2015 State of the Union Address

[onejayhawk]

This thread is for discussion of President Obama's annual report to Congress AND the Republican response.

This is always a stump speach, with political posturing foremost of everything. Howeve, there are often new initiatives and urging to finish old ones. Here are some points to discuss.

What new programs will be proposed?

What news will be addressed?

What factual representations will be questionable?

What surprises will be sprung, if any?

This year there will also likely to be threats of vetoes. How many?

J

 

[Antilogic]

I plan to be treadmilling during said speech so I'll be on later with post-thoughts.

 

[Cutlass]

I don't think I'll watch the speech tonight. I have in past years, but just can't get interested anymore.

 

[bhsup]

You know, I am not a tea party fan and I've made that clear on the forums over the years. I'll vote for Democratic senators (McCaskill) and governors (Nixon) and so forth and so on over nutters in a heartbeat. However, listening to this pinko leftist speech tonight, it really makes me understand why some folks sitting at home do support the tea party candidates.

Sorry Rebecca and Jack, it should not be the federalies job to ensure you get a new friggin' car or help you with your daycare or blah blah and blah blah and so forth. You guys did okay on your own, by what Obama said in the speech. I turned off the speech as I couldn't stomach anymore of the class warfare rhetoric or demands for more and more entitlements from the federalies.

 

[Kaitzilla]

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE stuff!

 

[shadowplay]

Is that George Washington?

 

[onejayhawk]

It's early, but I had to laugh when he said we needed to stop confrontational tactics. That's just funny.

J

 

[Antilogic]

You know, I am not a tea party fan and I've made that clear on the forums over the years. I'll vote for Democratic senators (McCaskill) and governors (Nixon) and so forth and so on over nutters in a heartbeat. However, listening to this pinko leftist speech tonight, it really makes me understand why some folks sitting at home do support the tea party candidates.

Sorry Rebecca and Jack, it should not be the federalies job to ensure you get a new friggin' car or help you with your daycare or blah blah and blah blah and so forth. You guys did okay on your own, by what Obama said in the speech. I turned off the speech as I couldn't stomach anymore of the class warfare rhetoric or demands for more and more entitlements from the federalies.

Taking this out of framing narrative, a lot of those policy proposals were for equal opportunity of people to make something for themselves, and were protections for workers. Paid sick leave and higher wages aren't handouts or entitlements, it's compensation in exchange for work.

Is that George Washington?

Ernest Moniz, the energy secretary (and the only member of the Cabinet I know in person).

It's early, but I had to laugh when he said we needed to stop confrontational tactics. That's just funny.

J

Yeah, that's trademark infringement on the GOP.

 

[downtown]

Obama: "We need to gather together at a country to make sure this Updog funding bill gets passed"

Boehner: "Wait, what's Updog?"

Biden: {falling over with laughter}

 

[Berzerker]

Joni Ernst was a bit robotic but otherwise decent

 

[Antilogic]

She didn't mess up, which is very good for the SotU response. It's a hard act to pull off.

 

[bhsup]

Paid sick leave and higher wages aren't handouts or entitlements, it's compensation in exchange for work.

if you're home sick, you're not working, so how can sick leave be compensation in exchange for work?

 

[RobAnybody]

I'm seriously you guys. If you're spending money after 5:00, you're not working for that money, so how can that money be compensation for work?

 

[Wolfbeckett]

if you're home sick, you're not working, so how can sick leave be compensation in exchange for work?

Because it's part of what you earn while you are working. Most people don't just get paid time off by default, it accrues when they show up for work.

I hope you're just playing devil's advocate here, I can't bring myself to seriously believe that not ruining people financially who fall unexpectedly ill is a controversial topic in the year 2015. Feudalism ended ages ago.

 

[bhsup]

No, I am not opposed to sick leave. I am opposed to the FEDERAL government mandating it. I am also opposed to the federal government helping people buy a brand new car or get help with daycare and a multitude of other things.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

I'd agree with you if I though companies could be relied upon to provide it without it being mandated. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but every time I look around I see examples of companies screwing over their employees to save a buck and line the pockets of their shareholders a little more, so I can't see how leaving sick leave to their discretion would be any different.

Unless you think it should be a state government thing, I noticed you put FEDERAL in all caps, so are you okay with state governments mandating it?

 

[bhsup]

Eh, not particularly seeing why the States need to be involved either, but at least that wouldn't be crapping on the Constitution.

But... you're missing the general point of my first post. Obama was just rattling off this huge list of "Hey, we should have the federalies give you all this crap because that's what the government should be there to do. Give you stuff! FOR FREE! Nobody pays for it, it's just magical free crap we want to give you because, you know, we care!"

What. the. Feldercarp?! How about instead the feds just stay the hell out of my life?

 

[Antilogic]

Should the federal government mandate you should be paid wages in dollars?

 

[bhsup]

And... I'm kicking Baxter off the overpass for that one.

 

[Antilogic]

NOOOOOOO!!!

But seriously, do you think companies should be able to pay employees in scrip?