State of the Union scorecard: Guardian reporters grade Obama's speech

[cali]

<snip>

Economy: C+

Obama's take on the current economy is too optimistic, putting a too-positive spin on unemployment, housing, and the chances that CEOs will fix anything. However, his proposals this time are specific and reachable, so that's a big change from previous years. If he fails on any of these, he won't have far to fall

Foreign policy and national security: D

Obama's getting credit in the media for saying the bare minimum of things on foreign policy, like taking America off "permanent war footing", but all he's shown that to mean is winding down ground wars, one of which he massively escalated. All the authorities for global war, unbounded by time and space, remain. Obama missed a big chance to make a case to a hostile Congress that a diplomatic settlement with Iran is overwhelmingly in the US national interest, preferring a cautious defense of an interim Iran nuclear deal. He'll have to move heaven and earth in Congress if he's to pull off what would be the US's biggest diplomatic breakthrough in 25 years.

<snip>

Climate change and energy: C

Obama re-committed to his climate change plan of using the EPA to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and gave a forceful defence of climate science. But he undercut those moves by pushing the expansion of natural gas – which is also a fossil fuel. Recent studies have shown much higher emissions of methane, which is 80 times more powerful than CO2 over 20 years, undercutting its climate benefits. There are also real concerns that pushing natural gas will make it harder for renewables like solar and wind to find a bigger market share.

<snip>

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/28/state-of-the-union-scorecard-grade-obama

[quinnox]

1. recommended, nice to see a non-US centric perspective

[TheMathieu]

2. And that's why they get a small paragraph in a subpar newspaper.

Rather than the podium in a joint session of Congress.

Their highly subjective analysis couldn't be more irrelevant.

[cyberswede]

3. Why would a reporter ever get the podium in a joint session of Congress?

I like the Guardian.

[TheMathieu]

8. Gone are the days when a newspaper simply printed the speech without subjective analysis.

Now "journalists" trip over themselves trying to be the most contrary person in the room and nothing of real substance is said.

It is an affront to journalism.

[cyberswede]

9. I believe this person wrote a review/analysis, not merely a report.

Opinion writers have always done that.

And just because you don't agree with the analysis doesn't mean the writer set out to be as contrary as piossible. How about this: it's their actual opinion of the speech. You have an opinion, I have an opinion, the Guardian writer has an opinion. That's the way things work.

...as an aside, I see plenty of substance in that analysis.

[NuclearDem]

4. Uh, the President gets a podium in Congress because the Constitution says so.

Also it's a British newspaper.

Also it's not an American president.

[cali]

5. subpar newspaper? so do tell what you consider to be an "above par" newspaper?

Actually, the analysis given is accurate and fair. furthermore, hon, just because you consider it irrelevant, doesn't make it so.


welcome to DU. The BOG is thataway.

[TheMathieu]

10. The New York Times and Washington Post are far superior to The Guardian.

They've both informed the public well for years.

P.S. I'm not sure what you mean by "BOG"

[cali]

13. lol. yeah, the Jeff Bezos owned WaPo. Yikes. What a filthy right wing corporate rag

The NYT is better than the WaPo, but it isn't as good as The Guardian and it predictably backs a corporate agenda- such as endorsing the TPP.

BOG = Barack Obama Group. For all those who adore and defend everything Obama.

[cyberswede]

14. hmm

In President Obama’s State of the Union, ambition goes missing
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/in-president-obamas-state-of-the-union-ambition-goes-missing/2014/01/28/6548d8fe-8894-11e3-a5bd-844629433ba3_story.html?tid=pm_opinions_pop

State of the Union, as It Was Spoken and as Decoded
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/us/politics/state-of-the-union-as-it-was-spoken-and-as-decoded.html

Looks like people at all kinds of newspapers have all kinds of opinions.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. Welcome to DU

and don't mind the permanently disgruntled who enjoy liberally using pejoratives against the current President (Barack Obama) and against any of his supporters (avid or casual) who post in DU's "Barack Obama Group" ("BOG" - which is one of the subject matter discussion forums outside of this General Discussion forum). It's like the RW's RedState forums around here of late.

[malaise]

22. Huh?

Not in this world or the next.

[quinnox]

6. Its very relevant to those of not blinded by "USA! USA!"

[TheMathieu]

12. I wouldn't be caught dead chanting "USA! USA!"

It made me ashamed that members of Congress actually chanted it last night.

I'm not blindly patriotic or blindly loyal to the President, but I do hold them in high regard.

[reddread]

7. should have followed your advice sooner

welcome to the list.

[frazzled]

11. To be followed by The Nation's review of Cameron's next speech to Parliament

Can't wait. Why hasn't Great Britain ended global warming yet?

[geek tragedy]

15. trashing thread. the need for some people to post ten threads complaining

about the same damn speech is more than tedious.

[SidDithers]

17. +1...nt

Sid

[HappyMe]

16. Okay.

[LordGlenconner]

18. The spamming is thick today

[HappyMe]

20. Yes, it is.

[ProSense]

21. LOL!

Foreign policy and national security: D

Obama's getting credit in the media for saying the bare minimum of things on foreign policy, like taking America off "permanent war footing", but all he's shown that to mean is winding down ground wars, one of which he massively escalated. All the authorities for global war, unbounded by time and space, remain. Obama missed a big chance to make a case to a hostile Congress that a diplomatic settlement with Iran is overwhelmingly in the US national interest, preferring a cautious defense of an interim Iran nuclear deal. He'll have to move heaven and earth in Congress if he's to pull off what would be the US's biggest diplomatic breakthrough in 25 years.