Special to the AmNews
If the usual rhetorical flair and occasional lyrical resonance were missing from President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, it did abound with a number of audacious proposals for the Republicans to chew on and mull over before they soundly reject them.
In this address, there were no quotes or references to past presidents—no Lincoln, FDR, LBJ, JFK, not even Reagan. In this time when Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy is being invoked in the theaters and on the streets, Obama steered clear of him, as he did on immigration, the dismal midterm elections and gun violence, which was heavily stressed at his previous State of the Union address.
Of course, Black Americans heard little that directly related to them, though many of his proposals inevitably will affect them, if the proposals ever see the light of day. His words may not have had that poetic arch he can invest in a speech, but the numbers leaped from the page—a page he said it was time to turn.
“Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “Today, fewer than 15,000 remain. And we salute the courage and sacrifice of every man and woman in this 9/11 generation who have served to keep us safe.”
As usual, any mention of the armed services will bring most of the bodies in the chamber to its feet, but given the partisanship in Congress, the Democrats got the real workout, repeatedly on their feet to applaud the president’s remarks while the Republicans mostly sat on their hands.
Obama beamed as he cited the reversal of outsourcing and arrival of new jobs to America. He said that over the past five years, the nation’s businesses have created more than 11 million new jobs.
There was excitement in his voice, too, when he reported the good news on the country’s increased wind power and lower gas prices and higher fuel standards. Now, he said, “the typical family this year should save $750 at the pump.”
And there was no way he was going to avoid discussing his signature Affordable Care Act, which the Republicans are sharpening their knives to eviscerate. This past year alone, he observed, “about 10 million uninsured Americans finally gained the security of health coverage.” This was just one of several improvements he was proud to take credit for.
At the core of his address was relief for the middle class, and nothing means as much to them as quality child care. He promised to put forth measures to guarantee more affordable care for families with young children “by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per year.” Watching the speech on television, you could see Speaker John Boehner turn a deeper color of red hearing that comment.
The speaker blanched even more when Obama talked about raising the minimum wage. “I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it.” He paused for a moment to let the point sink in. “If not, vote to give millions of the hardest working people in America a raise.” Again, there was thunderous applause.
Obama’s words were like manna to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who chimed in with this email response: “In today’s global economy, where the majority of wealth is held by 1 percent of the world’s population, we need more than ever a champion in the White House for the middle class, the working class and those trapped in vice grip of poverty. As I’ve said before, we can’t wait to address these issues. We must ensure the wealthiest pay their fair share, so we can move together as one nation toward greater prosperity. Cities must act, as we have in New York City, on values like paid sick leave, immigration reforms, universal pre-kindergarten and better wages, so together we pursue a path toward stronger cities and greater opportunity laid out by President Obama tonight.”
The president summoned a full ovation from the chamber when he invoked Joining Forces, the national campaign launched by his wife, Michelle, and Jill Biden, the vice president’s wife, which has helped 700,000 veterans and military spouses get new jobs. “So to every CEO in America, let me repeat: If you want somebody who’s going to get the job done, hire a veteran.”
An even larger number came when the president said manufacturers have added more than 800,000 new jobs. He said the automobile industry was booming, and he praised the efforts of Google, eBay and Tesla for their efforts, which have stimulated the job market and the economy.
Even so, there was much to be done, he said, when 95 percent of the world’s customers live outside the U.S. He was pleased to learn that manufacturing executives were seeking ways to bring jobs back from China. “Let’s give them one more reason to get it done,” he commanded.
Toward the end of his speech, Obama offered some of his oratorical magic, and when he said that in every neighborhood he wanted his actions to tell every child “your life matters,” it must have registered well with the young people marching in the streets for police reform. This concern was given additional impetus when he commented on the necessity for reforming the criminal justice system.
All of Obama’s bold initiatives were received well by Rep. Charles Rangel. In an email, he stated: “His fully funded proposal to cut taxes for families would ease the burden on working parents and help adults save for retirement. Free community college tuition would enable everyone, regardless of economic status, to develop the skills necessary to remain competitive. … The Affordable Care Act, for which I was the prime sponsor, continues to expand health care coverage and keep costs low.
“And the president’s actions to normalize relations with Cuba build on legislation I first sponsored in 1993 and have reintroduced since to push for lifting of the embargo. Opening doors with Cuba will expand America’s partners in trade and travel, generating billions in lost revenue and encouraging cultural exchange between our two nations. We must continue our push for immigration reform so that families will not be separated and millions of people can have the chance to become citizens of our great nation. All of these policies double down on efforts to ensure everyone in America can contribute to the strengthening of America.”
The strength of the tight-knit, American family closed out Obama’s audacity of hope address.