The State of the Union

Last night was the annual "State of the Union" speech from President Obama, his eighth and final such speech as President (technically only his 7th, but I count 2009). Next year, someone else will give that speech instead of him, and the themes may or may not exactly match.

Last night's speech was sort of a mix of touting past achievements, pleading with the Congress to do something, anything at all, and decrying the failings of our political system. In that sense, it was a mix of normal and abnormal final State of the Unions. I don't want anyone to mistake it for the Gettysburg Address, but it was a very unique, interesting, and important speech. For history's purposes, it marks the beginning of the end of a historic Presidency. For the country, there was a lot to learn.

President Obama has been a very good President. I'm going to stop just short of great, for now, if for no other reason than to let history pause and take a look at his tenure after he leaves. I also want to see the last year, and ponder some of his failings, and their importance. Even so, he did a good job. Unemployment is back at normal (albeit, unacceptable) levels, the GDP to Debt ratio is back in line, we have a national health care act, we've taken serious efforts to fight climate change, the housing crisis is over, he's taken action on immigration and guns, new and improved Wall Street Regulation exists, Detroit is alive, Osama Bin Laden is dead, and the "war" in Iraq is over. I could go on all day, the President succeeded on the whole though. There are failings, and problems in the world, and those will persist for all of time, even if they change. You fix all you can.

His pleas for Congress to act showed just how ridiculous our politics are. That we're touting fighting cancer as a "bi-partisan achievement" is just silly. Of course we want to do things like that, but that shouldn't take any kind of political capital. There was some irony in the President calling for cooperation in areas of agreement on a day when conservatives called for no more of his judicial nominees to be approved. Congress is a very broken institution, so it would be an achievement to get anything done.

President Obama's assault on Washington last night was significant, if not hollow. Obviously, if you do this in year one, it has more teeth. Doing it in year eight though is sometimes when you have the best insights. It was President Eisenhower's farewell when he told us to beware the military industrial complex, and it was year eight when President Obama told us to beware of Washington partisanship. Re-districting reform, military spending, and even slamming "soundbite" policies was great, and very important for all of us to hear. It will only now matter though if the next President takes any of it to heart.

I thought the speech was very good. I thought the President has done a very good job as President. I'm sad to see him go. I only hope that his successor is as thoughtful, empathetic, intelligent, and humane as him. He handled a very partisan, damn near evil Washington with grace over his two terms. He began his farewell last night with a speech that I hope will have long-lasting impact.