by

Jeffrey D. Klein

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January 28, 2010 –  Well, there was the pivot.  (see: Watch for the Pivot)

It is my firm belief that God teaches lessons.  During the last election, in the run up to Barack Obama's outdoor convention speech, all the usual right-wing propagandists - i.e. Matt Drudge, etc. -- made a public show of praying for it to rain on that night.  The idea was that rain would disrupt Obama's big moment.  It didn't.  Meanwhile, the Republicans, with their convention indoors, never thought rain could obliterate their proceedings.  But as luck - or perhaps God - would have it, there was a warning of a potentially devastating hurricane threatening the South of the nation just as the convention was about to open.  Not wanting a Katrina-type neglectful repeat... yes, the Republican Convention, indoors and all, was pre-empted by rain.  Bush and Cheney's big opening night speeches - the champions of the Drudge/propaganda right - were completely eliminated.

Last night, America collectively said, "Why wasn't this what we were hearing all last year?" The reality is, that Barack Obama was busy focusing on repaying political debts and making an homage to one man.  The calls to put principle aside for political reasons - whether the call comes from the left or the right - are constant, and tempting.  It may have seemed almost noble to honor the legacy of someone who had served as long a tenure as Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family by making priority one - indeed, the only front-and-center priority for a full year - the pet project of the ailing, then deceased, Senator from Massachusetts.

But putting political payback or a tribute to a single person's legacy before the nation - well, let's just look at what happened.  The GOP wanted to ruin the Democrats' moment with rain; their moment got ruined by rain.  Barack wanted to put aside the nation's needs to honor Ted Kennedy's legacy; the legacy of Senator Kennedy and the Kennedy family was shattered as the seat they held for more than fifty years in a solidly Democratic state went Republican, both ending the crusade to put Kennedy's pet project before the nation's needs and leaving Obama's own legacy and ability to lead in jeopardy.

But last night what the nation saw was a humble, if not repentant, man.  President Obama was the polar opposite of what the nation suffered for eight years with under George W. Bush.  Rather than attacking and maligning those who stood before his agenda, rather than dubbing un-American or even wrong-headed those who throttled his plans, rather than sticking to his course regardless of what anyone thought, Barack Obama listened, took the message, and made a severe, drastic, immediate change.

Now to be honest, as mentioned in the linked article above, Barack very likely would have been giving this same speech had Scott Brown not been elected.  He would have been pivoting to focus on the economy and green energy as he did; only difference being, he would have been able to trumpet a supposed victory in pushing through an oversized, rushed, ego/legacy-driven healthcare reform bill that would have put the nation's healthcare system in serious jeopardy.

Obama started with a great, inspiring intro.  During America's great challenges, success was never certain nor guaranteed.  References to the Great Depression and early uncertainty on D-Day.  A true call not just to action, but to stand strong even as things stay tough and threatening.

That's all well and nice - very nice actually - but would this be the Obama America has seen not get the state of the economy over the past year, the one who is certain that his stimulus bill alone was the cure-all and that the 'recovery' has begun and jobs would soon be returning?  At first it seemed so, as Obama flat-out declared, "The worst of the storm has passed."  That, as M/I readers know, is both untrue and a dangerous, potentially disastrous comment, as it puts both an expectation for it to be true and the responsibility should it not be on him and his policies, rather than on the conservative economic agenda that is the true cause of the state we are in.

But after that comment, that sentiment disappeared, and Obama did, for the rest of the speech, not only hit on-target the issues affecting the economy; not only did he present on-target solutions, like eliminating tax incentives for sending jobs overseas, like standing tough against breaches of trade deals and aggressively seeking out new markets and to increase exports; like focusing on restoring the progress that the dark-Bush-age killed in science, clean energy, and other pillars of economic potential; not only did he repeatedly point out that competition with the Chinese, India, and other countries is priority one, that they aren't shooting for second place; not only did he relentlessly focus on these realities, but he put the blame for the current economic mess squarely on the people who governed before he arrived.

In his own words:

There is no reason Europe or China should… have the new factories that manufacture clean energy products.  We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities… slash the tax breaks that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to those that keep our jobs right here in the United States of America (as a note, the Republicans didn't stand up for this point.)  These steps won’t make up for the 7 million jobs we lost in the past 2 years… we must lay a new foundation… face the problems (we have neglected) for years... We can't afford another so-called economic "expansion" like the one from last decade, what some call the "lost decade," where jobs grew more slowly than during any prior expansion, where the income of the average American household declined while the cost of health care and tuition reached record highs, where prosperity was built on a housing bubble and financial speculation...

