Quote:
Originally Posted by Professor
Personally, I'm proud of Obama. Day after day he faces the great ignorance of the US of A.
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It seems to me that this is what's at the heart of much of the opposition to Obama throughout the country. Stupidity. That's not to say there aren't legitimate policy issues people may have with the man, but it's fair to say that a significant portion of his opponents base their dislike of him on superficial rumors and lies that they believe because they're ignorant.
That being said, I think my favorite lines from last night's address were these clear reminders:
"At the beginning of the last decade, the year 2000, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. By the time I took office, we had a one-year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget. All this was before I walked in the door."
"From some on the right, I expect we'll hear a different argument -– that if we just make fewer investments in our people, extend tax cuts including those for the wealthier Americans, eliminate more regulations, maintain the status quo on health care, our deficits will go away. The problem is that's what we did for eight years."
and:
"To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills. And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town -- a supermajority -- then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions."