This past Wednesday, President Obama delivered the State of
the Union amid growing concerns over the direction of his administration and his
waning popularity. The President however appeared unapologetic and confident in
the course of his presidency and hopeful for the future. He claimed the worst
was over and now it was time to rebuild by enacting broad and sweeping changes.
During his one hour and ten minute speech, the President
restated and outlined his agenda and covered a broad range of topics. However, his
primary focus was tackling unemployment and a floundering economy. Obama stated
that creating jobs would be his top priority in 2010 and that efforts to create
a new job bill would begin immediately. To this end, he proposed a number of
initiatives including giving $30 billion in repaid bailout money to community
banks for small business loans and not charging capital gains tax to small
businesses.
The President acknowledged that the primary stimulus will always
come from the business sector but that government can create an environment
that fosters economic growth. However, he also reiterated his criticism of the
banking industry and suggested instituting stricter regulation on the industry
and creating a commission to oversee changes.
The State of the Union represented a shift in focus from
healthcare reform to job creation. The President did not broach the topic of
healthcare until he was thirty minutes into his speech and did not elaborate on
the topic. He did affirm his commitment to passing a comprehensive healthcare
bill saying, “Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close.
Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American
people." Obama also assured the American people that the bill would lower
premiums, ensure accessible healthcare and would ultimately reduce the budget
by $1 trillion over the next 20 years. What he did not discuss was how he was
planning on furthering the bills passage or what its final form might be.
Obama’s reluctance to address the healthcare bill is not
surprising in light of increasing public disapproval. This dissension was made
apparent during the recent senatorial race in Massachusetts in which Scott
Brown won on a platform that opposed the bill. During his speech, Obama
admitted the public no longer backed healthcare reform and took some of the
blame, stating, “The longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became. I
take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American
people.”
Browns’ election marked the end the Democrats supermajority
in the Senate and jeopardizes the bills passage. The GOP remains staunch in its
opposition, which was clear last in Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell response to the
Presidents’ speech. McDonnell said, "Most Americans do not want to turn
over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government."
The Governor also stated his disbelief in the affordability of the President’s
plans and questioned how they could be funded.
In the face of Republican opposition, Obama simultaneously
called for an end to bipartisanship but also told his Democratic constituency
to unite behind this agenda. The President said he was open to new ideas and
plans on having monthly meetings with members from both parties to help
alleviate hostility. He also conceded several issues to the GOP such as nuclear
power and a proposed freeze on government spending in the coming year. However,
he also called upon Democrats to rally behind him in order to pass reformative
measure. The President said, “To Democrats, I would remind you that we still
have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some
problems, not run for the hills.” How this will affect party relations has yet
to be seen.
The State of the Union seems to alleviate the
public’s agitation over the state of the nation. According to a CNN poll, 71%
of Americans now think that the Presidents’ policies are going in the right
direction whereas only 53% thought so before the speech. A CBS poll indicated
that almost 60 percent believe he had outlined a clear plan for creating jobs,
which is up from 40%. Whether or not public opinion or the speech will sway
Congress members will be determined in the coming months