State of the Union Speech predictions critique

By Alyssa Salyers

     

President Barack Obama challenged a newly divided Congress Tuesday to continue the debate necessary for a healthy democracy, while remembering they must “move forward together, or not at all.”

     

The president first congratulated the Congress, recognized the absence of Rep. Gabby Giffords, and gave a nod to the gesture of cooperation made by members of Congress who chose to sit with a member of the opposing party.

      

In an unusually thematic State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, the president detailed a plan to “win the future.” 

     

Although he structured his annual address differently than those given in the past, Obama did not completely depart from the tactic of connecting recently won political victories to his new agenda for the coming year.

     

While I predicted the president would use this device, I actually expected him to use an extensive list of political achievements tied to many specific proposals for the coming year. Instead, his speech seemed organized largely by subject.

     

Obama linked the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that once barred gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military to a call for the nation’s colleges and universities to welcome military recruiters and ROTC programs.

    

As predicted, the president also encouraged Americans to stand behind our troops and their families.

     

When pointing to the passage of health care reform, a hot button issue between the parties, Obama took a more conciliatory approach than I predicted.  He did not rule out the possibility of improving upon the bill and actually invited lawmakers to present new ideas that would improve upon health care. However, as expected, he made it clear that certain provisions contained in the bill, like coverage for pre-existing conditions, were not negotiable.

     

As anticipated, Obama touted the steps taken over the last two years to grow the economy and create jobs.  Obama’s plan to put those in the construction trades to work on the country’s aging infrastructure through economic stimulus is to continue. However, the president’s plan for future job creation seemed geared toward creating a business climate where jobs would be created by the private sector.

     

Obama linked the need to rebuild the country’s infrastructure with the need for high-speed rail and high-speed Internet.

     

Obama did indeed refer to the need for America’s moral leadership among the nations of the world.   However, he stated that America’s standing has been restored.  I did not expect his “mission accomplished” stance on this subject.

     

The president pointed to this renewed American leadership just before he referred to the progress made toward ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He also linked restored American leadership to our stance on nuclear weapons and the forging of alliances with many nations.

     

In regard to foreign policy matters, I predicted that the president would reference China’s changing role in the world, trade and the need for diplomatic relations with other countries.

     

With globalization a reality, China and India were mentioned as examples of nations who prepared to compete for jobs by investing in new technologies and education in math and science.  Obama also stated that we recently signed trade agreements with China, India and South Korea.

     

While I successfully forecast many of the issues President Obama addressed, several of his proposals took me by surprise. 

     

President Obama’s plan to reduce the deficit requires Democrats and Republicans alike to make hard choices in order to reign in spending.

     

His proposal to reorganize the federal government in an effort to cut waste was something I did not expect.  Nor did I expect him to recommend a five-year freeze on annual domestic spending.

     

The president reminded us of the way America rose to the challenge of the race to the moon, spurred on by the Soviet’s launch of sputnik.  He cited the investments made at that time in research and education and the  “wave of innovation” that created millions of new jobs.

    

Calling this “our generation’s sputnik moment,” Obama urged Americans to innovate, educate and once again “reinvent ourselves” in order to compete in a rapidly changing global economy.

     

The president urged Americans to “win the race to educate our kids” and proposed raising expectations for our children and making higher education possible for all.

     

Obama’s second State of the Union delivered hope for the future built upon past evidence of American ingenuity and spirit.

Corrections for State of the Union predictions

President Barack Obama will deliver his second State of the Union speech Tuesday to a joint session of Congress.

     

The November elections resulted in a new dynamic for Congress with Democrats retaining control of the Senate and Republicans in power in the House. Obama will encourage the members of both parties to work together.

     

In the wake of the recent tragedy in Tucson, Obama has the perfect opening to entreat Congress to reach across the aisle, to work together, to change the nasty tone of partisan politics and simply get the job done for the American people.

     

President Obama is said to have qualities in common with Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s ability to calm people with just his demeanor and his bent toward diplomatic discussion are traits the current president shares with his predecessor.  These qualities will be invaluable as he begins the task of working with the newly divided Congress.

     

Obama’s first State of the Union speech focused attention on the effects of the recession as he listed the devastation caused by the decline in home values and the loss of jobs and businesses.  With nearly double-digit unemployment still a major issue across the country and economic recovery still uncertain, it stands to reason that this year’s speech will again focus on job creation and proposals aimed at stimulating the American economy.

