President Obama puts the Republicans in a box

The State of the Union speech last night was one of the most positive, encouraging
addresses in a long time. It hit the right tone for the American people, who want
progress, who want a vision and who want to see an end to Washington business-as-usual
gridlock.

It was also a skillful setup to the Republicans. It didn’t give them much to shoot
at and complain about, nor did it provide the Fox News folks with much red meat.
The Michele Bachmann response to the Ryan response and the Obama speech was an embarrassment
and created confusion among the Republican base. Her off-camera-focused diatribe
might have actually angered Republicans more than Democrats — the ego-driven effort
to rally the new Tea Party members and true believers, in fact, drained attention
from Congressman Ryan.

President Obama set a vision for winning the 21st century, competing in a new, different,
global economy with solid goals that Americans agree with and sense will work. A
CNN instant poll showed 85 percent of those who watched agreed with the president;
only 15 percent disagreed with him. A CBS poll showed an extraordinary 91
percent approval rating for the speech.   

In addition, the mood in the chamber was different from past years, partly because
of the horrendous attack in Tucson, Ariz., and members wearing the ribbons to honor
Gabby Giffords, and partly because of the more civil behavior brought on by the
seating arrangements, spearheaded by Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.). These symbols and
appearances mattered to those watching and they mattered to President Obama and
most Republicans.    

The speech was less about applause lines and “gotcha” moments and more about what
was needed to make immediate progress on the current problems. This is where the
American people are; this hit a responsive chord with their concerns, their hopes,
the dreams for their families. It was not a “me” speech, it was a “you” speech.
   

At the end of the day, we will see what effect it has on Republicans and passing
legislation. But one thing is for sure, it did what the president intended — set
a tone for cooperation and pragmatism. It gave the Republicans very little to complain
about and a lot to chew on.