The Patriot Post® · 2016 SOTU: Obama's State of Delusion

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” –Article II, Section 1, Constitution of the United States, 1787

Since Barack Obama’s first official State of the Union address, I have long anticipated his last! This is my final analysis and rebuttal of a Barack Obama SOTU. I have endured every word of his rambling rhetoric so you did not have to suffer through it.

Obama would not have been around to deliver this speech had he not lied about al-Qa'ida and Benghazi in 2012, having centered his whole campaign on his foreign policy “successes.” The only person more surprised by Obama’s re-election victory than he was would be Mitt Romney, who assumed he had it won, but could not pull it off because he failed to connect with grassroots conservatives.

Obama was given four more years to continue his “fundamental transformation” of America, starting with converting the once-noble Democrat Party into the Socialist Democrat Party, and stacking it and his administration with legions of “useful idiots.”

“Socialist”? Some might suggest that is too strident. But I note that in a recent interview, Democrat National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was asked the difference between “Democrat” and “Socialist,” and she could not articulate the distinction. Last week, Hillary Clinton, Obama’s heir apparent despite her record of malfeasance, was asked the same question and was unable to make any distinction.

Sidebar: On the subject of Clinton, I should also note here that she is at substantial risk of federal indictments related to her malfeasance, including an expanded investigation into the Clinton Foundation. As Charles Krauthammer asserts, “The person who will decide the nomination on the Democratic side is FBI Director, James Comey.” For the record, I believe the DNC is calculating that she is now a placeholder for Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren. On the other hand, the convention delegates may well choose a wildcard candidate who has not been a contender at any level, thus providing a fresh face to run on a clean slate just months ahead of the election.

Ahead of the SOTU, I received no less than 25 White House emails promoting Obama’s “achievements.” As Shakespeare wrote, he “doth protest too much, methinks.” In one of them, Obama insisted, “We have every reason to be optimistic going into 2016 — not only because there are important things we can still accomplish in my last year in office, but because we are in a position to elect a Democrat who will protect and build on this progress we’ve fought so hard for these last seven years.”

However, I am sure it has not gone unnoticed that in the latest Gallup survey, “the percentage of U.S. adults identifying as Democrats is now at the lowest point in the past 27 years, down from the prior low of 30% in 2014.” Now only 29% self-identify as “Democrat.” Apparently, there are some Democrats who do not share his “optimism going into 2016.

In his first address to the nation in 2009, Obama promised, "We will rebuild. We will recover. And the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.”

Apparently not.

Back then, Obama declared we have a “responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to [our children] a debt they cannot pay.” Back then, the total national debt was $10.8 trillion. It’s now almost $19 trillion.

This year, Obama had promised a much shorter speech. George Washington’s final State of the Union address was five minutes. Obama droned on, and even Democrats were dozing.

I would sum up his latest remarks as follows: It was replete with vacuous rhetoric — all fragrance and no substance. Obama’s previous SOTUs have been heavy with his legislative agenda for the next year, but his final SOTU was devoid of that agenda. I can only assume that Obama did a reality check, and the biggest change since 2008 is that the legislative branch, which was then controlled by Democrats, is now controlled by Republicans. Obama may be the product of “democracy,” but he is being contained by our republican form of government.

Obama divided his remarks into five themes: Economy, National Security, Urgent Challenges, Politics and The Future.

BO’s Big Theme One: Economy

Barack Obama: We recovered from the worst economic crisis in generations.
The Patriot: Of course, that “crisis” was seeded and generated by Democrat policies put into place by Bill Clinton and congressional Demos. After the cascading collapse of the U.S. economy in 2008, Clinton admitted, “I think the responsibility that the Democrats have may rest more in resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress … to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” That would be correct. But Obama insists the problem began on Wall Street rather than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

BO: How do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity?
TP: Get government out of the way! Our colleagues at The Heritage Foundation have outlined a genuine free-enterprise framework for ensuring opportunity for all.

BO: Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction.
TP: Obviously, he is peddling snake oil.

BO: The United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world.
TP: That may be true, but in large part because the economic decline in the U.S. under Obama has undermined the world economy.

