I live-blogged Obama’s State of the Union speech at Newsreal and began my coverage with this clip from “Friends” featuring the word, “Pivot!” The predictions for the SOTU speech were that Obama would use it to pivot toward the center. He didn’t, but I like the clip so much I’m keeping it. He did say a few things that conservatives approve of — we need more nuclear power and off-shore drilling were my favorites — but since his words have no connection to his actions, I had the impression that his real motive for saying them was, “Made you clap!”
Oh, Obama called on Congress to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.” He did NOT call on Eric Holder, his attorney general, to stop filing scorched-earth amicus briefs opposing every aspect of equality for homosexuals. Also, he did not set a deadline for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” It may just be that the campaign by a few gay and lesbian bloggers to get gays and lesbians to stop donating money to the Democrats until they get DADT and DOMA repealed is inflicting enough pain for Obama to test whether they will start donating again based on his recycling the promises he made in October to the Human Rights Campaign, shortly before Holder filed one of the above-mentioned briefs.
Frank Luntz’s focus group on Fox: “I think he’s mediocre and delusional,” “He’s the best conservationist in America because he keeps re-cycling his campaign promises.” There were a few who thought Obama was inspirational and doing the best with the circumstances he inherited. However, the complaints on the disconnect between Obama’s rhetoric and his actions dominated. Only one of member of the panel thought the recession is over.
“He promised earmark reform. He signed the biggest pork-laden bill, $700, $800 billion in new pork.”
“He hasn’t kept any of his campaign promises, so because of that, the words that he said, some of them were encouraging, but they ring hollow to me.”
Luntz pointed out that Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker of the House, is paid $223,000 per year, but the top U.S. general in America who runs the war gets $179,000 per year. Luntz then reminded the group that Obama said we should support the military and asked whether the general deserved to earn more than the Speaker of the House. Everyone said “yes.”
