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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObama cranks up populist pitch (The Hill)
Obama cranks up populist pitch
By Amie Parnes - 01/24/12 09:15 PM ET
President Obama used his election-year State of the Union address to issue a loud call for economic equality based on responsibility from everybody, a theme prefacing his 2012 campaign message.
Cranking up the volume on the populist message that the wealthy should pay higher taxes, Obama said the goal of economic equality was a return to American values and the defining issue of our time.
In the address dubbed a Blueprint for an America Built to Last Obama used the power of the bully pulpit before a sharply divided joint session of Congress to take the offensive and pledge that while he would work with lawmakers, he also intended to fight obstruction with action.
The president said no challenge is more urgent than to support the middle class.
We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules, Obama said. Whats at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values but American values. We have to reclaim them.
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http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/206293-obama-state-of-the-union-2012-congress-economy-jobs
tabatha
(18,795 posts)Skittles
(153,193 posts)"The president said no challenge is more urgent than to support the middle class."
is he just now figuring this out???
SunsetDreams
(8,571 posts)No, it's not the first time he's said as much. But with the do nothing Congress, specifically House Republicans, he has to keep repeating himself.
zbdent
(35,392 posts)but he was filibustered ...
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)denbot
(9,901 posts)We got his back.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)noun
a political candidate who runs in order to provoke the election and thus allow a stronger candidate to come forward.
ORIGIN early 16th cent.: from the former practice of using a horse trained to allow a fowler to hide behind it, or under its coverings, until within easy range of prey.
Not that it's a perfect fit, nor is it true that any of this was conscious or intentional, but still.
ObaMania
(2,054 posts)Deeds, not words Barry. People are hurtin' out here and you let people like Mittens get away with paying 15% tax rates. Too little, too late I'm afraid.
Amonester
(11,541 posts)So what do you think he should do? Sign an executive order????
Riiiiiiight....
Better strategy: try to give him a more 'left-leaning' super majority than 2008 as soon as in 10 months... or bust.
cliffordu
(30,994 posts)primavera
(5,191 posts)I was struck listening to the Repuke response by how similar their speech sounded to the president's. The Repukes claim to want to address income inequality and joblessness and to work together to promote fairness and a level playing field, yada, yada, yada. But is anyone on either side going to do anything about it? Of course not. They've demonstrated a thousand times over that their visions for how to accomplish those things are so divergent that there is no way for them to work together. Repukes will continue to shoot down any proposal a Dem introduces and vice versa. And, given how extreme Repuke ideology is these days, inactivity beats the alternative of helping Repukes further the country's drift towards a fascist plutocracy. But in the absence of any substantive common ground, all both sides have left is just empty slogans: freedom, liberty, justice, blah, blah, blah, wave the flag, wave the flag. Wake me up when somebody actually does something.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)They not only resist increasing taxes on the wealthy they what to reduce taxes on capital gains to ZERO. Get for real and start supporting Obama.
unkachuck
(6,295 posts)....yep....but I think I understood his logic....as soon as you take a position, you make someone happy and then piss-off someone else....his desire was to please everyone, his risk is to please no one....
Son of Gob
(1,502 posts)Just call him boy and get it over with.
dmosh42
(2,217 posts)And I do believe he will do he follow up, because it will be part of his campaign.
IamK
(956 posts)cliffordu
(30,994 posts)But don't let the fax get in your way.
Fuddnik
(8,846 posts)JJW
(1,416 posts)Then we can expect low wages (half of what they used to be), reduced pensioon plan, and no right to strike. We are now competing with third world labor.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)They were all in favor of bailing out the banksters, but the hell with the working folks at GM. I am beginning to wonder if this forum has been totally taken over by his Republican enemies.
lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)bottom line
(94 posts)I don't have a TV, almost 61
clicked on DU, clicked on "enhanced live stream"
Have now moved my "Get Involved Obama..." replaced with www.whitehouse.com for my places visited everyday...
You know busy...
How cool was that? At white house dot, scrolled over chairs of whom sat with Michelle & other interesting articles.
The graphs with the State of the Union, are OUTSTANDING!
Better than a rock star
Thank You
bvar22
(39,909 posts).."Cut Government Spending", "Reform" Entitlements, and Time to "Eat Peas" rhetoric of last year.
Dare I "HOPE" again?
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their Campaign Year Rhetoric.
[font size=5 color=green][center]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
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rudycantfail
(300 posts)I love it! I guess it's better to laugh.
Uncle Joe
(58,426 posts)Thanks for the thread, jefferson_dem.