State of Illusion

It’s no secret President Obama is a fantastic speaker. His charismatic performances and dynamic campaign persona were powerful enough to outshine formidable opponents twice.

This year’s State of the Union was no exception. Obama strode into the House of Representatives armed with the same winning combination of poise and passion we’ve come to expect, and it worked for him.

However, inspiring as his grand claims about equality and opportunity were, many of them sounded all too familiar.

Nearly every one of the visions delineated during the State of the Union were campaign promises he has yet to fulfill from 2012, many from 2008.

In 2008 and in this year’s State of the Union, Obama vowed to close the facilities at Guantanamo Bay.

He made many references to the benefits of immigration and his intentions to enact reform.

The rest of the aspirations Obama alluded to were echoed from his 2012 campaign speeches — keep jobs in America, improve infrastructure, invest in a more skilled workforce, end the war in Afghanistan by 2014, eliminate preexisting condition discrimination and invest in clean energy sources, to name a few.

It was an undeniably beautiful speech, but the strategy isn’t working.

According to a public opinion poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, 68 percent of Americans believe the nation is the same or worse off than when Obama was inaugurated in 2009.

Sixty-three percent responded that they believe the country is on the wrong track, and the president’s approval rating is a puny 43 percent.

A slim majority of Americans — 51 percent — blame Congress for Obama’s inability to accomplish lasting change. But as he confronts his last three years in office, I discourage Obama from reconciling his dire poll numbers with the knowledge that most Americans don’t blame him directly.

Now is hardly the time to point fingers and pass blame to other branches of government.

A poll conducted by CNN revealed only 44 percent of respondents had a “very positive” response to the speech, down from 53 percent in 2013.

It’s going to take much more than euphonic syntax and compelling imagery to affect change and fulfill the campaign promises from 2008 and 2012.

Obama closed the speech with a stirring call for commitment and hope.

“But if we work together — if we summon what is best in us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow, I know it’s within our reach,” Obama said. “Believe it.”

We’ve stopped believing, Obama. Give us a reason to start again.

­— sbkissel@indiana.edu
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