start over.

Good Grief

January 26th, 2011
9:08 am

Debbie -
I apologize for a lack of clarity in my writing. I should have used the term “National Debt” instead of deficit. Yes, Clinton had a budget surplus. But a budget is a one year thing, the national debt is cumulative. On the day George Bush took office, the national debt was $5.7 trillion. On the day Obama took office, the national debt was $10.6 trillion, an increase of right at $5 trillion in eight years. Now, two years into Obama’s term, the national debt is just over $14 trillion. So yes, Bush’s administration was responsible for $5 trillion in debt, but if that is true then Obama and his administration must shoulder the burden of nearly $4 trillion in debt in two years.

JoeFann

January 26th, 2011
9:13 am

BTW–Debbie:

Clinton left an ANNUAL budget surplus. There was still cumulative debt, some of which was Clinton’s.

stives

January 26th, 2011
9:13 am

The speech last night dwells among us as what should have been done long before the shooting. America is poor when it comes to taking care of its own people, and yet, the government want america to pay more for goods and services. America families, just don’t have the income anymore regardless how things was made out to be in this speech. President Obama did a great job on his visions. America cannot wait for furture bills to be past; we need help and it needs to come now! Our Demoncracts and Senate needs to realize that bickering has gotten us all in a grave mess year after years. America government have never came to the aid of its people in trouble times; they continue to take and take; while they still support and send billions of dollars elewhere; except, for those of us here in America who remain poor and and barely staying alive. Our tax dollars will never be use for the right things! Bottom Line!

freda

January 26th, 2011
9:14 am

Bachmann reminds me of cousin eddie’s kid from the vacation movie. Darndest thing, she was kicked in the head by a mule and went cross-eyed.

JF McNamara

January 26th, 2011
9:15 am

I take him seriously. He’s got a pretty good track record of doing what he says, and he’s turned this country around. We came from the brink of a complete banking collapse to now under him.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/

Kyle has a pretty good record of being extremely predictable. Take whatever Obama says and Bash it. Rinse, Repeat. Pump Tax Cuts. Rinse, Repeat. Pump Big Business. Rinse, Repeat.

jconservative

January 26th, 2011
9:16 am

How do you make something out of nothing? By making it a Big Deal.

You make a Big Deal out of a State of the Union Address by lavishing it with praise or scorn.

But it is no Big Deal. Since FDR taught us how, the SOTU speech has served as little more than an advertising billboard for the enhancement of President’s poll numbers and standing with the voters.

So Kyle, and others, are talking about not taking seriously this SOTU speech. I never have taken one seriously and never will. I am not into political advertising.

The SOTU has never, and will never, matter. The President is required by law to recommend a budget to Congress. That matters. Then the House and Senate actually write the budget. That matters. All the President can do is veto or sign. With few exceptions, lastly Clinton, they always sign. So it is what comes out of Congress that matters.

Now if the President has any political capital he may get a large part of what he recommends. Then again, he may not.

To borrow a word from Bush 43, the House is the “decider”. No budget gets approved without originating in, and passing, the House. I know that, you know that, Boehner knows that and Obama knows that.

Then it must get through the Senate. And anything there must pass by 60 votes, unless they do it as a reconciliation bill.

So let’s not make a Big Deal out of any SOTU speech. Let’s make a Big Deal out of what passes the House.

Welcome to a new era of Divided Government. A Republican House, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic President all in competition with each other.

John

January 26th, 2011
9:18 am

Good Grief

How much of the increase to the national debt did Obama inherit from the Bush policies. Obama inherited the wars…how much did that add to the national debt in the last 2 years?

StJ

January 26th, 2011
9:23 am

Hopefully the independents will see that speech for what it was and vote for someone else in two years.

Joe the Plutocrat

January 26th, 2011
9:24 am

I intend to post this on all 4 (CT, JB, KW, & BB) blogs to prove my point. didn’t watch the state of the union. I know the “state of the union”. wanna know how I know? I read the NYT piece about the post mortem on the 2008 meltdown. wanna know what the experts think? 1 – federal investigators lay blame at the feet of both the Clinton and Bush administrations. Clinton for making “home ownership” a de facto policy, and Bush for doing what Bush did best (see: 9/11) ; ignoring red flags because he was too focused on other things. 2 – the federal investigators also pointed out what everybody (save the plutocrats) knows; the meltdown was not caused by some schmuck who “bought too much home”. the meltdown was caused by Alan Greenspan and the Fed (plutocrats) inflating the housing market with “cheap money” which led to speculation and outright fraud. in response to this; Wall Street (plutocrats) saw an opportunity to “double dip” by securitizing the knowingly ‘toxic’ loans and placing side bets via the unregulated over-the-counter dirivitives market (signed into law by Clinton in ‘99. Clinton and Congress are, of course, plutocrats). when the sh*t started hitting the fan, the Bush (plutocrat) administration did nothing being the cynic I am, I suspect he was too focused on bringing “freedom” to the Middle East via the $2 trillion boondoggle in Iraq, WHICH in a very real sense was funded (actually “unfunded”) by the very same malfeasance of the Federal Reserve (cheap money). asset bubbles are asset bubbles, and it really doesn’t matter if the bubble is produced in a housing market, or so, the Defense/Homeland Securtity “market”. I’m gonna ask some of the really dedicated “knuckle draggers” to consider this; is Clinton’s faux effort to ensure “home ownership” for Americans any more dubious, and disinfenguous than Bush’s faux patriotism and goal of a “democracy” in Iraq or a world without terrorism?

