Food for Thought

Julian Zelizer

Professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, Julian Zelizer, said voters would appreciate the President being frank about his political setbacks.

"I do think people like that aspect of him. He's very direct, he's honest about the problems he faces and about what he wants to do and his aspirations," he said.

Professor Zelizer said Mr Obama's speech was "solid" but not remarkable.

"It wasn't a stunning speech," he said.

"It went on too long and there were so many things in it. I think people will pick and choose one or two items but I don't think it'll have a long-term effect.

And Professor Zelizer does not believe the speech will allow the President to take back control of the political agenda.

"One of the remarkable things historically is these [State of the Union speeches] have very little effect - at most a few days," he said.

"There are very few speeches that have really been "game changers" as they say, most are unremarkable and most don't have a big effect.

"So, my guess is this will not change the dynamics in Washington. I suspect a week from now we'll be where we were yesterday and two days ago."...

As I wrote at the time, I thought the condemnations of Rep. Joe Wilson's heckling of Barack Obama during his September health care speech were histrionic and excessive. Wilson and Obama are both political actors, it occurred in the middle of a political speech about a highly political dispute, and while the outburst was indecorous and impolite, Obama is not entitled to be treated as royalty. That was all much ado about nothing. By contrast, the behavior of Justice Alito at last night's State of the Union address -- visibly shaking his head and mouthing the words "not true" when Obama warned of the dangers of the Court's Citizens United ruling -- was a serious and substantive breach of protocol that reflects very poorly on Alito and only further undermines the credibility of the Court. It has nothing to do with etiquette and everything to do with the Court's ability to adhere to its intended function....

President Obama says he is "not interested in re-litigating the past." Well, I am -- at least to this extent: Would it have been too much for the president of the United States to have acknowledged and paid tribute to a truly remarkable recent American achievement -- turning around the war in Iraq and putting that war on course to a successful outcome?...

Yet Obama can't bring himself to say that we prevailed in Iraq. He did say that "tonight, all of our men and women in uniform -- in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world must know that they have our respect, our gratitude, and our full support." But he won't say that we are grateful for their victory in a war where defeat would have been disastrous.

Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 9:39 PM | Comments (20) | Return