Official State of the [only] Union [that matters] thread

8.5/10 speech

6/10

Better luck next time.

Like I said (and what most people said prior) - this wasn't a SOTU speech to push agenda through Congress. Obama knows he isn't getting any ideas past Republicans. He's telling the Democrats "Hey! Here's a shit ton of ideas I can't get through. Use them as your platform in two years!'

Expect something similar next year.

But I am curious - what did you dislike?

I swear, Joni Ernst's smile is out of some horror movie. That nice housewife next door that would probably stab you.

Nice suit though.

No, he needs a bus pass. You know, to use public transportation.

He doesn't need a phone at all. And if he does it one, it should be a $10 prepaid that he never touches unless its an emergency.

They need to change their lifestyle.

It's easy to dismiss a notion with a vague statement like that. Truth is, it's not informed or considerate.

No, he needs a bus pass. You know, to use public transportation.

He doesn't need a phone at all. And if he does it one, it should be a $10 prepaid that he never touches unless its an emergency.

The public transportation in our town is ass, especially for country people.  And to get to the nearest bus stop from his house, he'd have to walk about 20 minutes, which is time that could be used just driving to work.

No, he needs a bus pass. You know, to use public transportation.

He doesn't need a phone at all. And if he does it one, it should be a $10 prepaid that he never touches unless its an emergency.

The public transportation in our town is ass, especially for country people.  And to get to the nearest bus stop from his house, he'd have to walk about 20 minutes, which is time that could be used just driving to work.

Oh no not a 20 min walk!

Better purchase a car instead!

Well, I see this SOTU discussion thread is going downhill.

They need to change their lifestyle.

It's easy to dismiss a notion with a vague statement like that. Truth is, it's not informed or considerate.

It really is informed tho.

Like I said, I've had friends do it. I've had friends live with me for several weeks at a time while they are trying to get their life together. Shits hard but its not impossible.

I wouldn't have chosen Jonie Ernst to deliver the 1st official Republican response honestly. Also opening up by saying you aren't responding to the speech at all says a lot in my opinion.

Obviously Obama and the Republicans aren't going to agree on anything at all really, but if they want to stick to there story in regards to "working with the president" than that would have been a good start.

I wouldn't have chosen Jonie Ernst to deliver the 1st official Republican response honestly. Also opening up by saying you aren't responding to the speech at all says a lot in my opinion.

It's obviously done to try and say "Hey! We're not just white old men! Look at us!"

It wasn't the worst response speech, but...it. is. so. robotic.

Props to her though. Responding to the President is hard.

I wouldn't have chosen Jonie Ernst to deliver the 1st official Republican response honestly. Also opening up by saying you aren't responding to the speech at all says a lot in my opinion.

It's obviously done to try and say "Hey! We're not just white old men! Look at us!"

It wasn't the worst response speech, but...it. is. so. robotic.

Props to her though. Responding to the President is hard.

Yeah it sounded extremely artificial, of course a lot of speeches are in a way but Obama actually sounds passionate about what hes speaking on.

8.5/10 speech

6/10

Better luck next time.

Like I said (and what most people said prior) - this wasn't a SOTU speech to push agenda through Congress. Obama knows he isn't getting any ideas past Republicans. He's telling the Democrats "Hey! Here's a shit ton of ideas I can't get through. Use them as your platform in two years!'

Expect something similar next year.

But I am curious - what did you dislike?

6/10

Better luck next time.

As far as the speech goes, it did that whole "These are bipartisan ideas that both parties can support" thing, despite the fact that many of the ideas (raising minimum wage, free community college, etc.) aren't on the Republican platform.  I have no problem with a president using the SotU as a platform for future elections, but please for the love of God don't bullshit the American public into thinking that the ideology you're spouting is moderate or centrist.

That said, if it were a Republican giving the speech and expecting Democrats to vote to end the capital gains tax or be harsher on illegal immigration I'd feel the same.

They need to change their lifestyle.

It's easy to dismiss a notion with a vague statement like that. Truth is, it's not informed or considerate.

It really is informed tho.

Like I said, I've had friends do it. I've had friends live with me for several weeks at a time while they are trying to get their life together. Shits hard but its not impossible.

That was a much better answer than the other ones >.> hoping it's an honest one.

This user has been blacklisted from posting on the forums. Until the blacklist is lifted, all posts made by this user have been hidden and require a Sep7agon^® SecondClass Premium Membership to view.

Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999.

At least give Bernanke some credit.

shrinking deficits

I'll give him that one, but the economy hasn't expanded nearly enough to offset the rising debt.

