With the issues now affecting the country, it is relatively easy to distinguish the problems and agendas that will be discussed this upcoming Tuesday when he takes the podium. Obama will certainly address issues that have affected our country in the past, and continue to affect our country today.
One such topic that is sure to be discussed is the nation’s unemployment problem. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the country is facing one of the worst unemployment periods in our history, with over 9% of the country without a job.
Ronald Reagan also faced such a crisis. Although Reagan and Obama are on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to policy and agenda, both faced similar job markets that are near all-time lows. Also, Obama and Reagan had similar approval ratings at this point in their terms. Both were below the 50% line and both were struggling to find an answer. Reagan’s answer came in the form of “Reaganomics”. We have yet to see Obama’s defining answer, but steps towards a resolution will surely be mentioned in this speech.
Another topic that is sure to be outlined is the economy. The economy has been terrible since the end of the Bush administration, and Obama has been working to reverse the problem since he stepped in office. Stimulus packages have helped, but long-term relief is still far in the distance.
Franklin D. Roosevelt also faced an economic crisis. In his State of the Union address in 1934, his main focus was recovering from the Great Depression. Expect Obama’s address to have a heavy focus on trying to recover from an economic crisis of our own.
Obama has also made changes in health care during his first two years as the Chief Executive. Although there have been both positive and negative responses to the changes he has made, one thing is for certain – changes are necessary.
Bill Clinton also made quite a splash when he attempted to reform health care early in his term and the changes were for the better. Clinton was also able to bring positive changes to the struggling economy at the beginning of his term as well.
There is probably no past president that better exemplifies Obama as President John F. Kennedy. They are eerily similar in both personality and politics. Ted Sorensen, Kennedy’s chief speechwriter, probably put it best. “Both Kennedy and Obama have fantastically winning smiles and I might say both are very relaxed in front of an audience and on television," Sorensen said. “They don’t shout into a microphone, they talk.”
That is what Obama needs to do with his address to the country. He needs them to see that he is more than just a politician; he is an American citizen that wants to see the changes he promised as bad as we do. Far too often politicians speak at the public instead of speaking to them.
The issues facing our country today are not issues that will be solved with laws and policies. It will take concerted efforts from the citizens. We have become a society that is far too comfortable with laziness and complacency. Expect Obama to address those opinions and tell the American public to change its course.
Change starts at the top, but in order for successful change, it must be maintained at the bottom.
No comments:
Post a Comment