First Principles

I have to work for a living, so I couldn’t make it home in time to do a real live blog.  But here’s almost live reaction via my DVR, with listed times Eastern.

7:01:  I have to say – after suffering through MSNBC pre-coverage, it’s a pleasure to have it back on Fox.  It’s not just that they’re more sympathetic to my viewpoints, they’re just orders of magnitude more talented.

7:03:  As usual, the President is late.  Rude, and annoying.  It gives me time for a prediction, though – he will say nothing particularly new, will provide no actual details, and he will blame other people for his failures.  It will also sound like a stump speech.

7:05:  Well, only 5 minutes late.  Could be worse.  But now he has to do his big entrance.  And why does Michelle look so mad?

7:08:  I don’t think all the gladhanding helps him.  If he wants us to think he understands the economy is in crisis, he should act more sober.

7:09:  “Tonight we meet at an urgent time.”  But not urgent enough for me to cancel my vacation.

7:10:  Americans don’t care about politics.”  Yeah, yeah they do.  Because politics determine whether or not we have a competent president.

7:11:  He used this “company loyalty” meme before.  It’s actually a sad vision – “If only you get along at work, you got your megar piece of bread!  Please.  This guy has no idea of the economic history of this country.  And if he wants to stop the political circus, quit acting as the ringleader.  The next time your union thug allies talk about “taking out” the right, call them out.  Sheesh.

7:12:  “I’m sending the plan – pass it right away!”  Haven’t we had enough of PASS IT NOW!!! legislation?

7:13:  Everything will be paid for?  By whom?  Nobody has any money!

7:14:  I like the idea of cutting payroll taxes and lowering taxes on small businesses.  So why hasn’t he proposed that already?  It could have passed two years ago.  This is why I don’t believe anythign he sauys, even when it SHOULD appeal to me.  If he meant it, it would have happened by now.

7:15:  “Pass it right away.”  Again – why the rush?  Can we at least read the thing first?

7:16:  Here’s the thing with “infrastructure.”  All of those jobs are government jobs, and they have to be paid for by OTHER people with private sector jobs.  This is what he will NOT say tonight – where are we getting the money from this?

7:17:  Why are federal funds going to fix local schools?  Why are we laundering that money through federal bureaucrats instead of keeping it local in the first place?

7:18:  He doesn’t use the phrase, but what he’s talking about are “shovel ready jobs,” which we’ve already seen aren’t so shovel ready.  I understand it’s been supported in the past by both parties, but so have a lot of other stupid policies.  And again – “pass it NOWNOWNOWNOW!!!”  If I heard that from a used car salesman, I’d walk outt he door.

7:19:  Ooh!  Dean Heller gets TV time!

7:20:  Disadvantaged young people will have summer jobs?  DC, where the federal government has direct control, has some of the worst teenage unemployment in the nation, which is really bad everywhere.

7:21:  Extend unemployment for ANOTHER YEAR?  How is that supposed to boost long term productivity?  And again, WHO IS PAYING FOR IT?

7:22:  I think this plan also will turn straw into gold.

7:23:  So he’s going to pay for it with 2.3 Trillion over the past 10 years.  The problem is that that’s only about 2 years with of deficits.  He’s not talking about paying for ANYTHING.  He’s talking about putting MORE on the credit card.

7:24:  Here comes the class warfare.  Lord.  If you raised taxes on “the wealthy” to 100%, you STILL wouldn’t solve the spending problem.

7:24:  Millions WON’T be relying on Medicare, because it won’t be there.  I’m glad he’s FINALLY admitting that these programs are unsustainable.  But does any serious person think he’s willing to actually fix it?  I hope so, but I’m not holding my breath.

7:25:  Ooo – quoting Warren Buffet, the hypocrite who hides behind tax shelters and then complains about it for political advantage?  And if all these wealthy people are willing to just fork it over, why haven’t they already?  They can do it today!

7:26:  I’m actually very happy to hear him talk about getting rid of tax loopholes.  Flat tax for all!  Of course, the 47% who pay no income taxes at all will probably complain, so again, I’m not holding my breath.

7:27:  More class warfare.  And hey – when you have to say, “This isn’t political grandstanding,” it is.  I love that there was laughter at that line – it deserves plenty of ridicule.

7:29:  Secure jobs!  Should we prohibit companies from automating?

7:30:  “All of us will have to up our game.”  Actually, how ’bout you get out of the game, and let the people who actually know how to create wealth their jobs.

7:30:  I like that he’s talking about cutting red tape, and I also like forcing banks to be more fair with refinancing.  But WHAT red tape?  His lack of specifics is hardly encouraging.

7:31:  Buy our cars, Koreans!  Good lord – he’s gone from just SOUNDING like a used car salesman to actually BEING a used car salesman!

7:32:  We will never again be a manufacturing center.  It’s just not going to happen.  Not that I wouldn’t like to see more.  But that’s where the government should have the least role.

7:33:  “Some of you have a different theory.”  Well, it was nice of him to acknowledge the differences are sincere.  But it sounded insincere and condescending when he said it – which makes sense, since he doesn’t believe it.

7:34:  500 changes to the federal burueacracy?  That’s all you can come up with?

7:35:  Shout out to the unions!

7:35:  Dismatle government.”  So, so, so dishonest.  And quite frankly, in many ways it IS the story of America.  We’ve spilled a lot of blood to keep governments off our back.  But no Republican is advocating NO government.

7:36:  Lincoln didn’t do the transcontinental RR on his own, it was private companies who were looking to make profits, and not just by taking government checks for their contracting work. Again, he has NO clue about American history.

7:37:  “What kind of country would this be if we didn’t have SS or Medicare?”  A solvent one?

7:38:  This speech is empty and banal.  It will convince no one not already drinking the kool-aide.

7:39:  “I know there’s been a lot of skepticism.”  With good reason.  And I DO think that our differences are so great that they can only be resolved at the ballot box, quite frankly.  Again, if the people don’t have the luxury of waiting, why did you wait in this speech until you get back from vacation?

7:40:  I wish he’s stop calling this a plan.  It’s not a plan.  It’s the outline of a proposal for a plan.  Besides – we don’t pass plans, we pass bills – and bills have details that speeches don’t.

7:41: I’ll take it to the people!  Is this threatening to tattle on Congress?  In case you missed it, Mr. President, the people stopped listening to you awhile ago.

~~~

Man – that was pretty weak.  Some good ideas he could have passed a year ago, had he been serious.  But he’s not. He will follow up on none of it, and he left himself with plenty of wiggle room amongst all those detail-less bromides that no matter what happens, he can blame someone else for failure.

Like I said before – this will not change a single mind.  If this is as good as he’s got, he should start looking for a place to live in Illinois come January 2013 or so.