So what have we learned, children? if we are trulypaying attention, we are what we are. I am reminded of the famous words of Benjamin Franklin; whom, upon leaving the Constitutional Convention said; “you have a Republic, if you can keep it.” seems to me, if we look at how things have played out, the “Founding Fathers” (along with the commercial interests that drove the call for “independence”) should have said WE have a PLUTOCRACY, if WE can keep it.” and I emphasize the word WE because it is the first word of the preamble to the Constitution. interesting choice, I believe. so, what is “the state of the Union”? same as it has always been, the plutocracy (government and private sector, Democrats and Republicans, bankers and defense contractors – and insurance companies and drug purveyors) are doing just fine; agreeing to disagree on policy and whatnot, but in total, smug agreement that the working American taxpayers will continute to feed the beast; even as “the beast” attempts to blame “the people” for it’s problems.

Road Scholar

January 26th, 2011
9:24 am

For all those out there who call Pres Obama stupid, lame, unqualified…

So when are you going to run for office? And by the way this “stupid” president got elected! Since the Repubs and Tea’s have been sooooooo definative in describing their proposed actions, why is so much vitrol thrown at the President when he does the same.

And for the proposal to increase infrastructure spending, this is how we have addressed past downturns. It created jobs, allowed material suppliers to expand their businesses, and improved the realiability of our infrastructure. Or are you going to wait on the private sector to do this? Are you ready to pay tolls (oh, they’re not taxes?) to walk across the street? Pick your nose? (Just don’t dig to deep and do a lobotomy!)It leaves a legacy; how much of a legacy have we created with unemployment?

So Kyle, you asked, repeatedly, how you can take his speech seriously. I agree it was boring and light weight. But it is the only speech made that looked to the future and did have some good items.Even McConnell on tv this am said so.

Road Scholar

January 26th, 2011
9:29 am

Kyle, if you are awake, you need to ban Amanda Green for her comments, esp the one at 9:16. Opinionating is one thing; being disrespectful, gross, and ignorant is another. Do YOU agree with her comment? Is this the type of responses you endorse?

dan

January 26th, 2011
9:34 am

amanda,

I’m sorry someone hurt you. Please seek professional help.

Joel Edge

January 26th, 2011
9:34 am

Road Scholar@9:29
I agree. Pretty much insulting from both sides of the argument. Insulting Obama and rednecks.

Joe Cascio

January 26th, 2011
9:34 am

Do they pay Kyle to write this garbage? I hope its an internship. Or maybe he is on loan to the paper from Sarah Palin’s staff

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
9:34 am

“And by the way this “stupid” president got elected!”

As did Grant, Harding, Pierce, Buchanan, Carter…so whats your point? That Obama is one of the worst ever? I agree 100%.

MJD

January 26th, 2011
9:36 am

It’s my understanding that when writing about the President of the United States, AP Style dictates you capitalize it…if for no other reason because it’s respectful. If you can’t follow simple AP style rules, don’t be a journalist.

Good Grief

January 26th, 2011
9:37 am

John @ 9:18 -
I love how people try to make Obama seem completely innocent in all this. Yes, he inherited a bad situation. You hardly ever hear anyone admit that Bush inherited a technology bubble that was in the process of bursting, or a housing market that the Clinton administration had turned toxic by giving out bad loans, or an intelligence community that Jamie Gorelick had effectively walled off.

ATLBadger

January 26th, 2011
9:38 am

In the surprise of the year, Kyle slams Obama’s SOTU address! What did you expect? Excel spreadsheets and charts?

What about Ryan’s official GOP response, which didn’t even include the words “Social Security” or “Medicare” in it? Way to step up to the plate, Ryan! Or how about crazy lady Bachmann’s rogue Tea Party sponsored speech?

Junior Samples

January 26th, 2011
9:45 am

I saw Obama’s gums bumping together but nothing was coming out typical except bs- lies that show him trying to move to the center of the political spectrum to get re-elected. We need to drain the swamp in 2012 and start over if the country is to having a chance. The Dem experiment has been a huge failure.

Ray Magee

January 26th, 2011
9:50 am

Repubs in the house will cut the budget $100 billion this year. Obummer will get the Senate to sit on this budget so that when the government shuts down his fingerprints will not be on it. Anyone want to bet me on this. IRAN + NORTH KOREA + HUGO CHAVEZ + DEMOCRAT PARTY = NEW AXIS OF EVIL.

Jefferson

January 26th, 2011
9:52 am

Well you GOP boys are still in 2nd place, maybe you will get back in power, maybe not.

John

January 26th, 2011
9:55 am

@ATLBadger

“What about Ryan’s official GOP response, which didn’t even include the words “Social Security” or “Medicare” in it? ”

He did refer to Social Security by saying we need to protect those who are retired or near retirement. That’s all he said…which means he does not believe in protecting those who are not close to retirement age. Of course, that’s the Republican mantra…everyone fend for themselves. Do they even know what Social Security is? It’s not a retirement plan…everyone should plan for their own retirement but it’s a safety net. It protects us from fluctuations in the stock market.

Paul

January 26th, 2011
9:57 am

This article is trash, and Americans are, on the whole, rather ignorant and under educated.

wallbanger

January 26th, 2011
10:05 am

Obama gives a good speech, but it is utterly devoid of any meaningful remedial ideas. He appoints a commission which tells him hard truths about what must be cut, and then, the most he does is freeze government spending AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IT HAS BEEN IN ever. Rather than take the opportunity to lower the budget by canning some of those federal employees he has put on the payroll. And what is with his exempting his union cronies from that healthcare plan he thinks so highly of. Tells me something right there. Chicago politics at a national level. Scary.

The State of the Union | Truth and Common Sense

January 26th, 2011
10:17 am

[...] Obama Gives a Speech we Can’t Take Seriously [...]

Old Bob

January 26th, 2011
10:23 am

Here Spot, your reference to Nose Full of Nickles, leads me to believe you are an old duffer like me. Who under 60 would remember Mel Brooks’ song “If I had a nose full of nickles, I’d sneeze them all achoo.” But comparing Obama to a pinata is an insult to pinatas.