That's quite a mouthful, and, more importantly, it is not in line with the frightening comments he's been making - such as the one above that 'the worst is over' - which have made it seem like he doesn't get that nothing is fixed yet; that there is a mess left by decades of voodoo corporatist conservatism.  He continued:

You see, Washington has been telling us to wait (to address these issues) for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China's not waiting to revamp its economy; Germany's not waiting; India's not waiting.  These nations, they're not standing still. These nations aren't playing for second place. They're putting more emphasis on math and science. They're rebuilding their infrastructure. They're making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs.  Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America.

This is the stuff M/I has been screaming about, that Americans have been going out of their heads wondering how he could not get that these are the issues facing us while all we heard about was healthcare, healthcare, healthcare.

Obama was actually pretty modest in highlighting the sea change he has actually begun to initiate.  He pointed out a company in North Carolina making new-generation batteries that will hire 1,200 and a California company making solar panels that will hire 1,000.  He didn't, as he could have, painted a more comprehensive picture, of how he has steered the car companies - against the objections of Republicans - to make more efficient and electric-based cars, while at the same time moving to have American companies start to lead the way in the battery technology that will be in those cars, while truly kicking off an entire new massive clean energy movement, including going from having zero federal land being used for solar power to being on the verge of having the largest solar farm on the planet built on the once vacant desert of California (see: this article), with that just being the beginning of a massive, multi-state solar movement - with both the focus of making the energy and having the means of making it - the solar panels, etc. - manufactured right here in America.

This is the beginning of a the massive green energy change promised which has the real potential to transform America's economic reality in a way never before experienced.  And all of these policies were ones the GOP opposed and/or do not believe in.  This has been leadership, success, and right on target.

Though he didn't dwell on painting this picture, he made clear he is not lost in some delusional land where everything is fine thanks to the stimulus bill and now we can forget about that economy thing and just spend a trillion giving people health care.

There were other issues, but this was the meat of the speech, and a reason for true hope for America.  To this point, M/I never endorsed Barack Obama.  At this moment, I can say with confidence that if America gets behind this President, that if they don't erode his majority, or even better increase it; if they elect the right type of like-minded moderates - candidates who won't want to focus on trillion-dollar health care giveaways or want to return us to the disastrous conservative policies that have left us in a dark age and falling behind countries to whom we were the unquestioned leader - the nation has a true opportunity to be led out of the mess it is in and toward a new era of prosperity and greatness.

Obama also, as if quoting from the pages of M/I, reminded his party that they, "...have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect you to solve problems, not run for the hills."  He mentioned the Republican overuse of the filibuster, that they are choosing to, "require 60 votes" to get anything passed, but didn't threaten to undo the filibuster rule as he should have, instead issuing only a weak attempt at guilt-induction.

But Obama didn't let the GOP off the hook on this night.  Again and again he reminded the nation that, "At the beginning of the last decade, in the year 2000, American had a record surplus of $200 billion," and that it had become $1 trillion deficits by the time he took office.  He brought up pay-as-you-go which he said led to the surpluses.  The record that Gore fled from and that the right-wing propaganda machine pretends isn't real at last was back.  Tomorrow the GOP can pretend again it's the Democrats who create deficits; for this night, the cross-hairs were on the targets.  He brought back up the Bush tax cuts and their devastating, bankrupting effect on the nation, and yes, talked about getting rid of them.

The reality is Obama's nearly year-long escapade putting these topics on the back-burner, sickening the nation with the dry biscuit of all-at-once health care change, means that though he hit on all the right points last night, though he laid out a truly on-the-mark agenda for the nation (save for mentioning fixing free trade,) how much ability and support he will have to get these things done is without question greatly diminished.  Had he focused on these issues from day one, he could have had approval numbers in the high seventies and have kept the Democratic supermajority.

We will have to wait and see how long - if ever - it will take to regain the momentum and capital he came into office with.  The right-wing propaganda machine and its fictitious, third-world-like Tea Party front have been given a massive entré, power born of success.  The Democratic majority is not as strong, the American people are more cynical and less trusting that action will follow his words.

But last night, Barack Obama showed why the nation should - indeed, must - not only give him the rest of his chance, but stand firmly and strongly behind him and his agenda.  If the nation does, these dark days will, a handful of years down the road, be but part of story we tell our children.

If the nation does not and decides to weaken Obama and the Democrats' majority even more, reverting to candidates that want to reinstate the disastrous ways of the past decade, then this is just beginning of the downturn.

