There was no sign of a president humbled by November’s electoral defeat. On the contrary, Obama seemed impervious to the new political balance of power in Washington, appearing at times to even goad his political enemies.
There were two especially revealing examples of Obama’s defiance, both of them unscripted. The first came after one of his opening lines, when the incoming Republican majority declined to applaud Obama’s praise for the economic recovery.
“That’s good news, people,” he remarked, as Republicans inside the chamber looked on impassively. Reluctantly, one or two from the aisle to the president’s left – and ideological stage right – began to stand up or offer a tepid applause, following the lead of the new Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell.
The second off-the-cuff remark arrived toward the end of a nearly hour-long address that, to the dismay of Republicans, did not contain even a single nod to their electoral gains.
“I have no more campaigns to run,” Obama said, in what was intended to signal that his remaining focus will be on governing rather than electioneering.
When Republicans mocked the remark with applause,
Obama shot back : “I know ’cos I won both of them.”