Pull My Finger

January 26th, 2011
10:27 am

Can’t wait until Obama’s gone…….what a freaking clown.

Hud

January 26th, 2011
10:32 am

neither half of my brain takes this guy seriously. the old adage that words don’t make the man certainly resonate in this case.

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
10:39 am

Old Bob

January 26th, 2011
10:23 am

LMAO!!

Peter

January 26th, 2011
10:44 am

Poor folks here having to wait 6 years until Obama is gone…… Keep Crying Republicans….and of course Pray for more rain….cause that is your policy !

Pongo

January 26th, 2011
10:47 am

The DOW is over 12000 as we speak, my 401k is has made more money in two years under President Obama than the entire eight years under the bumbling incompetent George Bush. Gee, if this is socialism then I want six more years of it. God bless America.

Ammy

January 26th, 2011
10:48 am

As part of a group of people invited to be online responding to the speech as it occurred for CNN, I found it so boring and meaningless, I briefly fell asleep. More and more, there is nothing Obama says that can or should be taken seriously. If his lips are moving, he is lying. He says one thing and then does another. He is currently running for reelection and so everything must be viewed through that lens. Campaigner Obama is a very different creature than White House Obama. But if you fall for one, you most certainly will get the other.

Ammy

January 26th, 2011
10:49 am

Yeah, and it started moving up on anticipation of Republican victories in November. Look at the chart.

Joe the Plutocrat (aka paleo-neo-jconservative)

January 26th, 2011
10:57 am

jconservative, your dispassionate analysis continues to both amaze and depress me. you’re Andrew Bacevich (I know you know of him) without the zeal (if you know him, you’ll get the joke). what is your name? I intend to “write you in” in 2012. that is the “amaze” part. the “depressing” part is the fact that nearly every other American is content to ignore the obvious and continue the delsuional, infantile, acrimonious, (faux) ideological pissing contest that is American political discourse.

AngryD

January 26th, 2011
10:59 am

Some of you liberal morons need to educate yourselves on recent history. Let me give you some facts:
In 2006 spending and the economy were not the issue to the American voter. After six Republican years the economy was booming, gas was $2.10 a gallon, and the single issue voters picked was a withdrawal from Iraq. THAT voter ignorance swept the Pelosi and Reid dems into office, where THEY, not Bush, blocked a Freddy/Fanny restructure, prevented offshore drilling, and overspent taxpayer dollars. By 2007 their screwups had added $1.8 trillion in debt, killed the real-estate market, and driven the price of gas over $4.50– all while successfully blaming Bush for their own bludering incompetence.

They rode that spin into office in 2008, successfully electing a far left theorist with no experience, NO track record (137 votes “present”?), and a history if association with terrorists and anti-American faith pushers. For two years they spent irresponsibly, rammed hated legislation down our throats (in NO POLL does obamacare have more than 47% support from the people, even left-slanting ones).
Hey, you don’t have to believe me, but you’d sound a LOT smarter if you looked this stuff up before shooting off your mouths. Obama’s poll numbers are up because Republicans are BLOCKING his attempts to make the situation worse and he’s doing what he does best: stealing credit.

You keep on blaming Bush. It adds SOOOOO much to your credibility.

Good Grief

January 26th, 2011
11:00 am

Paul @ 9:57 and Peter @ 10:44
Don’t you just love it when liberal elitism bleed through? Americans are ignorant and uneducated and this article is trash because it doesn’t support Obama. Republicans are less than intelligent because they pray. Fun stuff, guys.

Halftrack

January 26th, 2011
11:00 am

P.T. Barnum said it best ” a sucker is born every minute.” He put up a sign on a door that read ” to the egress”. It was a way to get people moving out of the small museum that he was operating. Just more smoke & mirrors from the Pres.

Mrs. Obvious

January 26th, 2011
11:03 am

Obama gives a speech we can’t take seriously.

Wingfield offers commentary we can’t take seriously.

DannyX

January 26th, 2011
11:04 am

Well some people actually did doze off during the speech so you certainly belonged there Ammy. Since you have so much confidence in CNN’s “group of people” I’m sure you will have even more confidence in the poll they conducted after the speech.

The one that found overwhelming support for the speech, overall positive of 86%.

A ‘wake up’ call for Republicans.

Iska Waran

January 26th, 2011
11:04 am

Everyone seems agreed not to re-elect GW Bush in 2012. Now as to Obama’s speech, it was mostly a joke. One million electric golfcarts – er, cars – on the roads by 2015? That’s his plan for the economy? $50,000 electric cars complete with tax credit bribes and 90 mile long extension cords? 1 million cars is less than 1/2% of the vehicles on the road. One idea that seemed to make sense: Eliminate (unspecified) corporate tax “loopholes” in exchange for big reduction in the corporate tax rate. I doubt he’ll lift a finger to get it done, though. When it comes to Obama on education, everything you need to know is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7FS5B-CynM

sub

January 26th, 2011
11:07 am

no one with a brain takes obama seriously. that’s why he has the support of unsophisticated members of the liberal voting block. he’s just a narcissistic windbag that reads well from a script, and the idiots in this country follow him like a messiah. pathetic, and disturbing…..

M. Miles

January 26th, 2011
11:08 am

View following . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4B3O9uUc-4&feature=related

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/69618219/Grand-Jury-Report—-Philly-Abortionist-Kermit-B-Gosnell-Multiple-Counts-of-Murder-(January-2011)

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/obama-voted-to-protect-abortionists-like-house-of-horrors-gosnell/

EJM

January 26th, 2011
11:13 am

Obama offered more rehetorical fluff with zero substance (or funding).
And why not?
It’s the same flim-flam that got him elected in 2008.
Only now after failed “stimulus”, 9.4% unemployment , and a huge expansion
of Medicaid in Obamacare, we are trillions more in debt and the water has
reached several more decks of the Titanic. Do we all have to be underwater before
people wake up? Obama sure thinks so.

