How Did Obama Do?
From his call to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell to his budget lecture and surprise slap at the Supremes, The Daily Beast's experts rate the State of the Union address.
The Speech Had PotentialBy Leslie H. Gelb
Obama served up some meaty ideas, shockingly bullish on exports and bragging about his terrorist body count. But when will we find out what he really meant?
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One Hell of a SpeechBy Christopher Buckley
Obama didn’t deliver a speech so much as a symphony, calling for nukes and zapping the Supremes; thanks for the performance, Mr. President.
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The Dream DeferredBy Peter Beinart
Obama used bipartisan appeals to help sell liberal causes. But he seemed to abandon some of his most important fights.
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Not a Game-ChangerBy Mark McKinnon
Obama deserves credit for embracing conservative ideas like deficit reduction and a spending freeze. But he failed to see the need to rein in his liberal agenda.
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Saving the Sandwich GenerationBy Gail Sheehy
President Obama has promised to support adults caring for elderly parents while scraping to send their own kids to college. But is his proposal strong enough?
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A Post-Rhetorical ObamaBy Tunku Varadarajan
Instead of giving ground after a shock defeat in Massachusetts, Obama showed style and candor in his State of the Union speech—even if hectoring the Supreme Court justices was unseemly.
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Brilliant Speeches Only Get You So FarBy Matthew Yglesias
Once again, Obama delivered rhetorical gold. But great oratory does not translate into votes on Capitol Hill.
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Obama Does It AgainBy Michelle Goldberg
Backed into a corner, the president used a speech to rally despairing supporters and put jeering opponents to shame.
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A Rediscovery of ThemesBy John Avlon
In his confident, sprawling State of the Union speech, the president refocused on issues from the ’08 campaign—highlighting a return to fiscal responsibility and offering policy outreaches to both left and right.
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Watch 9 Key Moments from Obama's SpeechBy The Daily Beast Video
A jab at the Supreme Court, a shout-out to his wife, and a doubling down on heath-care reform: There was that and much more in Obama’s State of the Union. WATCH VIDEO of the best moments.
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