A Hookah Smoking Caterpillar
When did Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane start writing State of the Union speeches?
Tonight, we were asked to step through the looking glass and back to a period when this rhetoric would be more believable—a time of idealism and unbridled hope. Unfortunately, this evening's ostensibly recycled 2008 campaign speech now carries the heavy baggage of twelve months of broken promises, including, most significantly, a complete rejection of bipartisanship—the single biggest plank in Obama's platform and reason for his election (besides the fact people were REALLY tired of Republicans and their missteps).
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
Sure, during the 2008 campaign, most knew that there was an incongruity between Obama's record and what he was promising. Many understood that he had virtually no substantive track record of reaching across the isle to compromise on difficult issues. Many more knew that his experiences and associations strongly suggested a near lock-step allegiance with the far left. Nevertheless, the words and themes were so, so mellifluous and soaring. They filled us with great expectations and anticipation of better days. They made us dream of what might be. And, they made us want for something better than the difficult and divisive last years of the Bush administration.
Well, here we are a year later. The words and themes are the same, but the ring is very, very hollow. How can we be expected to trust him this time? What of the repeated pledges regarding lobbyists, earmarks, safe nuclear, offshore drilling, going through the budget line by line, fiscal responsibility, etc., etc., etc.? And, let's not forget one of my personal favorites, "Let me know if you have a better approach. Really; I mean it." I feel so used.
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
What makes tonight's rehash of past promises, including, most specifically, yet another call for bipartisanship all the more stupefying is that it was done while simultaneously slapping the other party and its agenda right across the face. C'mon, is that any way to usher in a new era of cooperation? Even if you believe it deep down in your bones, can't you finally step away from the bashing in the name of tackling tough problems together? It's not like he hasn't said it a million times before and people don't understand his views on the past eight years. Kinda makes it hard to see the sincerity.
Despite all of this, I suggest giving the President one last chance. I know what you're saying, "Fool me once..." Give him a week, or two, or maybe even four to see if there's been an epiphany and a legitimate effort to meet near the middle.
If not, it's game over. Go ask Alice.
When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Funny, I feel like I just had some kind of mushroom.
Tonight, we were asked to step through the looking glass and back to a period when this rhetoric would be more believable—a time of idealism and unbridled hope. Unfortunately, this evening's ostensibly recycled 2008 campaign speech now carries the heavy baggage of twelve months of broken promises, including, most significantly, a complete rejection of bipartisanship—the single biggest plank in Obama's platform and reason for his election (besides the fact people were REALLY tired of Republicans and their missteps).
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
Sure, during the 2008 campaign, most knew that there was an incongruity between Obama's record and what he was promising. Many understood that he had virtually no substantive track record of reaching across the isle to compromise on difficult issues. Many more knew that his experiences and associations strongly suggested a near lock-step allegiance with the far left. Nevertheless, the words and themes were so, so mellifluous and soaring. They filled us with great expectations and anticipation of better days. They made us dream of what might be. And, they made us want for something better than the difficult and divisive last years of the Bush administration.
Well, here we are a year later. The words and themes are the same, but the ring is very, very hollow. How can we be expected to trust him this time? What of the repeated pledges regarding lobbyists, earmarks, safe nuclear, offshore drilling, going through the budget line by line, fiscal responsibility, etc., etc., etc.? And, let's not forget one of my personal favorites, "Let me know if you have a better approach. Really; I mean it." I feel so used.
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
What makes tonight's rehash of past promises, including, most specifically, yet another call for bipartisanship all the more stupefying is that it was done while simultaneously slapping the other party and its agenda right across the face. C'mon, is that any way to usher in a new era of cooperation? Even if you believe it deep down in your bones, can't you finally step away from the bashing in the name of tackling tough problems together? It's not like he hasn't said it a million times before and people don't understand his views on the past eight years. Kinda makes it hard to see the sincerity.
Despite all of this, I suggest giving the President one last chance. I know what you're saying, "Fool me once..." Give him a week, or two, or maybe even four to see if there's been an epiphany and a legitimate effort to meet near the middle.
If not, it's game over. Go ask Alice.
When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Funny, I feel like I just had some kind of mushroom.
I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane with Pres Obama and the Airplane. So here is my read on the Pres' speech:
1.) He wants more civility so he has hired that fire breathing, four letter word spewing, Democrat Mitch McConnell. The evil Republicans have that nice guy Emanuel.
2.) He wants to stop the campaigning, and here goes the evil Republicans hiring Plouffe literally DAYS before the speech.
3.) He is now campaigning against Washington and who can blame him. After all, the House, Senate and the White House are all run by the evil Republicans.
Oh well, at least the 60's and 70's had the hookah pipe to distort things. This is happening in stone cold soberness. Amazing times! Hey caterpillar, pass the pipe, I need some of the stuff the Pres is smoking.
JTS
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