Will America be fooled again?

Good Grief

January 26th, 2011
11:14 am

So one “overwhelming support” for one speech by Obama is a wake up call for Republicans? What kind of liberal fantasy land do you live in?

DannyX

January 26th, 2011
11:18 am

Liberal fantasy? More like the President Clinton playbook.

Mrs. Obvious

January 26th, 2011
11:20 am

M. Miles,

The Philadelphia Baby Killer was simply operating under the principles of the Holy Free Market. He did not need or accept government regulation of his private business, and instead made his own business decisions which patients were free to avail themselves for a fee, or not. Surely you are not advocating we keep “Obamacare,” regulate the medical profession and hire more, bigger gubmint officials to interfere with business and patients’ rights, are you?

Ken Besig

January 26th, 2011
11:29 am

This was a beautiful dissection of Obama, a dissembling and cynical Chicago politician, long on promises and woefully short on performance.

joe

January 26th, 2011
11:34 am

Look…to all you libs, yes, both sides of the aisle suck…but at least the GOP is for cutting govt to get us out of the 14 trillion hole we are in…I don’t hear any libs suggesting the same…esp. Barry the magnificent. Last night he just stood there with the same spend our way out of this economic mess, which hasn’t worked for him to date, by laying new high speed rail, high speed internet, etc. Puhhhlllleezeee. The only way out of this mess is to cut, cut more, then cut again til we can’t stand it anymore. We can afford to drive on pot hole-filled roads for a few years until we pay off what we owe so our kids and grandkids don’t have this mess staring them in the face 50 years from now.

pn

January 26th, 2011
11:39 am

I have a brain and I take Obama very seriously. He is the smartest, most pragmatic and most forward-looking president since Roosevelt. But since he is of mixed race, he is an automatic threat to a segment of the population mainly composed of older white males and their subservient spouses, who take irrational offense at anything he says or does. I hope he succeeds in his plan to reinvigorate and restore our leadership in manufacturing, research and development, infrastructure and technology. China, India and the rest of Asia are already gaining ground at an astounding rate, because the U.S. has poured most of it’s energy and capital into wars and the military industrial complex. We have the largest defense budget on earth, but the rest of our economy falls further and further behind each day, while China and Asia’s economies are soaring. They are spending trillions on infrastructure, transportation alternatives, energy efficiency, space exploration, medical research, etc. while our country goes nowhere fast.

Karina

January 26th, 2011
11:46 am

Once again , promises and more promises , this speech had no substance just like the man himself.
It was a campaign speech at it’s best.

Sdawg

January 26th, 2011
11:47 am

Seriously, when Pres O said that he was freezing spending at current rates the statement is laughable. He increased across the board spending by more than 20% in his first year in office…….how about across the board, freezing spending at pre-Obama levels, for starters?

Jefferson

January 26th, 2011
11:50 am

If you frown all day, you will have more wrinkles in your old age.

retiredds

January 26th, 2011
11:56 am

In August, before the Bush-era tax rates were extended, the CBO estimated the fiscal 2011 budget deficit would be $1.07 trillion.

Now the CBO estimates the 2011 deficit to be $1.48 TRILLION. Ah, yes, those Republican fiscal conservatives at it again.

answer4everything

January 26th, 2011
12:01 pm

To John @ 8:51 am:
I suspect Bachman knows how the amendment process works better than you. Constitutional amendments are proposed in congress and if, after recieving a 2/3s favorable vote go to the president to be signed or vetoed. Once the president signs it it then goes to the individual states for ratification. The states then have a time limit (I forget how many years) to ratify said amendment. Each state legislature must approve by a 2/3s majority and 2/3s of the states must ratify within said time limit. So yeah, I’d say the prez has a little something to do with amending the Constitution.

Gman

January 26th, 2011
12:02 pm

Uneducated, short-attention spanned, short-sighted, rednecks vote Republican in the great state of Georgia!

John

January 26th, 2011
12:03 pm

@retiredds

Don’t you realize by now, CBO estimates are wrong. They have to rely on the information they are giving including bad assupmtions like the Democrats assumption that tax cuts add to the deficit and have to be paid for. Republicans got it right…tax cuts don’t add to the deficit; therefore, they don’t have to be paid for.

DannyX

January 26th, 2011
12:04 pm

Joe who are all these libs you speak of? When it comes right down to it the American people don’t want much cutting done. When you get to specifics it seems the opposite is true. A new poll out by Gallup today shows it perfectly,

Asked about specifics, American majorities OPPOSE spending cuts for…

Arts funding…52%
Farm subsidies…53%
Homeland Security…56%
Anti-Poverty…55%
Defense…57%
SS…64%
Medicare…61%
Education…67%

As you can see most Americans really don’t want the programs that have the most affect on the budget touched, Defense, SS, and Medicare.

Of course most Americans don’t want their taxes increased either.

John

January 26th, 2011
12:15 pm

@answer4everything

The president has no part in amending the Constitution….It does not go to the president to sign or veto. The president is completely out of the process.It amazes me how a self-proclaimed Constitutionalist, having classes with Congressmen on the Constitution, calling for Constitutional amendments and doesn’t even know how it’s amended. The amendment process is spelled out in Articl V of the Constitution. You can look it up; better yet, I have it below. Read it and then get back to us on the role the president has in amending the Constitution.

Article V

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

@@

January 26th, 2011
12:17 pm

Kyle:

Obama was in over his head from day one. He hasn’t yet heard what Americans are saying. Stimulating government is not in our plans for the future.

With last night’s talk of “investments” it appears as though he wants to hold our heads under “his water”. The Republicans BETTER come thru on their promises to cut spending…not just the small stuff. They darn well better DO BIG THINGS or all our efforts to rein in Obama and the dems were for naught.

