I'm a bit disappointed that Obama's address was bereft of memorable rhetoric.  That's regrettable, because a difficult objective (of which there are many), articulated with a creatively turned phrase, does have a way of living on in our collective consciousness—making it all the more likely to receive the attention and support it requires to be accomplished.  Nevertheless, despite being relatively prosaic, the speech text does have encouraging, if not particularly inspirational, elements. 

"...our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions—that time has surely passed."

The protection of narrow interests has inhibited our government's effectiveness since 1789.  In more recent years, it's increased our dependence on foreign oil; slowed education improvements; prevented entitlement reform; and encumbered stem cell research—just to name a handful.  If President Obama can bridge the partisan divide and get Congress focused on what's right, rather than what advances the interests of its members, we'll be much better off.  Of course, that is so much easier said than done, but to his credit, Obama has banked the goodwill necessary to give him a fighting chance.

"Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions—who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans."

Ironically, the emergence of 24-hour cable news and the Internet has focused us, and consequently our government, on fewer, rather than more issues.  As a result, we've morphed into serial addressers of critical matters.  Clearly, the world has grown too complex for that to continue.  We should and must be able to simultaneously debate and tackle multiple major issues at a time.  Health care shouldn't have to wait its turn behind energy or education.  Tax reform need not be forced to queue up after the environment or the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice.  Virtually every corporation deals with multiple priorities at a time.  There is no reason that the government, with all its resources, can't do the same.  In order for that to happen though, President Obama will need to overcome the media's desire to be singularly focused on what it defines as the big story of the moment.

"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works."

There is no doubt that government is broken.  Ideology and partisanship have trumped the public good.  Of course, great risk accompanies an effort to make government work again.  The risk is that politicians come to believe government is always the solution.  Let's hope President Obama has the wisdom and ability to improve the effectiveness of government instead of its size.

"We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

This is arguably the strongest, most forceful and direct statement in the address.  It helps to allay the fears of some that President Obama will be weak on terror and/or too beholden to others' opinion of America.  I particularly like the "we will not apologize for our way of life" part, because it is that way of life, although imperfect, that is the catalyst for global peace, prosperity, hope, and freedom.

So, while the address is short on memorable lines, it does speak to a number of important themes, the successful execution of which, will enable us to achieve our full potential at home and across the globe.  It's performance, after all, not speeches, that will ultimately tell the tale.