# Obama's SoTU Speech Analysis **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 28, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715 "2010-01-28T02:10:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/61 "2010-01-28T05:47:09Z")
Was anyone else slightly distracted by the very audible thump when Obama put his hands back on the podium after making a gesture? It almost replaced punctuation. And did anyone catch the quote from the Republican response, “We are blessed here in America with vast natural resources, and we must use them all.” That’s some Captain Planet villian stuff right there. I had to google the transcript, because I figured if I paraphrased it, people would assume I was paraphrasing dishonestly. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/62 "2010-01-28T05:51:37Z")
I’d give this one a D+. Obama appeared tired and frustrated, and the speech was all meringue, no filling. The response from his own party during the speech seemed restrained, at best. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/63 "2010-01-28T06:28:22Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I’d give this one a D+. Obama appeared tired and frustrated, Really? I guess we see what we want to see, but he seemed notably laid back and optimistic to me. More so then usual, and more so then I expected. And FWIW, I usually am not as big a fan of Obama’s speaking style as a lot of folks are (he does a decent job, but I think a lot of his rep for being a good speaker comes from people comparing him to his predecessor). > [@](#): > > and the speech was all meringue, no filling. Not really surprising. I don’t remember any Presidential SOTU giving any sort of major policy proposal that wasn’t broadcast several days ahead of time. Anyhoo, I thought he did a good job defending his policies and laying out his agenda. There’s a pretty limited amount a speech can do, but I suspect he’ll get a decent bump in the polls out of it, and a little more momentum back on his side. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/64 "2010-01-28T06:29:28Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I’d give this one a D+. Obama appeared tired and frustrated, and the speech was all meringue, no filling. The response from his own party during the speech seemed restrained, at best. It’s weird how much people can vary, since I thought he was on fire. I honestly can’t think of a SOTU that has ever been that good. ---
**Author:** ![HISSNLISSN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@HISSNLISSN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HISSNLISSN)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/65 "2010-01-28T07:27:25Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Nice one, and too true. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/66 "2010-01-28T07:38:36Z")
Where were Scalia and Thomas? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/67 "2010-01-28T07:57:14Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > Was anyone else slightly distracted by the very audible thump when Obama put his hands back on the podium after making a gesture? It almost replaced punctuation. > > And did anyone catch the quote from the Republican response, “We are blessed here in America with vast natural resources, and we must use them all.” That’s some Captain Planet villian stuff right there. I had to google the transcript, because I figured if I paraphrased it, people would assume I was paraphrasing dishonestly. Damn! You must have tapped into my brain! Those are the two things that really stood out for me, too. I especially liked the “…and we must use them ALL!” He really stressed that and seemed to think it was a \*good \*thing. As for the podium thumping–I think Obama should use a [shock-mounted](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_mount) microphone next time! ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/68 "2010-01-28T07:58:56Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Where were Scalia and Thomas? Busy scheming deep in their underground lair. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/69 "2010-01-28T08:02:58Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > I especially liked the “…and we must use them ALL!” He really stressed that and seemed to think it was a \*good \*thing. Sounds like something that would be said by a James Watt style as-soon-as-we-use-the-planet-up-Jesus-will-come-again Christian anti-environmentalist. The sort who think that it’s our religious duty to pave over, dig up, hunt to extinction or burn everything. ---
**Author:** ![ajb867](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@ajb867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajb867)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/70 "2010-01-28T08:16:15Z")
Dio, I thought the republican response was much improved over the trainwreck of a response that was last year. It was a smart decision to kind of make it look like a minature SOTU speech. When you go from a smooth talker with a huge audience constantly clapping to just a guy by him self with a horrible accent, you are already in a hole with nothing but a shovel. As for Obama, I was actually suprised he stuck to his guns. He wasn’t saying kiss my ass to the republicans. He was trying to subtly imply by not doing anything you are just as responsible for the current state of affairs. I was put off by the slam to the Supreme Court of the United States. He lost a lot of respect on that one and sadly it was towards the end of the speech. Overall the speech was going up and up and up, and then that cheap shot. Should of left it out of the speech completly and talked about it at some later time. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/71 "2010-01-28T08:25:56Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > As for the podium thumping–I think Obama should use a [shock-mounted](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_mount) microphone next time! I don’t know whether the SOTU setup is different, but supposedly the President’s microphone is a [Shure SM57](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM57), using the [VIP kit](http://www.avtg.com/shure-sm57-vip-dual-microphone-kit.htm). The kit includes the [A26M dual microphone stand](http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.104211700), which doesn’t seem to have an isolation mount. There is the [A55M shock mount](http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.104213600), but I don’t know how you’d rig up two of them. ETA: Oh, it looks like the VIP kit includes a custom dual shock mount in addition to the A26M. Shure’s site doesn’t really provide any details on the kit, so I don’t know for sure what’s up. