Was Obama's State of the Union 'Aggressively' Liberal?

Pundits call it a 'swing to the left' and an attack on Republicans

Obama's State of the Union was a Democrat classic and a swing to the left, proclaims Politico. The address was "a proudly liberal message" according to a New York Times op-ed. Other sites are branding the speech an attack on the GOP. "The president brought...one simple message: Republicans are the problem," writes Slate's John Dickerson.

It's fair to say Obama touted a wide range of solidly liberal policies, from immigration reform to a minimum wage hike. He even pressed for major legislation on climate change and gun control – two defiantly "liberal" issues that have been off the political table since the early 2000s.

But if the speech had a liberal foundation, it was dressed up in rhetoric designed to appeal to the man on the street too. Obama phrased his policies in terms of "common sense" and protecting "middle-class families."

Via Politico, Slate, and the Daily Caller.

Did you think Obama's speech was very liberal?

[Medicinebow]

Why would someone this liberal speak in any other fashion?

[BobRooney]

The President's worldview, any citizen of any country who wants to work hard and get ahead is as entitled to a job as an American, even if that citizen of another country has broken our laws to be here.
If you against any kind of Amnesty, go to this website and register.
Google this: NUMBERSUSA . Once you are registered, go to the "action board"

[tomincali]

@BobRooney and who do you think those jobs he mentioned is going to go to, unemployed American citizens or the illegal aliens he wants to reward for their crimes?

[sittinduck]

@BobRooney My wive and I have been members for years. They're great for contacting congress and others about this issue.

[martydotcom]

@tomincali I guess,, your logic, we're better off keeping the illegals, whom everyone agrees, aren't going anywhere, off the books. That's great thinking, they are paying nothing all the. while we provide education health care, etc. Think reform!

[Thegrif]

@martydotcom i hear what you ate saying, get those illegals all legalized and get them working and paying in to the aystem insteed of living off of it.
Great idea.
Oh, but America isn't exactly conducive for job growth. What little jobs there are would be great if they went to local men a women and their families.
Round up the illegals and ship them any damn where else.
But hell naw, Obama had some im the fromt row last night at his little speech.

[Realthinker]

If this administration and the Democrats put half as much effort into job creation as they do into destroying conservatives, 8 million more Americans would have jobs this morning.

[mtkopf]

If the banks, Wall Street, and business leaders cared about our country half as much as the almighty dollar, we would have 10-12 million more jobs, 6-8 trillion less debt, and untold millions less ppl on food stamps, unemployment, and more ppl still in their homes.

[AceLuby]

This administration has tried to pass a jobs bill to deal with our failing infrastructure. It was filibustered in the senate and not even brought up in the house because the 'majority of the majority' didn't want to. What we have is what happens when we encourage our representatives to play politics instead of actually helping the American people, and that goes for both sides.

[Realthinker]

@mtkopf This mess was created by legislation called Dodd/Frank, both Democrats, and passed by Democrats, all of whom gleefully accept huge campaign donations from these very bankers. The Democrats are just as involved in crony capitalism as the Republicans. We need to throw all of them out of office. As for the number of people on the government dole, that number will never decrease so long as the Democrats have their way.

[Realthinker]

@AceLuby And the House sent more than two dozen jobs bills to the Senate where Reid threw them in the trash. The only people I see encouraging our politicians to play politics are the Democrats and they are doing a bang up job of it. The conservatives are frustrated as hell with everybody, especially the Republican establishment. That's why so many people stayed home on election day rather than vote for Romney.

[mtkopf]

@Realthinker Dodd/Frank was signed into law by President Obama July 21st 2010 IN RESPONSE to the abuses by banks and Wall Street that caused our financial meltdown.

[cpeter133]

The right-wingers have spent every day of this administration pushing their neocon agenda and attacking liberals; now they get a taste of their own medicine and they cry like little babies.

[Real4WheelDrv]

"Npw?" Conservatives and Republicans have been getting flak since '04, when people decided that disagreeing with the guy at the top meant you were racist.

[Real4WheelDrv]

@Real4WheelDrv 08 I'm sorry, keep getting my years mixed up.

[Zazziness]

@Real4WheelDrv No, saying racist things about the guy at the top means a person is a racist.