Gears and Springs » State of the Union

January 26th, 2011
12:20 pm

[...] Obama gives a speech we can’t take seriously The next two years are going to be even harder than I thought. [...]

John

January 26th, 2011
12:20 pm

@answer4everything

What the president signs or vetos are something called laws which has passed by majorities in both the House and the Senate. Constitutional amendments are different…totally different process than passing laws.

DannyX

January 26th, 2011
12:28 pm

From the AP today, “The latest figures are up from previous estimates because of bipartisan legislation passed in December that extended Bush-era tax cuts, unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless and provided a 2 percent payroll tax cut this year.

That measure added almost $400 billion to this year’s deficit, CBO says.”

Kyle I know you accuse me of not reading your columns but I do remember the one in which you said the Republicans would detail how they would pay for all the damage their extra little goodies in the tax bill would be paid for. You said they would tell us later.

I think now would be the perfect time. It seems the Republicans are responsible for another hit and run on the deficit.

Tommy Maddox

January 26th, 2011
12:29 pm

Maybe they’ll use that proposed trolley line from Centennial Park to the King Center as an example for the necessity and modernization of the rail system.

Obama gives a speech we can’t take seriously | Kyle Wingfield « Opinion Letter

January 26th, 2011
12:33 pm

[...] Obama gives a speech we can’t take seriously | Kyle Wingfield. [...]

cpgrasshopper

January 26th, 2011
12:34 pm

As anticipated, enough specious sophistry to overfill the cow pasture. The next new expenditure from Congress, possibly via OSHA or the EPA, will be the mandated acquisition of hip boots for the populace … that we may safely wade through it all.

Peter

January 26th, 2011
12:35 pm

Republican would be happy with a Depression……..that is what will make them Happy.

MORE POOR People !

They will be happy with a 3rd WAR……cause that is what Republican’s like..Killing other folks in other countries.

Bush started all the bailouts because of his lousy governing, and 2 wars that our grand children will pay for….he never funded it, and he never won it.

Republican’s would be happy if the recession was a depression…then they could point fingers.

How is the stock market treating Republican’s lately ?

Reality Ck

January 26th, 2011
12:35 pm

Great post Kyle! Hammer meet head!

Intown

January 26th, 2011
12:35 pm

Good luck trying to pin Obama down on anything over the next two years. He’s gonna bob and weave and kick Republican butt all the way to a second term. And the Repubs have no particularly good presidential prospects right now. Yes, the next two years are going to be harder than you were imagining in your drunken exuberence on mid-term election night back in November.

JB

January 26th, 2011
12:44 pm

@ John 8:51 a.m.:

Didn’t see Bachmann’s speech. But IF that is what she said, it shows ignorance. But that stands in contrast to much of the Left who believe that, because the Founders believed the Constitution may need to be changed from time to time to fit circumstances and changes in the world unforeseen by the Founders in the 18th Century, that, therefore, it means the Constitution can be simply IGNORED or REWRITTEN without actually altering the text when it doesn’t fit the Left’s political goals. Just once I’d like to hear someone opposed to gun ownership propose a real constitutional amendment granting the government the power to prohibit gun ownership. Or, how about a constitutional amendment that specifically creates a “right to an abortion,” instead of inventing a “right to privacy” that, by a leap of logic, applies to a woman’s right to kill the baby inside her womb (which science clearly delineates, by all standards, is NOT part of the woman’s body.) Or, how about a constitutional amendment that specifically grants the federal government the power to force all citizens in the country to purchase health insurance, instead of twisting the law into pretzels to declare that since the government has the power to regulate commerce among the states, and has the power to tax, therefore, the government can do whatever the hell it pleases!

How about those constitutional amendments, John?

Ryan trumps Obama in SOTU response « HogWash Post

January 26th, 2011
12:48 pm

[...] Kyle Wingfield notes: How do you take seriously a speech in which the president says we will spend more money on [...]

jconservative

January 26th, 2011
12:49 pm

From Politico:

“…Republican freshman Sen. Rand Paul introduced legislation Tuesday that seeks to cut $500 billion from government spending in one year alone, wiping out three cabinet departments and the entire foreign aid budget while sparing neither the Pentagon nor 2011 war-related funding for overseas military operations.”

“Most controversial could be a proposed $16 billion reduction from the overseas contingency funds provided for the military for the current fiscal year.”

““War funding from 2001 to 2010 has cost the taxpayer $1.109 trillion,” reads Paul’s materials. “That amount doesn’t include the $159 billion that will likely be spent funding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for FY2011. The proposal seeks to reduce war funding for FY2011 by $16 billion, in other words to provide $144 billion.”

Now we will find out if Republicans are serious about reducing spending or are just playing a make believe game.

My money is on make believe games. This bill will die in committee.

Jasper

January 26th, 2011
12:54 pm

It’s amusing watching you people trying to prove how superior you are to everyone else you’re talking down to, and while you are being nasty,witty,or profound ,our Country is being destroyed!
By the time Obama is done you all will wake up one day and find not that you are superior, but that you have lost the greatest Country the world has ever known,and now you have nothing! Enjoy

Kevin Jordan

January 26th, 2011
1:03 pm

I think the part that is the most disturbing about this type of speech is how certain facts are so “dumbed down” for the general public. It really is insulting. The level of spin is incredible. He mentions how the “stock market has come roaring back” as an indication that his policies are working. That is why we try to post articles and commentary on the alternate view. Many, many economists agree that the stock market is up because of the liquidity being pumped in by world governments. It is simply another bubble. Take a look at our free charts of the S&P 500 over at Stockcharts, and our blog with many fascinating graphics and articles on housing, gold, food, and the economy.