     

At first glance, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan seem to have little in common. However, despite their different backgrounds, opposing party affiliations and the 30-plus years that separate their administrations, these two leaders faced similar issues. Reagan and Obama inherited the worst economic situations since the Great Depression.

     

In the State of the Union speech delivered by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, Reagan said he was battling the issues of unemployment and economic uncertainty.  These are the same issues Obama struggles with today. 

     

Reagan worked successfully with a divided Congress for 6 years. Obama is just beginning to work under similar circumstances.

     

Reagan led us out of a time of economic uncertainty. The hope is that Obama will also be a positive agent of change.

    

Obama will detail the successes of his agenda over the last year and tie that information to his current agenda.

     

The president will tout his success in repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the policy that kept homosexuals from serving openly in the military.  He will link that achievement with the progress made and the progress yet to come in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Obama will also encourage Americans to support and taking pride in the men and women who serve in our armed forces.

    

President Obama will take this opportunity to point to the passage of health care reform and promise to fight to keep it from being repealed.

     

In his remarks on foreign policy, Obama will discuss trade, China’s changing role in the world and the need for good relations with other nations.

     

Obama and Kennedy took a similar stance on foreign policy.  Like John F. Kennedy, Obama will likely speak of the need to restore America’s status, moral leadership and good standing among the nations of the world.

     

These two presidents also traveled a similar road to the White House. Both were young, handsome, charismatic speakers who rose to national prominence after making a speech at the Democratic convention. Both were elected despite their heritage. When Kennedy announced his candidacy, many believed the country was not yet ready for a Catholic president. Obama overcame his Muslim heritage in a post 9/11 world and the color of his skin.  Each attracted a grass roots movement with a message of hope and change. 

     

An assassin’s bullet killed the hope engendered by Kennedy’s election. It would be a tragedy if this recession and a divided Congress kill the hope so many Americans felt on the day Barack Obama took the oath of office.

    

    

Parthenon error

Two articles featured on the front page of Wednesday’s Parthenon contain multiple errors.  Both articles were about Marshall’s basketball teams and their upcoming game against rival WVU.

The first egregious error that I uncovered was a factual one. In the story about Marshall’s women’s team the student writer said the opposing team had four losses when, in fact, they had only one.  Journalists should always check facts for accuracy.

A grammatical error found in both stories was the use of "their" instead of "its" when referring to the Herd. 

The third error discovered was the use of a time element at the beginning of the story about the men’s basketball game. The article begins with the word, “tonight.” A news story should never begin with a time element, unless the time element is the most important part of the story.

State of the Union Predictions

     President Barack Obama’s second State of the Union speech will be delivered to a joint, but newly divided session of Congress. The November elections resulted in a new dynamic for Congress with Democrats retaining control of the Senate and Republicans in power in the House. The President’s speech will likely address this changing of the guard since, having lost the advantage of having his party in control of both House and Senate, he must now find a way to work with Republicans as well as Democrats to pass his agenda. Obama is said to have much in common with his role model, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s ability to calm people with just his demeanor and his bent toward diplomatic discussion are traits the current President shares with his predecessor. Obama’s reputation as “no drama, Obama” will come in handy as he begins the task of working with the newly divided Congress. In the wake of the tragedy in Tucson, an event he will probably reference in his speech, Obama has the perfect opening to entreat Congress to reach across the aisle, to work together, to change the nasty tone of partisan politics and simply get the job done for the American people. 

     Obama’s first State of the Union speech focused much attention on the effects of the recession. “But the devastation remains. One in ten Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined,” Obama said.  These remarks from last year’s speech could have been taken from the headlines of today’s newspapers. With nearly double-digit unemployment still a major issue across the country and economic recovery still uncertain, it stands to reason that this year’s speech must again focus on job creation and proposals aimed at stimulating the American economy. Some thirty-plus years, different party affiliations and backgrounds divide Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, yet these two leaders faced similar issues. Reagan and Obama inherited the worst economic situations since the Great Depression. In the State of the Union speech delivered by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, Reagan also said he was battling unemployment and economic uncertainty.  “Yes we are in a time of recession.  And it’s true, there is no quick fix to instantly end the tragic pain of unemployment,” Reagan said. Incidentally, Reagan worked successfully with a divided Congress for six years. Obama is just beginning to work in similar circumstances. Reagan led us out of a time of economic uncertainty. The hope is that Obama will also be a positive agent of change.