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/72 "2010-01-28T09:00:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I think, that for those of a certain generation or older (basically baby boomers on back) the fact that we have a black President is still something they marvel at. I do think it’s harmless, but they do remember a time when such a prospect would have seemed preposterous, or at least something so far in the future as to be science fiction, like interstellar travel or flying cars. I think they still can’t believe it, so they seem fixated on it to a degree that seems bizarre and embarrasing to younger generations. People under 30, even under 40 don’t see the idea of a black President as anything all that extraordinary or anything to dwell on. It’s nice that it finally happened, yes, we broke that barrier, but it’s quickly become fairly incidental to them, while their parents and grandparents are still going “holy fucking shit.” I am not a huge fan of Chris Matthews but I am quite certain he meant no ill will by what he said. His quote was taken out of context. He was trying to say that he forgot about the president’s race, and that he views our society as a post-racial one (that’s debatable but still, he was expressing it.) His point was that in his address, he was not a black man (or a white man) - he was a president, and that’s what’s important. Now let’s face it, Obama’s race _has_ been a huge issue, one which has been appropriated by both sides (“Making history!” and “He’s not one of us”, depending on the side.) Matthews was saying, forget about that, it doesn’t matter. He’s our president. This was not a “Gosh, that speech was so good, I almost forgot that Obama was black!” (the implication being that blacks are bad speakers) kind of sentiment. I still think any white politician or any white public figure at all, who says anything about black people, in any way, even if it’s the most complementary and supplicating way possible, is risking being discredited. That’s how bonkers everyone is about the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/73 "2010-01-28T10:13:33Z")
Has a president ever called out the Supreme Court in a SOTU address before? He scolded them like a very disappointed father. I actually muttered “oh, damn!” after he delivered that part of the speech. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/74 "2010-01-28T10:47:00Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > He was trying to say that he forgot about the president’s race, and that he views our society as a post-racial one (that’s debatable but still, he was expressing it.) While I agree he probably meant no harm the thing about “forgot about the president’s race” is that it is not a matter for comment. If it was Bush would he say the same thing? Why should it be relevant? To me this is just a sad comment on the media. Matthews is one dolt among many. My panties are not in a wad over this. Just makes me shake my head and be sad. The President’s race has no bearing in this nor should it. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/75 "2010-01-28T14:10:46Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I haven’t been able to watch a SOTU straight through for decades. I can’t stand the continuous and phony jack-in-the-box response to each and every sentence. It’s not often I agree with Mssr. Magiver in these fora, but I gotta go with “amen brother” on this one. I don’t even refer to it as the State of the Union Address anymore. I prefer, The Congressional Aerobic Workout Hour. One day, one of these old bastards is just going to keel over from a massive coronary. Then … it’ll be worth some DVR time. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/76 "2010-01-28T14:34:38Z")
Serious question - who does not think that the applause aerobics is stupid and annoying? I’m about as far to the left as can be, but I find it just as annoying for Obama as it was for Bush. I’ve watched these things back to Carter, and can’t remember a president rebuking the Supremes or the other party quite as blatantly. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/77 "2010-01-28T14:48:57Z")
Tax cuts, spending increases - funny how the Bush policies go over so big delivered in blackface. At least he’s honest about why he postpones the “freeze”. Wonder what he will do if the economy isn’t doing so hot. Not that this - > [@](#): > > Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. (Applause.) Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. means anything. Medicare and Medicaid are 23% of the budget, Social Security is 21%, defense is another 21%. He didn’t mention interest on the national debt, which is around 8%, but since he isn’t Bush perhaps we can assume he isn’t violating his Constitutional duty by questioning the validity of the national debt. Add all the spending increases he is mentioning to the tax cuts he promised and it becomes clear he hasn’t learned anything over the last year. Maybe he is positioning himself for when the Republicans make gains in Congress during the mid-year elections, but I don’t think he is that politically sophisticated. OTOH, if BHO wanted to give me hope, this - > [@](#): > > But to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country. (Applause.) It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. (Applause.) would do it. Nothing about global warming, though - I wonder if that was deliberate? This is the first I heard about Michelle picking fat kids as her campaign - has this been announced before? That is a harmless enough, non-controversial cause, especially for a [black woman](http://www.usnews.com/health/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2009/07/16/blacks-have-highest-obesity-rates-in-us.html). Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/78 "2010-01-28T14:56:29Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Tax cuts, spending increases - funny how the Bush policies go over so big delivered in blackface. Still keeping that promise you made a while ago about your motivations, I see. > [@](#): > > Nothing about global warming, though - I wonder if that was deliberate? There were more than a few references to global climate change in the overall speech. You must have missed them. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/79 "2010-01-28T15:03:24Z")
He actually got a big laugh line when he said, “I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence for global climate change…” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715/80 "2010-01-28T15:05:25Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > He actually got a big laugh line when he said, “I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence for global climate change…” I half suspect that **Shodan** was attempting cleverness, since he specifically noted that there was nothing about “global warming”. Attempting being the operative word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-sotu-speech-analysis/526715.md?page=5)