“If only we had known,” Rebekah wrote to me last spring, “what was about to happen to the housing and construction market.”

Why is Obama sponsoring wrong economics? Unless he's trying to shift blame away from the government's atrocious monetary policy from 06-09?

We believed we could reverse the tide of outsourcing, and draw new jobs to our shores.

Again, more poor economics. The only way, I know of, that Obama's managed to stop the 'tide of outsourcing' is by interfering with free trade--especially steel construction.

And today, America is number one in oil and gas.

I know an inflated supply is the reason for low prices, but I've got to give Obama some credit for not cockblocking natural gas developments.

We believed that sensible regulations could prevent another crisis

Well that'd make a change from the poor regulation that encouraged the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

She and Ben are working as hard as ever, but have to forego vacations and a new car so they can pay off student loans and save for retirement.

Boo fucking hoo.

We set up worker protections, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to protect ourselves from the harshest adversity.

At the cost of various states, of course, and by brow-beating them into line with fiscal strings.

And that’s why my plan will make quality childcare more available, and more affordable, for every middle-class and low-income family with young children in America — by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per year.

This actually isn't bad on the face of it, but there's a significant risk of perverse incentives.

That’s why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work.

Fuck YOU, Obama.

To give working families a fair shot, we’ll still need more employers to see beyond next quarter’s earnings

Is that why you appointed Janet Yellen at one of the worst time's possible? Fucking moron.

higher minimum wage

Double fuck you.

So to every CEO in America, let me repeat: If you want somebody who’s going to get the job done, hire a veteran.

Okay, I like this.

Since 2010, America has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and all advanced economies combined.

That's a nice way of misrepresenting data, Obama, considering America's population is fucking huge.

I intend to protect a free and open internet

This is good.

that let some corporations pay nothing

Good, they should be paying nothing.

Got bored there.

Overall: turd/shit.

lol nationalist

lol nationalist

Who's a nationalist?

lol nationalist

Who's a nationalist?

...

lol nationalist

Who's a nationalist?

...

It really is quite a simply question, I don't know what's confusing you. Who are you calling a nationalist?

lol nationalist

Who's a nationalist?

...

It really is quite a simply question, I don't know what's confusing you. Who are you calling a nationalist?

OP is a nationalist...

lol nationalist

Who's a nationalist?

...

It really is quite a simply question, I don't know what's confusing you. Who are you calling a nationalist?

OP is a nationalist...

Hahaha. . .

Hahahahaha. . .

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

BrenMan? A nationalist?

Sure thing, bud.

Official State of the [only] union [that matters] thread...

how is that not nationalist?

higher minimum wage

Double fuck you.

He's only in charge of federal minimum wage, which hasn't gone up since 2009. I don't know about you, but if I hadn't gotten a raise, even for just cost of living adjustment, in 6 years I would be pretty upset.

Official State of the [only] union [that matters] thread...

how is that not nationalist?

He's probably being ironic. . . BrenMan's pretty much an anarcho-capitalist. He's certainly not a nationalist.

Not that there's anything wrong with nationalism in the first instance.

Official State of the [only] union [that matters] thread...

how is that not nationalist?

It's poking fun at "MURICA #1"

I don't know about you, but if I hadn't gotten a raise, even for just cost of living adjustment, in 6 years I would be pretty upset.

So expand the EITC, don't price labour out of the market.

Official State of the [only] union [that matters] thread...

how is that not nationalist?

He's probably being ironic. . . BrenMan's pretty much an anarcho-capitalist. He's certainly not a nationalist.

Not that there's anything wrong with nationalism in the first instance.

oh... didn't know that... I'm still getting to know the community

I don't know about you, but if I hadn't gotten a raise, even for just cost of living adjustment, in 6 years I would be pretty upset.

So expand the EITC, don't price labour out of the market.

I don't think raising it from $7.25 to even $8 is pricing labor out of the market. $8 still isn't a livable wage for most parts of the US.

I don't think raising it from $7.25 to even $8 is pricing labor out of the market. $8 still isn't a livable wage for most parts of the US.

That doesn't make it any less of a wrong-headed approach to policy.

I don't think raising it from $7.25 to even $8 is pricing labor out of the market. $8 still isn't a livable wage for most parts of the US.

That doesn't make it any less of a wrong-headed approach to policy.

I don't disagree that raising the minimum wage isn't the fix. But it's certainly a better band-aid than what we're doing now...which I'm not really sure is anything.