Hey Prez -- great speech. Now listen to Larry.
Being the total geek that I am, I streamed the SOTU online while simultaneously following the text at Daily Kos and working remotely on something for the office. And I have to say, overall I was impressed
with the speech. Good delivery (of course), good balance between humility and assertiveness, and a number of solid, specific proposals for action. So here's my word to President Obama:
Hey Prez -- great speech. Now listen to Larry.
Which Larry? Larry Platt? Larry King? Larry Page? Larry Feinberg?
Nope, someone wiser, someone with the message of the moment, the message that needs to become this administration's mantra in 2010:
Git-R-Done!!
By trying to be bi-partisan, by trying to include everyone in the process, by trying to let the process play out, this administation has become stuck. The Republicans in the Senate have no interest in governing, leading, or doing what's right for the American people. Their only interest is sticking it to Obama. Don't believe me? Name on substantive proposal they have made in the past year, or one problem they have tried to work with the Dems to address.
So, Mr. President, even as you continue to try to involve the Party of No, you need to become the Administration of Larry the Cable Guy. You and the Dems in Congress -- and you alone, if need be -- need to start taking ground on the problems facing this country. You need to lead, to get people moving, to fight for your proposals and your ideals.
Notice I said fight for your proposals. Fighting the Republicans just to beat them means standing still and fighting. Moving down the road is the way to go; rather than trading body blows while standing still, start moving things forward and the Republicans will be left behind.
Set your sights on the ground you want to take, put a plan together, and take it. If you can be bi-partisan along the way, then wonderful. If the Republicans decide to govern rather than act like middle-schoolers, then share the glory.
But above all, whatever else you do -- get it done.

Policy and Politics | tagged
Obama,
SOTU 

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