[BobRooney]

The President's worldview, any citizen of any country who wants to work hard and get ahead is as entitled to a job as an American, even if that citizen of another country has broken our laws to be here.
If you against any kind of Amnesty, go to this website and register.
Google this: NUMBERSUSA .Once you are registered, go to the "action board"

[AceLuby]

@BobRooney Not every issue revolves around illegal immigration. Stop spamming your crappy site.

[Emerald1]

Expected nothing less..got nothing more. Did he say anything that wasn't expected.? I can give a shorter SOTU speech...It stinks!

[ctc]

Can we really vote on this.......our Representatives won't like that.

[MrGreenHerb]

I'm happy with Obama.

[Angry_man]

You can't fix stupid

[Chromalord]

Obama's barely liberal at all. 30 years ago his approach would have been labeled conservative. If anything, I'd say he's too idealistic, trying to clean up the collective mess left behind from both parties created over the past 30 years. Was Obama picking on the GOP? Sure, some. How could he not? But I don't buy into the hype that the GOP actually feels singled out or has their feelings hurt. Only a GOP would claim any attacks on them would be unfair, not seeing their own arrogance in assuming they are beyond reproach, while dishing out far worse to Obama on a daily basis.

[PoliticalSpice]

Hardly a left leaning speech. Where is the FDR style jobs program? The commitment to build national high-speed rail? The promises to cut the military budget? Or to send the bankers who created the subprime mess to prison?

[Chromalord]

@PoliticalSpice Well stated! All valid points.

[frigginhell]

The GOP are the most victimized whiney group I've seen in years. Everything is an attack on them. If Obama walked out to a fresh spring sunrise on a warm clear day and remarked what a lovely day, John Boehner or some other loser would whine he was trying to rub it in their faces that somebody did something somewhere sometime blah blah blah killing the gop. What can you expect of a party who compares themselves to holocaust survivors because they have to go to work on monday.

[Vance1]

@PoliticalSpice
Last night President Obama did what President Obama does best--offering stale rhetoric and more promises he has no intention of keeping. You see, we've heard time and time again the notion that the President's policies won't add "a single dime" to our debt and deficit. But as we all know, this President has added more to the national debt than a combination of nearly all other presidents before him. It's time to demand fiscal responsibility.

We just can't take President Obama at his word anymore. We're running out of time to tackle an out-of-control spending addiction in Washington, and the President and his liberal allies in Congress are running out of excuses. More than ever, we need serious action to get our fiscal house in order. Too much talk has brought us nothing but a sputtering economy hanging on the edge of another downturn. The President has been stuck on repeat for the last four years, trying to pull the wool over your eyes and convince you that he and his Democrats aren't addicted to spending. But it's just not true.

Anyone who believes this man is an utter fool

[Chromalord]

@Vance1 OMG <facepalm>

[AceLuby]

Disappointed with this speech. He failed to mention the core economic issue: lack of demand requiring less workers. Nothing we can do will help our situation unless we deal with it, yet again it was missing from his speech. Better than Rubio's, which was a conscious stream of Fox talking points, but not much.

[PoliticalSpice]

I am very used to being disappointed by obama. Only thing he does that doesn't disappoint is beat republicans.

[AceLuby]

@PoliticalSpice As am I. He hasn't pushed for true economic reform, any real jobs bill, or ending the US Empire abroad. It seems all he wants to do is not screw up royally instead of pushing for anything of real substance.

[Denizen_Kate]

@AceLuby - Agreed. He's been the biggest disappointment because he seemed to have so much promise. Instead, he's been a bit of a wimp during his first term, and the speech gave me no hope that was going to change.

[seedtick]

We can expect nothing better from Barack Husssein Obama. He is a liberal, progressive idealog.

[WMCOL]

But am flummoxed that no one is mentioning that Motor Vehicles are the leading cause of death of children between the ages of 2 and 16.

Overall, records show in 2011, 33,000 were killed by motor vehicle, while gun related murders totalled 8,600.

If the anti-gun folks are serious about saving lives they are going at it bassackwards with their misplaced concerns.

Since driving is considered a privilege and not a right it should be easier to regulate by dictating more training and testing for drivers, stricter consequences for negligence, mandating devices that help keep drivers safer.

