More of the same in Obama’s SOTU; Rubio hits the right notes in GOP response
Toward the beginning of his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama said we need a “smarter government,” not a “bigger government.” He then proceeded to request a long wish list of new government programs that make clear that, in his mind, the only smarter government is a bigger one.
So, we would have the federal government providing everything from universal pre-K to a network of manufacturing hubs to rebuilt bridges to refinanced homes — none of which is a bad thing, but also none of which require the involvement of a federal government already well beyond its ability to pay for the things it already tries to do. His assertion that this wish list would not add “a single dime” to the deficit didn’t pass the laugh test, particularly when administration officials after the speech declined to provide cost estimates for the new programs.
One can only guess his proposals won’t add “a single dime” to the deficit because they would, instead, add many billions if not trillions of dollars to it.
But if you missed the speech, fear not. You have heard every thought in it before; it was a pastiche of speeches he’s given over the past four years. I wouldn’t even say last night’s rendition was better than all the other times he’s given it. The only unifying theme was that Washington needs to do more. The only memorable moment came toward the end, when the president employed his familiar cadence of repeating a particular phrase time and again — this time, it was to say the various victims of gun violence he mentioned by name “deserve a vote” on his gun-control proposals. It will have zero effect on policy making. It was campaign-rally, rah-rah stuff.
If you expected anything different, you haven’t been paying attention. If tax dollars are still paying for a White House speechwriter to recycle the same ideas and phrases, then what Americans “deserve” is a refund.
The GOP response from Sen. Marco Rubio was the party’s strongest counter-argument yet during the Obama presidency. If you missed it, you might not see much about it in the news beyond the (admittedly awkward) moment during the middle of it when a clearly parched Rubio reached quickly for a bottle of water. As someone said on Twitter at the time — I lost track of exactly who it was — that’s largely a function of how a speech given to a camera is inherently inferior to one given to a live audience, during which the speaker can pause during applause to take a quick swig. Rubio’s Water(bottle)gate was but the latest reminder of that fact, which has dogged SOTU respondents from both parties for years now.
Those who can look past that moment will find the reasons Republicans are so excited about Rubio as a future presidential candidate. He makes the case for conservative principles with illustrations, and from angles, that are necessary to cast them in their proper light: as principles that can boost Americans of all backgrounds and income levels. This was a case Mitt Romney did not, and perhaps could not, make effectively. Rubio is obviously fluent in conservative ideals and language in a way that neither Romney not John McCain was. His ethnicity is icing on the cake.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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403 comments Add your comment
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 13th, 2013
9:49 am
What he does is take facts and then twist them to make them sound good,
Pot, meet Kettle. Kettle, Pot.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 13th, 2013
9:52 am
their lack of willingness to understand that is what lead to the demise of all the jobs……
rarely can you blame the demise of a company on the pay of its employees. I bet there was more going on than just that – declining market, inability to compete, idiot management, rising costs of resources?
Just Saying..
February 13th, 2013
9:53 am
“…could believe what Bush said because he did not try to fool us.”
Because he ran two wars completely off his submitted Budgets. For two terms.
Or would you rather re-read his “Blue Skies” environmental legislation?
Hillbilly D
February 13th, 2013
9:56 am
Most of the proposed things belong at the state level, in my opinion, if they are done. It’s up to the states to decide, if they are necessary or not.
Dusty
February 13th, 2013
10:00 am
Well I’ve got to run . But sorry to see that FINN is inclined to “pot” and JUST SAYING did not know that we were at war when Bush was president. These people are kinda slow!
Bye!
Dave
February 13th, 2013
10:03 am
Rubio’s water break wasn’t his only problem. How about blaming the recession on government and not financial fat cats? I think he has a point as government didn’t govern or regulate or even pay attention to the fat cats who were then free to play table stakes poker knowing they would be bailed out. On whose watch? That would be in part GWB. Yet Rubio rails against government involvement in the economy, let private enterprise lead us to the promised land. Bull.
Just Saying..
February 13th, 2013
10:06 am
“Well I’ve got to run .”
Cause I’m not prepared to defend my drive-by remarks…
SBinF
February 13th, 2013
10:07 am
“Then you weren’t listening……he very clearly stated he wanted to keep those programs,but he acknowledged that they are in trouble (and they are), which is something the left refuses to acknowledge……”
Right, so now that Rubio has milked the system for all it’s worth, he declares it broken and wants the rest of us to take reduced benefits. Gosh, that’s convenient!
willie lynch
February 13th, 2013
10:07 am
md
February 13th, 2013
9:37 am
Arafat was the problem…he’s gone. They couldn’t make a deal work with Fatah and now Hamas is the problem. It seems the only constant in the narrative is Israel’s leadership.