    Obama will detail the successes of his agenda over the last year and tie that information to his current agenda. For instance, when touting his success in repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Obama will talk about taking pride in our military, the progress made and yet to come in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Obama will definitely talk about the passage of health care reform and promise to fight to keep it from being repealed. 

     The State of the Union speech must include foreign policy. Obama will talk about trade, China’s rise to power and the need for good relations with other nations. Like John F. Kennedy, Obama will likely speak of the need to restore America ‘s status, moral leadership and good standing among the nations of the world. These men shared a similar stance on foreign policy and took a similar route to the White House. Both were young, handsome, charismatic speakers who rose to national prominence after making a speech at the Democratic convention.  Both were elected despite their heritage. When Kennedy announced his candidacy, many believed the country was not yet ready for a Catholic President. Obama overcame his Muslim heritage in a post 9/11 world and the color of his skin.  Each attracted a grass roots movement with a message of hope and change.  An assassin’s bullet killed the hope engendered by Kennedy’s election. It would be a tragedy if this recession and a divided congress kill the hope so many Americans felt on the day Barack Obama took the oath of office.

State of the State address - Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin

Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s first state of the state address accented the positives of the past year, delivered some much needed optimism for the future of the state and downplayed the controversy still raging over gubernatorial succession.

 

I found it interesting that Tomblin felt comfortable with spending during this time of national hardship. While it is true that West Virginia seems to have weathered the nation’s worst recession in decades relatively well, Tomblin’s proposals for a reduction in the food tax and pay raises for teachers and state employees may well be met with skepticism by conservatives.  As the daughter of a state worker, I should be celebrating any kind of salary increase for my mother, but I must admit Tomblin’s words gave even me pause.   I personally would prefer my governor to exercise some caution and fiscal responsibility until this recession is completely over.  Although we seem to have emerged from the economic downturn relatively unscathed, I have yet to hear an announcement touting the end of the recession.  In my opinion, we have no business going on a spending spree before we know for a fact that we won’t be needing money in the future.  Saving a few dollars at the grocery store or enjoying a small raise now will be cold comfort for people who could lose their jobs in the future.  I’m already missing Joe Manchin.

 

Tomblin touched upon the usual subjects included in a state of the state address in West Virginia.  He touched upon the importance of coal, and talked about the importance of creating a better business climate in the state in order to foster the creation of jobs.  I did agree with his take on education reforms.  Tomblin said, “And while we must do all we can to foster the creation of good paying jobs, it all goes for naught if we do not have a world-class, educated workforce to fill those jobs.”  This statement really resonated with me.  It certainly focused a spotlight on the idea of our issues being interconnected.  When we find a solution for one problem, we may very well be contributing to finding a solution for another one.

The Quad

     The Quad is a New York Times college sports blog with entries by many different authors. Blog entries contain current information about anything and everything related to college sports.  Here one can read about the television ratings for the latest championship game, player profiles, coaching issues and even the occasional student athlete's brush with the law. Blog entries are fresh and interesting because each one is written from a different point of view and in a different writing style. The pictures included help bring the entries to life.

The Lede Blog

     Robert Mackey is the sole author of this blog.  He writes about interesting events that happen around the world.  Each entry concerns a single current event and is enhanced by pictures and video footage.  Mackey often quotes friends and journalists who have actually experienced or reported on the event.  He also uses links to social networking sites to punctuate his blog entries.

The City Room Blog

     The City Room Blog is an entertaining and somewhat informative read for those interested in New York City. This blog, written by various authors, contains entries full of commentary on crime, transportation, schools, government and politics in the city. There are even blog entries with tips on items of general interest to the public. For instance, one entry concentrates on tips for getting organized. Some authors added entries with human interest stories. For the most part, entries seem to involve current events in the city such as the recent snowstorm and the decision to keep the city schools open despite the bad weather. The photos accompanying the blog entries add to the reader's enjoyment.

Comments on the Writing Style of Leonard Pitts Jr.

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     Pitts uses short, attention grabbing leads to draw his readers in and then cleverly develops his points with the use of rhetorical questions, alliteration, vivid imagery and occasional humor or sarcasm. Pitts doesn't waste words. His writing is succinct. Pitts sometimes uses sentence fragments as punctuation to emphasize an important idea. It is an effective device, even if it does break the rules. He closes his columns with sentences nearly as brief and attention grabbing as his leads. Leonard Pitts Jr. always leaves readers with a thought to ponder.

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