BTW, 4% of the 11,000 homicides last year were caused by the so-called assault rifles, and 4% by shotguns and regular rifles. Includes accidents and suicides. Why in the hell are the anti-gun folks going after rifles? It makes no sense. It has to be a strategy to get their feet further in the doorway to regulation so that gun rights can be further infringed.

The President made an emotional appeal for more gun regulation and that is wrong. Anytime reason is thrown out the window for emotion it always comes back to bite us in a very serious way.

[DogLady_1]

I think one should stick to comparing apples with apples... So, compare the numbers of murders with a vehicle to murders with guns, then compare accidental deaths caused by vehicles to accidental deaths by guns. Personally, I think a campaign for personal responsibility would have a better and lasting effects than gun control legislation.

[WMCOL]

@DogLady_1
Comparing "apples with apples" can be risky too as the pomaceous choices can be very diverse in size, shape, taste, usage, and purpose, and much more varied and difficult to compare with each other than the kinds of Murder. Murder is simply unlawful homicide, whether done with motor vehicle or gun.

And the rate is still much higher for motor vehicles than for guns. There may be a difference for certain kinds of murder but generally speaking the motor vehicle murders get the nod over gun murders.

Motor vehicle accidental deaths top gun accidental deaths by almost 4-1. Take out gun homicides and suicide and accidental deaths by gun are very low compared to vehicle accidental deaths.

[DogLady_1]

@WMCOL - People who use their vehicles to deliberately kill someone is much lower than those who use guns, according to CDC abd FBI... Murder is a deliberate act, while homicide refers to all "man kills man" incidents including accidents... Guns have a lower accident rate than cars, but guns have a higher intentional killing rate... but the weapons that are most used in deliberate killings are household objects, like hammers, bats, and kitchen knives.

[WMCOL]

@DogLady_1
Homicide is the death of a person by another person. Nothing more, nothing less.
It is the circumstances that make it something more.

Voluntary manslaughter with auto is also an intentional act but can be unintentional where it is unreasonable and grossly reckless conduct.

Far more intentional vehicle mishaps than intentional gun mishaps.

In most jurisdictions manslaughter is second degree MURDER.

Anyway it is shaken out 33000 motor vehicle deaths is a more urgent problem than 8000 gun deaths, especially since guns outnumber vehicles almost 5 to 1.

[smatx]

Obama is like the rest of politicians, they tell us what we want to hear. They suppress us while they get stronger. It's a joke, like the Pope.

[BelinKS]

Of course it was liberal, but he tried to say things to appease everyone at some part or another. It was just all talk as far as I'm concerned. He's not going to do things any differently. Raising the min. wage is a bad idea because inflation always follows. If people want to make more, get a harder job at a factory or get an education!

[MarkJM]

It also comes as no surprise to me. 0bama is so fascinated with Big Brother it's scary. This flippin' idiot needs to start looking/thinking outside the box of Far-Leftism. Sadly, it'll never happen. Jan 20, 2017. Hope we make it til then...

[MarkJM]

Thank you Politix Moderators. I know I can be a jerk at times but I will always make my best effort to keep my posts rated PG. I'm guessing the three that got removed decided to post Childish R rated responses.

[Knightkore]

Socialist police state is nearing completion....

[Food4thoughts]

All we lack is an armed guard in every school, movie theater, church, mall, and posted on every corner...but at least we'll have our guns...

[Russell797]

Whether you think the speech was liberal or not depends on what side of the isle you reside on. For me, everything he said made perfect sense and represents a course of action I support fully.

[PNWest]

It's not that Obama made a liberal speech, it was pretty much slightly left of center. The fact is that a good portion of the GOP is just Batsh%t crazy. Here's a good opinion piece on that ....http://americablog.com/201 3/02/poll-more-than-half-of-re publicans-want-to-impeach-obam a.html

[Yank]

@PNWest how many democrats wanted to impeach Bush? His speech only appeared slightly left of center to you because you are so far left. The left likes to pretend the right has moved further right, when the reality is the left that has moved. What used to be the far left fringe became mainstream. The right fringe is still the fringe, it is just very vocal. If anything the right has moved left embracing strong leftist traditions of war and over spending.