As I stated in the beginning if the Repug’s would stop whining and help govern maybe they would stop being the constant obstacle in the narrative of stagnant government in the U.S.
And my calling you an idiot has nothing to do with my character and more with my ability to discern. Learn the difference.
md
February 13th, 2013
10:10 am
“rarely can you blame the demise of a company on the pay of its employees. I bet there was more going on than just that – declining market, inability to compete, idiot management, rising costs of resources”
Sure, several contributing factors (much like our debt), but when it came time to understand that there was only so much money in the current budget for wages, going on strike and saying no was not the answer……..
Hindsight is 20/20, most all of them would gladly take the pay cut……..now.
Think the folks in greece would like a do over?
Aquagirl
February 13th, 2013
10:11 am
Now I know exactly why she bans all the people that call out her lies.
Presumably that’s some sort of attempted insult to call Jay a “she.” There’s Mr. Constitution at his finest, sitting in his tiny pup tent and wondering why everyone doesn’t admire his self-proclaimed brilliance.
md
February 13th, 2013
10:12 am
“Right, so now that Rubio has milked the system for all it’s worth, he declares it broken and wants the rest of us to take reduced benefits. Gosh, that’s convenient!”
Yep, he did it all by himself……we got where we are as a joint effort, don’t fool yourself in to thinking it was only one “side”.
md
February 13th, 2013
10:14 am
“And my calling you an idiot has nothing to do with my character and more with my ability to discern.”
Discern? If one does not understand that calling people names reflects much more on the name caller vs the callee, then I can’t help you……..
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 13th, 2013
10:14 am
aq – When one has PMS as bad as bookman does, I just err on the side of caution.
Pardon me.
Scrivener
February 13th, 2013
10:17 am
Cherokee, just curious. You’re big into class warfare yet say you’re a business owner in the insurance business in Cherokee County. Something doesn’t add up. Your business acumen must not be too good because you’ve clearly got lots of time to hang out on the blogs here and who knows where else. Then again, maybe your messiah’s assaults on business and the insurance industry have hurt your business.
Aquagirl
February 13th, 2013
10:20 am
When one has PMS as bad as bookman does, I just err on the side of caution.
I drop by here every now and again to watch this crowd dig their own graves, and I’m never disappointed.
Just Saying..
February 13th, 2013
10:20 am
“Yep, he did it all by himself……we got where we are as a joint effort, don’t fool yourself in to thinking it was only one “side”.”
The point would be hypocrisy, Fables.
A position you should recognize.
As you’re here all the time…
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 13th, 2013
10:22 am
Narcolepsy was the state of the union last night. There is little reason to listen to our campaigner in chief as what he says, has little in common with what he does. His solutions are never what he sells; it is called bait and switch in the retail game.
The other reason not to pay any attention is, that it requires great leadership to poke, prod, induce, monitor, and compromise to get things done. In four plus years Obama has not demonstrated he could lead a bunch of pre K children on a field trip to the candy store.
More sound and fury signifying nothing.
gm
February 13th, 2013
10:25 am
Who cares what Kyle and the rest of the nut jobs on the right think, Obama has over a 55% job aprroval rating, something the last rep President who sunk America did not have. Kyle and the rest of the Georgia southern conservatives idiots will never come out of the 20 century and the reason why Dem will win the next two President election.
Mark Rubio is joke and trying to get latinos votes, but latinos are smarter then that and realized conservatives, tea party, whites will never accept them, I hope the head of the NRA and the rest of these idiots who support assult weapons have this same type of support when someone puts a bullet in their love ones head.
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 13th, 2013
10:29 am
Ask the victims of the Ft Hood “work place violence” or the lady on the beach in New Jersey, how empathetic he can appear in person, and how hollow his promises are.
MarkV
February 13th, 2013
10:30 am
Marco Rubio’s problem was not the monotonous delivery, or reaching for water (I don’t know why people are even talking about the latter- why shouldn’t he take a sip?). Nor the stupid boasting at the beginning that America IS unique because “for much of the history” minorities ruled – never mind all the other countries not ruled by minorities NOW.
No, Rubio problem was that his speech was a collection of platitudes, inconsistencies and inanities, sprinkled with dishonesty. He charges that the President believes that our free enterprise economy is the cause of our problems. Never mind substantiating that charge. He claims the Republicans point out that “our government can’t control the weather,” surely one of the more stupid things anybody could say, but in a tough competition with “every dollar our government borrows is money that isn’t being invested to create jobs.”
