Via Steve Benen, reactions to the SOTU address from a Denver focus group:
The President generated strong responses on energy, education and foreign policy, but most important, he made impressive gains on a range of economic measures. These swing voters, even the Republicans, responded enthusiastically to his call for a “Buffett Rule†that would require the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. As one participant put it, “I agree with his tax reform – the 1 percent should shoulder more of the burden than the other 99 percent. He [Obama] talked about being all for one, one for all – that really resonated for me.†These dial focus groups make it very clear that defending further tax cuts for those at the top of the economic spectrum puts Republicans in Congress and on the Presidential campaign trail well outside of the American mainstream.
The Republican response, by and large, has been to attack the President’s character and intentions rather than his proposals.
“The Republican response, by and large, has been to attack the President’s character and intentions rather than his proposals.”
Well, of course that’s what they did.
Countering his proposals means having to have a fight on the battlefield of ideas.
And they haven’t had any since Goldwater was in knee-britches.
Character assassination is all that they know. It’s kind of nice seeing them use that against one another on the campaign trail.
Pres. Obama is still pulling his punches and needs to follow through with a few right hooks. For example, he said today something like, “Asking billionaires to pay the same rate as secretaries isn’t class warfare; it’s common sense.”
The correct line, Mr. President, is “Asking secretaries to pay a higher rate than billionaires–now, that is class warfare for you!”
Oh I miss George, Carlin that is! Maybe his political analysis wasn’t quite as structurally systemic as I would appreciate from a professor or (ha ha, good luck) from a politician, but he made me feel REAL. Not like I’m living in a nightmare and can’t wake up. He reminded us of what we have lost, our collective humanity. And for those moments in his presence (I once saw him live), his twinkling eyes told a story of love.