Broadside Opinion

Alan Moore, Staff Writer

Pundits and government officials alike touted President Obama’s State of the Union address prior to its delivery as an opportunity to hit “reset” on the fledgling administration that has consistently been under fire. Not only did Obama fail miserably in that regard, but he continued the incendiary tactics and partisan rancor that sickens Americans on both sides of the aisle.

His finger-wagging at the Supreme Court for overturning parts of campaign finance laws that were deemed violations of free speech was atrocious. Not only was it inappropriate to scold the Supreme Court like a hotheaded stepchild during the State of the Union, but Obama’s accusations were undeniably false. He insinuated that foreign companies will be able to contribute money to federal elections in the United States which is a complete misrepresentation of the ruling and is irrefutably wrong. It was so bad that even some of Obama’s allies in the media, like Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times, called him out on this fabrication.

The slight was certainly noticed by Justice Alito who took the unprecedented action of a Supreme Court Justice by mouthing “not true” while being lambasted by the president.

Republicans were not immune to the Obama wrath. In a decidedly combative tone, he scolded the GOP: “Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions.” The president has refused to cede any ground on important issues, like healthcare and job creation. Why should the GOP support his policies when he thumbs his nose at them? His agenda is wrong for the country — the GOP knows it, and so do the vast majority of Americans.

Also, with massive majorities in both the House and Senate, why does he even need Republicans to pass anything? The much-maligned President Bush got more things passed with smaller majorities than Obama enjoys.

Speaking of the former President, Bush Derangement Syndrome certainly hasn’t dissipated even after a year removed from office.

Obama continued to blame him for the ailments of the country when he said that our fiscal woes were a direct, “result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts and an expensive prescription drug program.”

He then laughably went on to use this as a reason to contribute further to the deficit.

At what point does the president take responsibility for massively increasing the deficit, infusing a stimulus plan which paid off democratic interest groups, but failed to keep unemployment under 10 percent and taking the ball out of national security? How about some personal accountability, as well as a little class for once?

The public is certainly taking note. Obama’s approval ratings have tanked and the opposition to the Obama agenda gains more momentum with each failed policy and reform.

Before the marathon State of the Union speech, I believed that Obama had a chance to follow in the footsteps of one of two of his democratic predecessors. On one hand, he could have signaled that he understood his liberal policies were being rejected by the people and move towards the center, like Bill Clinton.

On the other, he could say to hell or high water and go the Jimmy Carter route by staying the course on his liberal agenda in hopes that he can remold the country in his image as much as possible before his term expires.

It’s now apparent that the soon to be legendary “Obama ego” will not allow him to emulate the path taken by Clinton.

After the shellacking he will receive to the tune of massive GOP victories this November, he will have a chance to right the course again.

However, after telling Diane Sawyer, “I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president,” it looks like his delusion of doing a satisfactory job will cause him to sink his own ship.

The 1980 Jimmy Carter-esque trouncing that Obama is on a collision course for 2012 is of small consolation to patriotic Americans that are seeing their country slip away.

Let’s just hope that this November, voters will give power to Republicans, placing a check on the liberal free-for-all of the Obama administration.

I’m optimistic that voters have finally learned that it takes more than fancy campaign slogans of “hope” and “change” to actually bring them about.

This country needs a leader who actually has the desire and ability to lead, not one who is more concerned with settling political scores during the State of the Union.