Forget President Obama’s State of the Union speech for a moment. Let’s talk about two words we heard so much about in 2008 when Barack Obama was running for president.
Those words are "hope" and “change."
I covered that 2008 presidential race first hand. I was there. I saw the excitement that people felt at that time. It wasn't just Democrats. It was moderates, independents, and yes even some conservatives who thought this president was going to make good on his promise to unite the country and bring both parties together.
It was Barack Obama who in 2004 said the following: “There's not a liberal America and a conservative America. There's the United States of America."
Folks, it never happened. Not only didn't it happen but under President Obama's watch it has gotten worse. He hasn't brought the country together. If anything, he's torn the country further apart.
Now, is there enough blame to go around? Of course. GOP leaders can lay claim to their fair share, too, but a president has the ultimate responsibility to promote unity. Executive Orders and saying “see you later” to Congress doesn't do that. Passing major healthcare changes like Obamacare with 51 votes instead of a super majority doesn't do that. Making straw man arguments on a daily basis doesn't help either.
Did Congress give him headaches? Yes, of course. It's called “checks and balances." It's what our founders intended. But just because Congress has you reaching for the Excedrin doesn't mean that the emperor has to get his way no matter what.
So what's our state of the union? It's fractured and President Obama deserves much of the blame.