Then we have the claim that “President Obama created more debt I four years than his predecessor did in eight.” Probably by proclaiming “Let there be debt.”
Rubio would never support any changes to Medicare that would hurt senior like his mother.
Naturally, because those seniors vote and like what they are getting. So Rubio and the Republicans would do the hurt only to future retirees.
Rubio believes we must effectively deal with the rise of violence in our country. But he is against “unconstitutionally undermining the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans,” never mind that nobody proposes that.
Rubio talks about “the President’s devastating cuts to our military.” Suddenly the sequester cuts, which the Congress passed and most Republican leaders voted for become the President’s cuts.
Marco Rubio should have spent much more time drinking water and much less time speaking.
Jefferson
February 13th, 2013
10:31 am
In Marco’s case he would be a “cry anchor baby”
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 13th, 2013
10:33 am
gm
cite the source of that 55% approval rating. I inadvertently was on a website yesterday that had all the polls on Obama’s approval rating. I saw several below 50% and one or two at 52%, but I didn’t see any 55%. I saw one at 46% and thought that is lower than GWB at the end.
md
February 13th, 2013
10:33 am
“The point would be hypocrisy, Fables.”
Suit yourself……
TBone
February 13th, 2013
10:37 am
How many times can one watch this guy lie without conscience to the American people so he and his cronies can live high on the hog on our dime, quite the racket. I’d rather watch Gilligan’s Island re-runs than waste an hour of my life that I can never recover.
Some people are stupid
February 13th, 2013
10:38 am
I guess I could be missing something here, but if we “reduced” the deficit, how come it keeps going up?”
You do know the difference between deficit and debt right?
gm
February 13th, 2013
10:41 am
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
CNN, Fox, Ny Times, ect, ect, You conservative in Georgia are so stupid that when Obama is giving credit to schools in Georgia you idiots are bad mouthing that.
This is why Obama is loved around the world and in other places around the USA and won the election by 3 million votes because he gives credit to even hated filled southern confederates who still live in the 20 century.
curious
February 13th, 2013
10:41 am
Where else can they go? The AJC pays Kyle to keep them in a small space. If not for them, this blog would have about 10 posts.
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 13th, 2013
10:43 am
gm
The poll findings are consolidated at Real Clear Politics and you are right Rasmussen has him at 55%. All the others are lower, in some cases much lower. As you have pointed out repeatedly, you just can’t depend on that right wing troll Scott Rasmussen.
willie lynch
February 13th, 2013
10:52 am
md
February 13th, 2013
10:14 am
If I called you a Republican or Independent that would be just noticing which way you leaned, soooo…..
breckenridge
February 13th, 2013
10:56 am
Marco Rubio will never be president, he is not electable. The vast majority of Americans will not vote for a candidate who is anti-science and anti-choice. He is not a rising star in the GOP, he is yet another extremist freak who is keeping the car in the ditch.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 13th, 2013
11:00 am
No one is talking about Rand Paul’s speech? No one cares?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 13th, 2013
11:10 am
Blue State, Red Face: Guess Who Benefits More From Your Taxes?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_reckoning/2012/10/25/blue_state_red_face_guess_who_benefits_more_from_your_taxes.html
So spare me all that red state angst about the federal deficits and national debt. When you stop spending New Jersey’s money, Texas, and produce a plan to replace it with your own revenue stream, then you’ve earned an opinion in the matter.
willie lynch
February 13th, 2013
11:11 am
“he is yet another extremist freak who is keeping the car in the ditch.”
AKA, a rising star in the GOP.
md
February 13th, 2013
11:11 am
“Naturally, because those seniors vote and like what they are getting. So Rubio and the Republicans would do the hurt only to future retirees.”
Don’t they get hurt anyway if the program is broken and doesn’t get fixed?
Jefferson
February 13th, 2013
11:13 am
I guess you could sit on you hands the next four years and waste your life waiting for the agony to end,
md
February 13th, 2013
11:13 am
“If I called you a Republican or Independent that would be just noticing which way you leaned, soooo…..”
You are grasping Willie in an effort to redeem yourself.
Here’s an idea, raise your hand, say to yourself and others that name calling isn’t necessary to get a point across and go on with your life.
Or, deny it and continue on along the low road……
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 13th, 2013
11:17 am
four years and waste your life waiting for the agony to end,
After four more years of Barry, I’m not sure there will be an end. Going to be hard to get folks back in the habit of working for a living.
md
February 13th, 2013
11:18 am
Finn….more of that red state blue state non-sense?
