Tuesday night, President Barack Obama appeared and sounded like a man on a ?mission. Again.
With the passion of an ?underdog and the confidence of a heavyweight, he laid out an agenda for his final two years in office reminiscent of 2008.
The bold message at the president’s State of the Union address was the culmination of months of hard work by the Obama administration in order to reclaim the debate after crushing defeats for ?Democrats in the ?midterms.
And so far, the signs are pointing to success.
Immigration infuriated Republicans, Cuba surprised them and the president’s plan to make community college free confused them.
Then, just three weeks after Republicans took full control of Congress, Obama hits them with an aggressive plan to fight inequality by increasing taxes on capital gains and using the funds for investments in education, infrastructure and middle and working-class families.
It’s a nail in the coffin for their so-called mandate.
You see, for all of the talk from Republicans about being on the side of the ?American people, we have heard little besides what ?policies they were against in 2014.
They were given no ?legislative mandate other than, “Please, for the love of God, do ANYTHING.”
And the brilliance of the president’s strategy is, ?rather than letting Republicans set their own agenda, moving quickly to take the lack of a mandate away from them.
Instead, he will create his own.
Republicans read the American people correctly and called the right play for the midterms.
Their miscalculation ?appears to be in assuming that the president would follow along, giving them the chance to handpick the ?issues they want to show they can govern.
Instead, they gave President Obama an opening to put forth a bold agenda that rightly focuses on expanding the middle class and ?investing in the future.
In the manner the president has always been able to excel at, he tapped into the concerns of the average citizen better than ?Republicans could ever wish to do.
He prioritizes college costs, early education, childcare, equal pay and a laundry list of other practical policies that affect the everyday lives of millions.
And what have Republicans put forth as ?alternatives?
The Keystone XL Pipeline, which will create only a handful of jobs, and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, pulling millions of newly insured off their plans.
But hey, at least both poll well for the 2016 ?primary.
In a political environment plagued by the petty and childish, Americans have been pleading for someone to be the adult in the room.
President Obama, on Tuesday night, showed us he was that guy.
All it took was some ?common sense and ?authenticity.
Now we will just have to see whether Republicans ?follow his example or revert back to cheap politics.
thompjak@indiana.edu
