Obama's Big Speech

The thrust of the coverage has been that President Obama addressed the issue of inequality and said it was a moral failing in the United States. He did that but he also centrally attacked the premise of Republican economic policy for the past three decades. "It doesn't work and it will not work."

As he outlined restoring the middle class again as the gravest issue of our time--"It's make or break time now for the middle class", you got the feeling this was the template for his re-election campaign, the logical next step to his Jobs Bill argument. Talking Points Memo deserves credit for live blogging this speech today since we have had live-blogging for the clown car debates so far. TPM called this Obama's Big Speech, the one which sets down the markers for the campaign.

Progressive bloggers hailed the speech even calling it a "Home Run", while others asked why it took President Obama so long to discuss inequality in the country. But generally this was positive and some said he was channelling Elizabeth Warren and her early speeches in the Senate campaign.

I got another sense when listening to it. Yes, all the criticism overt and implied about current Republican positions were there. But I got a sense from his tone that this was feeding off his 2004 speech at the Democratic Convention where he talked about no red or blue states, just the United States. Throughout the speech, he wove Republicans in with Democrats on people who took the necessary steps to build the country. In the past I used to think this was to secure bipartisan support in Congress but I now think it is an over-arching political philosophy. In short, President Obama himself is the bipartisan President, melding the best of both parties to advance the country.

How else to explain that the stimulus package had 50% proposals provided by Republicans even though less than a handful voted for it? Or in the Healthcare Accountability Act the use of the individual mandate, which now we know two years later was a conservative idea? I think if you walk through President Obama's major legislative accomplishments you will find a republican/democratic split everytime. Usually you are delighted some one of power steals your idea but in almost every case the conservatives and Republicans have renounced their own creations. It is very peculiar. But it is also why they are now devoid of any policy ideas.

Writers today mentioned the popular support for his judgment and temperment. Republican pollsters warn that the people don't believe he is trying to hurt the country so don't go after him personally. I don't know whether I believe the Obama fans talking about him playing the Rope-A-Dope against the Republicans but I do believe he plays long,deep and for the long-term.

It was a very, very good speech. If you haven't heard it, please read a transcript of the whole thing.