Welcome to USMB, Slate. Strap on your bullet proof vest, put new batteries in your bullshit detector, and we're happy for you to wade right on in.
It wasn't easy, as it was not a particularly impressive or inspiring Obama-type speech and it went way too long, but I didn't hear much in the speech other than recycled centrist campaign slogans without any real meat to back them up and some really good sounding stuff unless you realize that he didn't mean it for now but sometime in the future.
Had he gotten up there and said, okay. Here's the deal. There won't be any Federal healthcare reform other than enforce some anti-trust laws to break up some insurance company monopolies and remove restrictions so that insurance policies can be portable, and then we'll encourage the states to start their own reforms to help more people be insured. Had he said that and meant it, I would be singing his praises. Unfortunately he didn't.
Had he said that Cap & Trade is dead until there is strong, verifiable scientific evidence, something more than theory, that it will have any positive effect on the climate. We will however be focusing on a new energy policy that will include off shore and other oil exploration and drilling, nuclear, wind, solar, natural gas, and find some ways to use coal that won't harm the environment so that we will be as energy independent as we can possibly be. Had he said that and meant it, I would be singing his praises. Unfortunately he didn't.
Had he said that until this recession is over and the economy is healthy again and everybody who wants work is back to work, there will be no earmarks, no unnecessary discretionary spending of any kind, and we're going to try to save every penny that we can so that every nickle we have will be used to reduce the deficit, I would be singing his praises. Unfortunately he didn't.
Had he said that until this recession is over and the economy is healthy again and everybody who wants work is back to work, there will be no new taxes of any kind, we will at least substantially extend the Bush tax cuts or make them permanent, and we'll find some way to cut or eliminate as many capital gains and income taxes as we can responsibly do, I would be singing his praises. Unfortunately he didn't.
What he did promise was a frontal assault on the financial industry and some big corporations. what he did promise was spending a whole bunch more money that will disappear into the same rat holes as the last mega billion spending packages and did not suggest a single reform that would really have made a difference. Those I believe he will actually try to do.
But surely we can survive until November. I keep praying.