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| CSpan cropped video
clip: Obama’s sly smile after responding to Republican’s disrespectfully applause |
President
Obama’s State
of the Union Address was exactly the right speech, at the right place, and at
the right time.
On the other hand, Speaker of the House John Boehner’s stony demeanor was all telling. His demeanor’s an indication of just what to expect from Congressional Republicans, and a Republican President, if one should be elected in 2016.
Their goal is to stymie all of Obama’s proposals. Moreover, it’s their long-term plan to slash the social safety net; repeal the Affordable Care Act; maintain, or increase tax breaks for wealthy Americans; maintain, or increase defense spending; cut Consumer Financial Protection Bureau funding, and repeal other regulations that protect Americans from free market abuses; dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency, privatize schools, prisons, and many other government functions
It’s hard to
understand, discomforting and appalling, why Republicans can’t see the benefits
that could be bestowed on ordinary Americans if they would only work toward making
Obama’s view of what America should be, passing legislation that benefits all
Americans, not just Wall Street and wealthy Americans.
Setting the
tone for the 2016 elections, the President said, "It's now up to us to
choose who we want to be over the next fifteen years, and for decades to come."
There are certain “issues worth fighting for in the coming years”: Paid sick
time and maternity leave; free tuition to community colleges; more investment
in America's infrastructure; and tax cuts for the middle class.
“Imagine if
we broke out of these tired old patterns. Imagine if we did something
different.”
Robert F.
Kennedy once said, “Some men see things as they are and say why; I dream things
that never were and say why not.”
I say, “why not!”
Copyright ©
2015 Horatio Green