Charts:http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/Favorites.CServlet?obj=ID3274981

Blog: http://www.precisiontradingsolutions.blogspot.com

jconservative

January 26th, 2011
1:05 pm

Re the discussion on the Constitution and amendments. Since the case of Marbury v Madison (1803) the Constitution says what the Supreme Court says it says.

For examplw, the Court just got around to saying what the 2nd Amendment means within the last two years in the Heller and McDonald decisions.

The Court has yet to speak to the 9th Amendment “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” What does this mean? Does it mean that the people have rights government cannot take away even if they are not listed in the Constitution? If not, then do any rights of the people have to be given to the people by the government?

John

January 26th, 2011
1:10 pm

@JB

Maybe you need a lesson on the Constitution, laws and the courts. Congress can pass any law and have it signed by the President. It’s the courts then that can rule the law as being constitutional or unconstitutional. That’s what happened in the cases you cited. The Supreme Court ruled in these cases, such as abortion or gun rights, etc. The same will happen with the mandate on health insurance.

But why stop there…are you saying we need tons of other amendments? Say for instance, marriage…since marriage is not in the Constitution. Or interracial marriage. There are many things ruled by the Supreme Court as being Constitutional that are really not specifically identified.

As far as the Constitution being rewritten or ignored…do you include Republicans wanting to ignore birthright citizenship enshrined in the 14th amendment. State Republican lawmakers (including GA) are looking at possibly not issueing birth certificates to children born of illegal immrants; therfore, not declaring or recongnizing them as citizens.

Of course, when a court applies Constitutional law and the right likes the ruling, nothing is said by the right but when it’s doesn’t sit well with the right all we hear are the “activist” judges.

Michael Tomlinson

January 26th, 2011
1:11 pm

Obama’s vision of America’s future is being China’s serfs.

Peter

January 26th, 2011
1:20 pm

Any Republican’s in the stock market currently ??????

That has to suck doesn’t it …all those US stocks going up.

The Stock market loves a Democratic President…….largest gains are made while a Democrat is in the oval office…..History read all about it !

John

January 26th, 2011
1:37 pm

Peter, don’t you realize that it doesn’t matter that US stocks are going up and that companies are seeing great profits. It’s the jobs…even though companies are making great profits they’re sitting on manoey and not hiring. Companies are saying they can’t find people with the right skill sets to fill the open positions. Obama wants to invest in education so American workers could acquire the right skill sets. Of course, Republicans don’t want to invest in education…they want to cut education. As Ran Paul sees it education is beyond the constitutional role of the federal government.

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
1:55 pm

“Now we will find out if Republicans are serious about reducing spending or are just playing a make believe game.

My money is on make believe games. This bill will die in committee.”

And that is a shame. These cuts sound like the first place to start.

Sam

January 26th, 2011
1:56 pm

The progressive era of the last 100 years is arriving at its inevitable end. It’s just a matter of time. No more empire, no more entitlement.

Great Spaghetti Monster bless George Bush Jr. and Barack Obama for hastening the process and helping to end the era of progressive coercion, theft, and murder.

Jeff Black

January 26th, 2011
2:06 pm

The crisis our nation is in reflects the disaster of liberal policies since the 1940’s ….also, an idea that Government is our saviour….whether Republican or Democrats running things…government grows…it wastes…creates completely unsustainable programs which are ultimately burdens on all of us….we are now staring down at the abyss of financial insolvency….Other examples of such are Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, California, New York, Cuba, USSR….liberals are people who live in fantasy land looking to build utopias….they don’t have the money to pay for them…

killerj

January 26th, 2011
2:20 pm

OH NO KYLE “WATCH OUT CYNTHIA,S BEHIND YOU”………….AAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
2:21 pm

For all you ObaManiacs…

THIS JUST IN>>>> “Medicare official tells the House Budget Committee that President Obama’s health care law won’t hold down costs and that it won’t let everyone keep their current health insurance — even if they like it.”

Here Spot

January 26th, 2011
2:22 pm

Tucker is a good looking woman but other than that she is “out to lunch”.

“State of the Union is better; state of Obama is strong” So says CT.

retiredds

January 26th, 2011
2:34 pm

John, I don’t fully disagree with you about tax cuts and the deficit. But how do you explain the Republicans’ speech-making on responsible fiscal management with their track record during the last 35 years? And if the great conservative Red State of Texas is their latest model, how have they managed that state’s finances over the last couple of years?

jm

January 26th, 2011
2:40 pm

Nice column Kyle. Stick it to ‘em.

JohnLeeHooker

January 26th, 2011
2:51 pm

To DeborahinAthens who claims Med part D is the most expensive entitlement ever…

As of the end of year 2008, the average annual per beneficiary cost spending for Part D, reported by the Department of Health and Human Services, was $1,517,[18] making the total expenditures of the program for 2008 $49.3 (billions). Projected net expenditures from 2009 through 2018 are estimated to be $727.3 billion.[19]

NOTE THIS ANNUAL EXPENDITURE IS ROUGHLY WHAT AMERICANS SPEND EACH YEAR ON DOG FOOD!

Idiocy is your civil right. Be grateful!

Max

January 26th, 2011
2:55 pm

Dude, you buy – hook, line, and sinker, the line from the GOP that you can cut taxes, keep spending more or less level, and still balance the budget…. If you can stomach that (and you do your coming protest notwithstanding) you need to quietly slink into a corner and think of some other way to throw rocks.

Cheers,
Max

emperorclothes

January 26th, 2011
3:01 pm

Trickle down, why don’t you put your 401k all in governemnt bonds? Maybe because you know in the long run, the market is smarter. Aren’t they both investing in America? And if you did privatize SS, you would have the same low risk options anyway.

John

January 26th, 2011
3:04 pm

@JB

Talk about ignoring the Constitution. Check out the link below. GOP lawmakers pushing nullification proposals in several states, based on a Thomas Jefferson late 18th-centry doctrine that purposted to give states the ultimate say in constitutional matters.

