The State Of The Union Is Not All About The State Of Obama

He (the President) shall, from time to time, give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. - Article 2, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution

I spent Monday morning in various auto shops dealing with assorted auto issues (apart from needing an oil change, state inspection, four new tires, and a leaking moon roof repaired, my beloved 2007 Camry is one of the models that was recalled because of that pesky accelerator problem).

The TV channel in the first service center waiting room was tuned to CNN . . . and a huge sign on the wall said, "DO NOT TOUCH TV".

So I did not touch it. They had my car at their mercy.

In the wake of the big tea party in Massachusetts last week, CNN seems bound and determined to rehabilitate President Obama's battered image/psyche. They're "reporting" on the katrillion-dollar stimulus package . . . picking out the lucky/endowed programs here and there and "dissecting" them.

(As an aside, although I've refrained from commenting on the latest round of shameless GSO race-baiting, I've thought about calling CNN's tip line about the "hotel wars" in Greensboro. But (1) Joe's back and in fine form, and (2) I figure we're just a few days away from JJ and Al showing up to stir that pot anyway.)

As CNN dissected, they had to insert an Obama speech or talking point every five minutes.

After almost four hours of this in the background (is anyone else tired of the word "historic"?), I could barely stand to hear sound of the man's voice.

The State of the Union Address is tonight. Many pundits on the left side of the aisle are bloviating about Obama using the speech as an opportunity to somehow turn hearts and heads back towards his agenda . . . in other words, using the ultimate bully pulpit (the SOU is what it is) to push what he thinks is necessary and expedient.

I'm thinking the President's general audience, running a little short on hope and change, is not going to be as fawning or adorative (yes, it's a word, I looked it up) as they have been in the past. We ordinary working middle-class folk (you know, the "fat rednecks" that populists tend to use/then take for granted) have pretty good reasons for being "tea-baggers".

In short, we're tired of getting crapped-on AND paying for the privilege.

You see, as Obama/his minions were marginalizing and ridiculing and insulting and dismissing and generally poo-pooing anyone who disagreed with him, the President of these United States forgot that the state of our union is not all about one man. In fact, it being all about the cult of him is what got the President into trouble in the first place.

And/so, I'm not sure I'm going to watch the speech tonight. Listening to Obama once again drop his g's is just about more than I can take.

After all, We-The-put-upon-People can always wait for the uber-elitist-know-what's-best-for-the-world pundits to tell us what we're supposed to think tomorrow.

Olberman, in particular, is always good for a laugh.