Now, put it into context and remember that military bases are included in that federal spending as are senior citizens and their medicare, and SS payments.
Shoot, Fl alone can screw up your premise…..how many seniors that live in Fl moved their after they retired from the north? Doesn’t it make sense that those up north should supplement their own old people?
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 13th, 2013
11:20 am
Some people are stupid
February 13th, 2013
10:38 am
I guess I could be missing something here, but if we “reduced” the deficit, how come it keeps going up?”
You do know the difference between deficit and debt right?
Your baseline is 163 billion, the number that was in place when you libs took over being in charge of spending. It went to 400 billion, 2.5 times the year before, but I’ll concede that one. Now we’re at 1 trillion or more every year, 7 to 8 times more than what it was when the adults were in charge, what is your measly little point?
MarkV
February 13th, 2013
11:23 am
Finn McCool @ 11:00 am
“No one is talking about Rand Paul’s speech? No one cares?”
Who wants to listen to or read a collection of slogans? I must be a masochist for reading it, but I will gladly forget it.
MarkV
February 13th, 2013
11:25 am
md @ 11:11 am
IF.
Don't Tread
February 13th, 2013
11:31 am
It’s another speech saying how the government’s going to take some more freedom away, jack up the national debt worse than it already is, and still say “it’s all Bush’s fault”, sugarcoated like a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts.
Par for the course for Democrats.
md
February 13th, 2013
11:31 am
“IF.”
More like “when”. It is unsustainable in current form……
“There’s a reason system current system is unsustainable, says Eugene Steuerle, a former Treasury Department official and senior fellow at Washington’s Urban Institute. He boils it down to two simple numbers.
“An average couple retiring today has paid just a little over $100,000 in Medicare taxes” over the course of their working lives, Steuerle tells Guy Raz, host of weekends on All Things Considered.
And what do they receive?
“About $300,000 in benefits” — even after adjusting for inflation.”
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/30/135844222/medicares-math-problem-taxes-benefits-trouble
And I picked npr for a reason, but I’m sure some will poo poo it anyway…..
sailfish
February 13th, 2013
11:35 am
aesop
Your right, we should have kept the cost of two wars off the books and with invisible ink, that way obama could have false numbers just like george and we wouldn’t have to hear your constant whine.
Shine
February 13th, 2013
11:38 am
Didnt watch the prez or any rebuttal but i did read the transcript this morning. Agree with the POTUS on the need for spending cuts AND revenue increases on the one’s who can afford it.
Agree with funds for infrastruture rebuilding even if it is borrowed money. Kooks dont mind building bridfges in iraq /afghanistan and other foreigh countries. As american citizens, aint we good enough to get new nice stuff too?
Think he is a loon on legalizing illegal invaders with the unemployment rate at 7.9% and banning guns/gun control communism.
didnt listen to kookio rubio either or read what he said but it was likely more of the same broken record tax cuts for the “job creators” and save social security by workers getting less or working longer crap.
Jeff
February 13th, 2013
11:38 am
I hope we have a country left for Rubio to be president of!! But Obama may try to be the Emperior forever when his 2nd term comes to an end, Democrates will be pushing for a constitional amedment to allow presidents to run again and again.. Emperior Obama..
MarkV
February 13th, 2013
11:43 am
md @11:11 am
Don’t they get hurt anyway if the program is broken and doesn’t get fixed?
The Medicare program is not broken. Seniors are being treated and their bills are being paid according to the rules. As for the future, it is interesting to see some people arguing against scientific models containing assumptions (md, February 12th, 2013@6:39 pm: “No Mark, what is most disturbing is that models are used that contain assumptions…”), and then arguing using assumptions in prediction models in the much more uncertain field of economics and human behavior.
md
February 13th, 2013
11:48 am
On a point of agreement:
” Too many families who have never missed a payment and want to refinance are being told no. That’s holding our entire economy back, and we need to fix it. Right now, there’s a bill in this Congress that would give every responsible homeowner in America the chance to save $3,000 a year by refinancing at today’s rates.”
It has never made sense that those underwater homeowners that have never missed a payment should be shut out because the collateral is underwater. Those homeowners are making the payments, our financial institutions need to reward their good customers instead of punishing them, that is bad business…….
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
February 13th, 2013
11:49 am
I hope we have a country left for Rubio to be president of!! But Obama may try to be the Emperior forever when his 2nd term comes to an end, Democrates will be pushing for a constitional amedment to allow presidents to run again and again.. Emperior Obama.
This is a routine talking point on the right. Same BS was said when Clinton was in office.
This is what we are up against. This si the intellect of the other side.
This is why we are winning.