[PNWest]

@Yank Thanks for proving my point. Let's see who really has moved.....

Quotes from the official republican party platform of 1956. This is what the Republicans USED to stand for in the golden years of American prosperity.

"We are proud of and shall continue our far-reaching and sound advances in matters of basic human needs—expansion of social security—broadened coverage in unemployment insurance —improved housing—and better health protection for all our people. We are determined that our government remain warmly responsive to the urgent social and economic problems of our people"

"The record of performance of the Republican Administration on behalf of our working men and women goes still further. The Federal minimum wage has been raised for more than 2 million workers. Social Security has been extended to an additional 10 million workers and the benefits raised for 6 1/2 million. The protection of unemployment insurance has been brought to 4 million additional workers. There have been increased workmen's compensation benefits for longshoremen and harbor workers, increased retirement benefits for railroad employees, and wage increases and improved welfare and pension plans for federal employees."

In addition, the Eisenhower Administration has enforced more vigorously and effectively than ever before, the laws which protect the working standards of our people.

Workers have benefited by the progress which has been made in carrying out the programs and principles set forth in the 1952 Republican platform. All workers have gained and unions have grown in strength and responsibility, and have increased their membership by 2 millions.

Furthermore, the process of free collective bargaining has been strengthened by the insistence of this Administration that labor and management settle their differences at the bargaining table without the intervention of the Government. This policy has brought to our country an unprecedented period of labor-management peace and understanding.

The Eisenhower Administration will continue to fight for dynamic and progressive programs which, among other things, will:

Stimulate improved job safety of our workers, through assistance to the States, employees and employers;

Continue and further perfect its programs of assistance to the millions of workers with special employment problems, such as older workers, handicapped workers, members of minority groups, and migratory workers;

Strengthen and improve the Federal-State Employment Service and improve the effectiveness of the unemployment insurance system;

Protect by law, the assets of employee welfare and benefit plans so that workers who are the beneficiaries can be assured of their rightful benefits;

Assure equal pay for equal work regardless of Sex;

Extend the protection of the Federal minimum wage laws to as many more workers as is possible and practicable;

Continue to fight for the elimination of discrimination in employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry or sex;

Provide assistance to improve the economic conditions of areas faced with persistent and substantial unemployment.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php...

[Yank]

@PNWest the Eisenhower Liberal Republicanism hasn't existed in main stream for nearly 50 years. Is that what you are talking about? 50 years ago?

[PNWest]

@Yank Just look at how far your party has moved to the right. Disgusting.

[DogLady_1]

If republicans are feeling picked on, maybe it's because there are kernels of truth in what Obama said last night... instead if whining about getting picked on, be big boys and girls and pay attention because I guarantee you that many of your constituents feel the same way. I enjoyed watching the SOTU last night, but there were times when I had no idea what he was talking about... it all sounded like a manifesto that was read right after the puppy chewed it up... it made no sense! Just throwing a steam of sound-bites out there! Other times, he made perfect sense. I also enjoyed Rubio's rebuttal, that made a lot of sense too... but my local TV stations decided not to air the TEA Party response because they are not interested in informing Americans as much as they are about advertisers losing their 30 seconds of fame.

[cat2009]

His speech is no different than his first the same old ideas same promises same do nothing but spend administration same let's blame the other guy. I'm surprised his family doesn't get tired of hearing the same elephant dung over and over. I don't care if this Mexican she had with her qualifies for the dream act he is still an illegal and so are the parents. Criminals should not get rewarded.

[Buzzfriendly]

He doing pretty much what all of his predecessors (doesn't matter the party) have done. As they all do he put forth the path and direction he and his party believes is right and true, take credit for his successes and blame the failures\holdups on the other party. The bullet-ed process on page 3 of the Being President for Dummies manual.

[DerivePI]

When you point your finger, you have three fingers pointing back at you. Doesn't matter if you point with the left or right hand.

[DavidRobertson]

That speech proved how dumb Obama and the liberals really are. He lied, they clapped like retards at Chuckie Cheese, as I am sure most of the Obamatons did at home, and I sat there thinking, "seriously? You are dumber than I thought".