He knocked it straight out of the park, and here is why:

[RBInMaine]

Obama knocked it right out of the park in his SOTU speech. Well delivered, and a call to economic greatness for the new century with the right balance of targeted investments, shared responsibility, and fiscal discipline. But the brilliance was that he delivered plenty to shore up his mainstream liberal base and also delivered a package very palatable to moderate independents without whom NO ONE can win the Presidency. That is an absolutely undeniable reality. The "bases" indeed are very important. I am not saying otherwise. But at the end of the day, you are NATIONALLY viable, and you WIN nationally with support from the moderate middle. We won in 06 and 08 because the moderate middle left Bush and his nutty RePUKES. We lost in 2010 because too many of the moderate middle went back to the GOP out of economic frustration, NOT love of them. They are now already swinging back to Obama in droves. They WANT economic security and action, practical and moderate solutions to our problems, but they do want ideological purity from either side. THEY are the ones who decide national elections, plain and simple. They don't want too much government, but they DO want effective and sufficient government. Obama struck all the right chords last night with a solid, center-progressive message that is being extremely well received. Overwhelming majorities of our population agree on the policy ideas, and the R's will be STUPID if they decide to hunker down in TeaIdiot crazy land and rage about abortion instead of working with Obama and D's on a practical, center-progressive plan to move our economy forward. (And yes, I say "progressive" meaning PROGRESS and not necessarily purity.)

I agree with most economists that he economy will continue to improve this year and into next, and if Obama and Dems stay united and on message, we will win congresssional seats back in 2012 and Obama will be re-elected with at least 53% of the vote, and possibly as high as 55%.

[lamp_shade]

1. He did indeed. First rec.

[watrwefitinfor]

3. + 2nd rec

Brought it back up to +1 rec.

[DCBob]

2. " "progressive" meaning PROGRESS and not purity."

nice!

[Axrendale]

4. Very well said sir!

Recommended.

[jefferson_dem]

5. Good post.

Thanks. :thumbsup:

[rko_24550]

17. +1

[lunatica]

6. I would love to see words translate into actions

If they don't and the orange man sitting behind him gets his way, our economy is done.

[Ineeda]

7. Progress, in comparison to repuke "regress" mindset

pro·gress (pr-grs)
1. To advance; proceed.
2. To advance toward a higher or better stage; improve steadily.

Progress (Wiki) the idea that the world can become increasingly better in terms of science, technology, modernization, liberty, democracy, quality of life, etc.
* Social progress, the idea that societies can or do improve in terms of their social, political, and economic structures.
* Scientific progress, the idea that science increases its problem solving ability through the application of some scientific method.
* Philosophical progress, the idea that philosophy has solved or at least can solve some of the questions it studies
VS.
re·gress (r-grs)
v.intr.
1. To go back; move backward.
2. To return to a previous, usually worse or less developed state.
3. To have a tendency to approach or go back to a statistical mean.
Example of REGRESSION
1. <the regression to really childish behavior that boys undergo when put in large groups>

[tularetom]

8. It was a wonderful political speech

Full of fluff and severely lacking in specifics.

He didn't say one thing he couldn't weasle out of later if somebody tried to pin him down.

Of course he will easily win re election in 2012 and I support him but you can pretty much forget about him doing anything to correct the civil liberties abuses of the bush era. Or curtailing our insane defense spending.

[Jennicut]

10. He was criticized for the last SOTU that did have a laundry list of proposals.

He was said to have no real vision of where he wanted to take the country. Controlling the agenda is partly controlling the themes put out by the media. That leads to a gain in public support which increases his approval ratings which then leads to an increase in political power. Obama is not stupid, he wanted to put out a vision and a theme more then specific proposals. He did this on purpose not to weasel out of anything but to build on vision for the next two years of his Presidency. It had to be done. The question a lot of people have had about Obama is what does he stand for. The speech last night answered that partly. The future, turning around America with innovation. The next two years will show if he is truly serious about that.

[handmade34]

13. it is a sure thing

that if Barack Obama isn't elected and a Republican wins in 2012, the abuses of the Bush era won't be corrected... I'd rather see the glass half full but I understand the implications

[RichGirl]

20. I don't think he was looking to weasle out of anything, at anytime.

I think he was speaking to ALL the people, not just political junkies. You seem to find it hard toaccept the fact that it isn't all about you and what you want to hear.

[lamp_shade]

9. K&R

[janet118]

11. I have a niece who is in her late twenties . . .

she is an ardent Republican - even a bit Tea Partyish. After listening to the SOTU last night, she actually said she agreed with Obama. Last week she was calling him a socialist.

Obama was speaking to the country - not political junkies, pundits or Congress - and he did good.

[lamp_shade]

12. I love to hear these kinds of stories. He did good. n/t

[Fire1]

14. Oh he is a shrewed politician. No doubt. Message on point. n/t

[GeorgeGist]

15. Obviously he hasn't read the last ten years accurately ....

Capitalism is destroying America.

[RBInMaine]

16. Capitalism per se is not the problem. Improperly regulated capitalism is.

[TheKentuckian]

22. Capitalism is absolutely the problem, the period of broad benefit was an exception to the

the rule and the appearance of benefit was just an illusion built on exploitation, lack of competing economies, and always stealing from the future while exploiting the present by transferring the downside to the commons and the environment.

The system is a failed and fraudulent lie.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FrenchieCat]

19. Not only do I NOT know the betrayals that you care not to cite,

but I don't know you from boo.

[babylonsister]

21. lol! nt

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Skittles]

24. how does this part figure in?

http://blogs.computerworld.com/17722/obama_makes_h_1b_green_card_reform_a_priority

[ClassWarrior]

25. According to Rachel Maddow, he did just the opposite.

He served up all the mushy, lovey-dovey middle of the road rhetoric that the public gobbles up, yet shifted the debate from the fringes of the right wing back to solid progressive Democratic values. Where it belongs.

No offense, but I hope Rachel's analysis is the right one.

NGU.

[opihimoimoi]

26. 37...KnR :o)

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Major Hogwash]

28. Not only that, but the economy may grow at a 4% rate, more than Wall Street expects.

We just need to pry the $2 Trillion dollars the corporations are sitting on right now to hire Americans to put us to work.

Only 47% of working age Americans have a full-time job these days.
The mortgage crisis and the personal bankruptcies won't get any better until we can put those people back to work.

What was it Keith said at the end of his program?

Where are the jobs, Speaker Boehner?

[Imagevision]

29. The GOP will do whatever to stop economic recovery to win in 2012 - end of story...

surprisingly their constituents don't understand that they lose also for the next two years and thereafter if GOP win