As if we had any doubt about this, did the Republicans really center their response around deregulation?  Really??  I mean, seriously, they wouldn't jump on the wrong side of one of the biggest issues of the moment, never mind make it the centerpiece of their retort, whining repeatedly about how it's unfair to regulate... yes, they flat out said it... those bonus-giving/bailout-taking banks?  Would they?

Many Americans are concerned about this administration's effort to exert greater control over car companies, banks, energy, and health care...

Um.  Thank you for clarifying you would have just given the car companies cash without steering them away from SUV production toward efficient - and saleable - high mileage and electric vehicles.  But on top of that, "...banks..."  Really?  You couldn't have just bagged on the attempt to exert the control over health care?  You had to throw banks in there?  You need the American people to know you just wanted us to hand them the billions without interfering with their right to use that money to give themselves big bonuses?  Really, that's your speech? 

I mean come on.  You could have gone after Obama as a man of great words and not much else; even, imagine, you could have laid out an alternate version of a solution to the economic situation we are in:

The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper limited role of government at every level.

Again, what can one say but, really?  What you have to say is that we should go back to how things were before Obama got into office?  That was working for you?

Without reform, the excessive growth of government threatens our very liberty and our prosperity.

Um, which prosperity is that?

Here in Virginia, we've faced our highest unemployment rate in more than 25 years...

Oh, that prosperity.

Many -- many of us here tonight -- and many of you watching -- have family or friends who have lost their jobs. In fact, 1 in 10 Americans is unemployed.

 Yes, we should definitely leave things in the state the GOP had us in which created this 'prosperity'.

I mean seriously, that was their speech.  Even worse, they couldn't even get through it without completely going against what they said.  In one breath:

Today, the federal government is simply trying to do too much...

Yet in the next breath:

Government should have this clear goal: Where opportunity is absent, we must create it. Where opportunity is limited, we must expand it. Where opportunity is unequal, we must make it open to everyone.

I don't know what else to say but, "Really?"  That was the sentiment one had to have for the entire speech.  "Really?  This isn't a satire but your actual speech?"  The GOP responses' comments on alternative energy:

We are blessed here in America with vast natural resources, and we must use them all. Advances in technology can unleash more natural gas, nuclear, wind, coal, alternative energy that will lower your utility bills.

Coal?  The GOP stood up last night and said they think our problem is we are regulating those banks that looted us, and that coal is, "alternative energy that will lower your utility bills?"  Notice solar isn't even mentioned as an alternative energy option.  As I said, "Really?"  Thank you GOP for making clear that if you were still in charge we wouldn't be taking step one toward true alternative energy, that not one spec of desert would be opened to be used for solar farms - as none was allowed during your tenure, that the car companies would still be welcome to just make more of those SUV's, and that the rest of the world could go ahead and take the lead in solar cell and battery production.  Don't worry, we'll be working on this great new alternative energy that will fix everything:  coal.

Oh my.

 And let me just help you guys out.  We see the two black people spaced an appropriate distance so as to not appear suspicious but to appear plentiful.  And the Asian person.  Set right behind the speaker.  With plastic smiles glued to their faces.  We see this, and we think, "Really?  Choosing to use black people as obvious props is still a good idea to you?"  I guess the GOP hasn't moved past that.  So let me help.  In case you really don't realize, the entire nation doesn't see it and think, 'Wow, the GOP likes/includes black people,' but rather we all say to ourselves and eachother, 'Wow, the GOP still uses black people like scenery to try and manipulate opinion.'"

Alright I'm done.  Well, one more.  I mean, I can't just not quote what they said was their better version of health care reform:

Republicans in Congress have offered legislation to reform health care... And we will do that by implementing common sense reforms, like letting families and businesses buy health insurance policies across state lines and ending frivolous lawsuits against doctors and hospitals that drive up the cost of your health care.

Who knew?  That's all it would take?  All of our health care problems can be solved by allowing us to shop for insurance across state lines?  I'm not going to say it.  Ok, I have to.  Really?  Like allowing Enron to sell electricity across state lines worked out so well?  Awesome.  Don't have insurance?  Hey, fill up your gas tank, drive a state or two over, and suddenly, you'll have magical new money that will allow you to somehow be able to buy great health insurance.  Oh.  And lawsuits.  Lack of interstate shopping and lawsuits.  That's the entirety of why health costs are spiraling and bankruptcy from medical bills is the number one reason Americans are going broke.

Ok, I'm 'really' done now.  Really.  "Really?"  All I can say is, you can get behind Obama and his on-target goals and statements, or... coal and interstate shopping.  Yes, really.