Will they call to disban the Federal Courst System including the Supreme Court since they claim the states the the ultimate say. Is the GOP really mainstream?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110126/ap_on_re_us/us_health_care_nullification;_ylt=AkEJ7iMfRhRgRCcVmL3SxT.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFlMmlyMGMxBHBvcwM2OARzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX3Vfc19uZXdzBHNsawNnb3BpbnZva2VzMTc-

lance sjogren

January 26th, 2011
3:08 pm

Why is anyone looking for something new? Politicians always stick to the agenda of the people that voted them into office.

Looking for innovation in government is like looking for Denny’s restaurant to find the answer to our future energy needs.

Ex-fed

January 26th, 2011
3:24 pm

As an independent who has voted for both democrats and republicans, I am not interested in the rigid belief that Dems are always good and Repubs bad and vice versa. We are at the point now that we will be in the trough with all of the other PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain) who have reached or are imminently reaching the day of fiscal reckoning where they are truly having to undertake austerity programs to stay solvent. Obama is talking out of both sides of his mouth because he came to power by doing this, saying one thing then shamelessly doing another.

Obama says that the government cannot pick the industries of the future — moments before explaining how it is going to create jobs in renewable energy. His proposal to improve the nation’s infrastructure centers on the faddish boondoggle of high-speed rail, which is wholly unsuitable for a country with our population density, unlike Japan where vast populations live clustered in a narrow funnel of valleys on the major island of Honshu, smaller than the state of California. He favors increased subsidies for higher education that are more likely to increase college tuitions than to prepare our work force for the challenges of tomorrow. His plan for Social Security must consist entirely of tax increases, since he has ruled out every other expedient. He is unwilling to rethink a health-care plan that is likely to add to the country’s economic burdens: increasing insurance premiums, reducing wages, raising taxes, and adding to the national debt. Obama’s economic strategy is a high-speed train to nowhere.

I live in DC and have worked for the Federal Government. You really have no idea how much money is wasted when it is other people’s money. So many of our ineffective and rapidly becoming insolvent duplicative government programs are begun through the rosy glasses of “helping people” through the reins of public employees who are really unaccountable, resulting in wasted taxpayer money. I became sick of this and went to the private sector, where hard work counts, merit, not seniority results in promotions. We cannot keep spending like this. Since the Federal Government is so good at wasting money, lets give them less money in which to waste.

John

January 26th, 2011
3:25 pm

Talk about grasping at straws. Today the Republican house voted to end subsidies for presidential campaigns saying it will reduce federal spending by $617 million over a decade. This does nothing to reducing the deficit since this is a fund taxpayers voluntarily contribute to by checking to donate $3 to the fund. It’s has no effect on the individuals taxes.

Libby

January 26th, 2011
3:30 pm

You don’t. And I don’t waste my time listening to propaganda.

Peter

January 26th, 2011
4:02 pm

Hey Kyle…..Republicans really know how to screw over the population in Georgia……

Example…….Dumb appointed Dumber…..Perhaps if Deal didn’t lie to the state he wouldn’t be in office ?

State issues $12 million in tax refunds, takes them back
By Christopher Quinn

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The state Department of Revenue issued $12 million in tax refunds beginning last week to more than 30,000 Georgians, then began withdrawing them from bank accounts Monday, leaving people overdrawn and wondering where their money went.

Unknown Revenue Commissioner Douglas J. MacGinnitie apologized to Georgians for the tax refunds and blamed a computer error.

Revenue Commissioner Douglas J. MacGinnitie, who was appointed to the job eight days ago, apologized to Georgians Wednesday and blamed a computer error. He said that someone discovered that more money was issued in some refunds than people should have gotten, so the state began reeling the money back in.

He said the department corrected the error and began depositing the refunds back into people’s accounts today.

But people were not notified, and some banks were not told what was going on until Tuesday afternoon, when customers began complaining.

Jay Lawrence, a Wells Fargo spokesman, said the bank had to contact the state to figure out what was going on.

“We reached out to the state yesterday and we offered to work with them and see what we could do to help them sort it out,” Lawrence said.

MacGinnitie said, “Clearly, we need to work to make the Department of Revenue more customer-focused. I assume that is why the governor asked me to take this job.”

Gov. Nathan Deal appointed MacGinnitie Jan. 18.

Yup..how many people bounced checks and got messed up because of this GUY ?

Alex

January 26th, 2011
4:37 pm

How do you take seriously a journalist who openly labels himself a conservative? You might as well say “warning, this piece contains heavy bias and skew”. I would say the same to a liberal. In doing this, you’re ensuring that conservatives agree w/ you and liberals don’t. That makes for little to no informative discussion other than the dead-tired mantra of both the left and right.

Also, reading this is like listening to one of my grandpa’s rants. Try opening a paragraph with a new phrase every once and awhile… we get it, you don’t take Obama seriously. Good for you.

Not to mention your very first shot at Obama’s promise to spend more on education while freezing the budget contains a glaring fallacy. You really don’t think it’s possible to spend more on education while not increasing the total budget? Where could we pull funds from… hmm… I KNOW! One of two current wars, perhaps? Military spending has run rampant since 2001 with little to no restrictions by either party. Come on. You’ve just ensured that I never read another one of your pieces again.

And as I scroll down these comments, I am forced to laugh– or cry. People accusing others of smoking meth? Resorting to childish puns like “ObaManure”? Wow folks, we’re the first to insult our president’s professionalism yet this… THIS… is reall how we think an intelligent discussion/debate takes place? I’ve heard classier arguements on a playground. And I’m sure my comments will do nothing but fuel the flame and people will be calling me plenty of witty, yet hollow names. And I couldn’t care less. Rip into me, go right ahead… I’m never going to open this page again so don’t worry, I won’t take it personally.

