State of Delusion

Just a few observations from tonight's SOTU speech and the reaction/response speeches... but first, was anyone else reminded of the Lions vs 49ers game when Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz mixed it up after an awkward-slap handshake? The night started with PBO strutting into the congressional chambers and high-fiving his team (like Harbaugh did with his players) as if they had won something, pun intended, and finally when he makes it to the opposing team's head coach (Speaker Boehner) he hits him with this very aggressive, strange, rough handshake and mutters something under his breathe... difference is tonight we were reminded that Speaker Boehner and Jim Shwartz are complete opposites. One has rallied support, turned around a previously failed entity, and takes pride in his team... the other is Speaker Boehner.

1. PBO said nothing new that we haven't heard before including empty promises about "reform" but we did learn he is pro-amnesty for illegal college students
2. PBO promised to GROW the government and NOT make it more effective or efficent in any way
3. PBO was polarizing in his tone, not uniting and continued to use his new favorite word in every way possible... if your unaware, PBO is obsessed with the word: "fair"
4. PBO did not take responsibility for higher energy costs including his refusal to green-light the Keystone Pipeline (did you know gas on his Inauguration day was approx $2.01 a gallon.. what happened Mr. President?)
5. PBO did not acknowledge his administrations' failed (monster) investments in "green" companies like Solyndra, Evergreen, SpectraWatt, Mountain Plaza, Olsen Corp, Tesla, Fisker, etc, etc, etc --- what a scam! Not to mention the GM Volt has been a huge flop too!
6. PBO claims the only way to fund anything is to raise taxes
7. PBO keeps insisting we need "fairness" in a bazillion different ways but doesn't seem to understand that is the opposite of the American dream... my parents moved here knowing hard work would pay off for their family, not "fairness" at the hands of the government
8. PBO conveniently forgot to mention his government hasn't passed a budget in 1000 days... 1000 DAYS!! that means everything the government has done for the past 1000 days is not base-lined or prioritized based on any type of budget.. nothing, nada, zilch. 
9. Finally, PBO made no mention or specific recommendations on any program of substance including social security. I'm not surprised by this one, considering his GOP counterparts are in Florida right now and would use anything he said against him beginning tomorrow morning.

Now on the other side of the aisle, Mitch Daniels gave an excellent although lengthy rebuttal speech and I am happy to report he was able to locate the camera unlike his predecessors who seemed to be talking to outer space when she failed to find the red light. Doesn't he look like an older Peyton Manning? If he gets into the GOP mix, I think he can make a nice splash and provide yet another viable alternative to Obama for independents. Hermain Cain did a nice job as well and made it crystal clear "for us to be fair to some, means being unfair to others." Perfect and to the point without a 9-9-9 reference.

In short, the President launched his reelection campaign in prime-time and over the next week will visit 3 swing states and give 5 speeches. If anything the President said surprised you tonight, you need to pay more attention. And if you were surprised, well, he's a one-trick pony, so you shouldn't be anymore... he is the king of recycled talking points but still needs the teleprompter to deliver them.