As a left-leaning Independent, I watched SOTU knowing that SOTU speeches are typically filled with party jargon while outlining the Pres. agenda for the coming year. I was impressed at some points and upset at others. No, I don’t think this country or our President is “going down in flames”. Do I think he’s failed on some promises. Heck yes. Do I think we’ve made significant progress since 09? It would be hard to say we haven’t. All of the Chicken Littles out there claiming the world is coming to an end need to call up the oldest living relative they have and get a lesson in what it means to be American, what it means to be determined, and what it means to be united.

The only thing that is manure is this thread. The only thing going down in flames is my hope for new-media with intellectual discussions about politics. Americans balk at our government for being partisan, but we discuss politics like 5 year olds discuss whose turn it is on the swingset.

eot

January 26th, 2011
5:16 pm

I usually do not go on line to comment on any matter but everyone of us needs to remember that he is a politician and the only thing that a politician is interested is getting re-elected, whether he be Democrat or Republican. They will lie and say anything to be back in the good ol boys chair sucking on the taxpayers teet and will stay there until they die or get caught at the crooked things they are doing to bolster their finances. You ever wonder why someone would spend a fortune of someone elses money to get elected to a job that does not have a salary that is worth it.

We need to dump 99% of those in Washington and place term limits on any elected to future offices and let them have the same benefits for health care and retirement as most of us do. You can tell a politician is lying when you see his lips moving.

Peter

January 26th, 2011
6:10 pm

Dick Cheney said…… Deficits don’t matter.

Was he a real Republican or not ?

AJC Op Ed: How Can you Take That Speech Serious? | The Atlee Appeal

January 26th, 2011
6:44 pm

[...] Similar opinion to what I wrote about this morning, but at a slightly different angle. Obama’s SOTU was the biggest news story in the past 24 hours so about 3/4s of all news out there right now is related to that speech. It is a little frustrating, as I’d love to read something else, but this opinion article from the AJC is short and worth a couple minutes of reading. http://blogs.ajc.com/kyle-wingfield/2011/01/26/obama-gives-a-speech-we-cant-take-seriously/?cxntfid=... [...]

Budman

January 26th, 2011
7:16 pm

I heard that speech by my grammar school principal in the fifth grade in 1959. Obama is the best at lowering the bar while claiming the high jump award. It Mazes
me how I can tell dem responses to this article by their vitriol and syncopathic content.is thT Ll you got Obama. That’s your vision, change I can believe in. Big o is the laughing stock of the real world. The “real world” not Obamaland.

nick

January 26th, 2011
8:20 pm

obama is an inept community organizer ……. nothing more

DavisJohn

January 26th, 2011
8:50 pm

Does anyone take Obama seriously any more?

GOP WASTE

January 27th, 2011
8:19 am

The only time Republicans believe in spending is when it benefits the rich, the powerfull. They have no problems suggesting subsidies and special deals for the big corporations, even if they move jobs overseas. Corporate welfare is fine, its just plain help for citizens that’s wastefull spending. The Repubs are willing to go into debt to fight unnecessary wars or give tax breaks for the rich but not to invest in America’s competitiveness or our childrens education.

But guess what, unless we make the investments of the future we will soon become a second rate power and have to serve the interests of a more powerful China. I wonder if Kyle has any views on how socialist China became an economic power that challenges the US in the international arena.

China didn’t do it by making more tanks but by making more products. By excelling in technology, manufacturing and education. This is the base of an empire, and it is here where we are failing. You want to keep your Empire? Then you have to invest in its people and its future. Don’t be blind, open your eyes.

GOP Defender

January 27th, 2011
9:47 am

“Bush was bad too” is the only defense I ever hear of Obama from Dems. Not a very strong endorsement. And shouldn’t we expect better? Dem partisans need to get their heads out of the arses and wake up to the fact that the “change” this president promised isn’t worth the air it took to make it.

R. L. Hails Sr. P. E.

January 27th, 2011
11:30 am

No one believes our leaders any more. Words are cheap when reality is clearly different. As an engineer with forty years of energy study, I am certain that if the US does not use coal, oil, nat, gas and uranium, immediately, the cost of energy will destroy us. All green energy technologies cost too much for basic supply, and will for perhaps this century. Obama acts like we are rich. Except for a few financial and legal types, he is ignorant of Americans’ needs.

independent thinker

January 28th, 2011
7:34 am

I wonder if Obama really has the stones to veto a bill with earmarks. He keeps promising but it has not happened yet.

No More Progressives!

January 28th, 2011
9:36 am

Aquagirl

January 26th, 2011
7:35 am
Hmmmm….Repeal Medicare D, don’t launch stupid and expensive wars……….

There seems to be a redundant theme with you. You’re Cindy Sheehan in disguise, right?

Is there a war that wasn’t stupid at some level? Is there a war that wasn’t expensive?

When Caligula of the Ozarks (Slick Willie) told us in 1995 that the troops would be home by Christmas (they’er still in Bosnia today), did you endorse that “conflict”?

Last, if your not Cindy Sheehan, are you related to Jane Fonda?

Don’t repeal Medicare; privatize it.

Hadenough

January 28th, 2011
10:21 am

Kyle, Your article is right on the money or lack of in Obama’s case. This president is totally out of his mind to think we can keep spending money on ANY projects outside of what is needed to maintain national services. The CBO director stated yesterday that “We are at the tipping point of financial ruin”, because of our national debt and the government needs to stop the spending now.

Weekly E-Newsletter 1/31 | Oklahoma GOPOklahoma GOP

January 31st, 2011
4:34 pm

[...] in alternative energy sources — all while saying we’re not going to spend more money?" (Read More) [...]

Obama gives a speech we can’t take seriously

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Obama gives a speech we can’t take seriously

169 comments Add your comment

About Kyle Wingfield

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