BO: What is true…
TP: When Obama says “What is true,” that is inevitably followed by a BIG Lie. As for Obama’s Biggest Lies, it’s difficult to pick just one, given that his entire presidency is a lie. Indeed, his whole life is a lie. Even his official White House bio begins, “His story is the American story — values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family…” Nothing could be further from the truth. Obama was a disciple of bigotry and hate, and he was steeped in Marxist ideology from a young age. His indoctrination is a case study in the advancement of statist tyranny and oppression of Liberty.

BO: More and more wealth and income is concentrated at the very top.
TP: Didn’t Obama just finish his seventh year in office? So there has been “more and more” of this under his regime? Of course, Obama has been living the high life at taxpayer expense while spewing his classist rhetoric as bait for his constituents.

BO: All these trends have squeezed workers, even when they have jobs, even when the economy is growing. It’s made it harder for a hardworking family to pull itself out of poverty, harder for young people to start their careers, tougher for workers to retire when they want to.
TP: Actually, it is Obama’s failed economic policies that have crushed middle-income earners — those who still have a job.

BO: I believe a thriving private sector is the lifeblood of our economy. I think there are outdated regulations that need to be changed. There is red tape that needs to be cut.
TP: Hahahahaha … ad nauseum… Remember his statement that “you didn’t build that”?

BO: Food Stamp recipients did not cause the financial crisis…
TP: Of course they didn’t, but the number of food stamp recipients is at an all-time record under Obama.

BO: Start-ups and small businesses need more of a voice, not less. The rules should work for them.
TP: As the owner of several small businesses, let me just say that our voice has been almost silenced by Obama’s plethora of rules and regulations.

BO: How do we reignite that spirit of innovation to meet our biggest challenges?
TP: Get out of the way!

BO’s Big Theme Two: National Security

BO: How do we keep America safe…?
TP: Demonstrably, tragically, Obama has NO idea how to answer this question.

BO: The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth, period. Period. It’s not even close. It’s not even close. It’s not even close.
TP: Actually, the gap between the U.S. and those nations posing the greatest existential threat to our nation has gotten a lot closer under Obama. Period.

BO: All the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker … is political hot air.
TP: This from the grand master of “political hot air.”

BO: When it comes to every important international issue, people of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead. They call us.
TP: Yes, and then Obama calls Beijing and Moscow.

BO: I know this is a dangerous time. But that’s not … because of diminished American strength.
TP: Actually, again, yes it is.

BO: The Middle East is going through a transformation that will play out for a generation, rooted in conflicts that date back millennia.
TP: No, the transformation has occurred in the last seven years and is the direct result of Obama’s retreat from Iraq. His legacy is the current Middle East meltdown and the resulting catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the region.

BO: Priority number one is protecting the American people and going after terrorist networks.
TP: Unfortunately, because of Obama’s unbridled foreign policy malfeasance, those terrorist networks, and the threat they now pose to our homeland, have grown exponentially.

BO: [Terrorists] do not threaten our national existence.
TP: Yeah, they are all just JV Teams. While Jihadist attacks at Ft. Hood, Chattanooga and San Bernardino have taken a great toll, the potential of a catastrophic nuclear detonation in a U.S. urban center by terrorist surrogates of Iran is a clear and present danger.

BO: If this Congress is serious about winning this war and wants to send a message to our troops and the world, authorize the use of military force against ISIL. Take a vote.
TP: They voted to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Obama retreated from both.

BO: If you doubt America’s commitment — or mine — to see that justice is done, just ask Osama bin Laden.
TP: Yes, Obama single-handedly terminated OBL.

BO: [OEF and OIF were] recipes for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately will weaken us. It’s the lesson of Vietnam. It’s the lesson of Iraq, and we should have learned it by now.
TP: Apparently Obama did not learn it.

BO: As we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program … and the world has avoided another war.
TP: Obama’s “nuke deal” with Iran virtually ensures that fissile weapons will be available to asymmetric Islamic terrorist cells in the next decade – the U.S. being the primary target of those terror cells. The consequences will be a much hotter war. And on the subject of Iran, how is it that a Commander in Chief does not mention the latest provocation, the fact that just hours before his remarks, 10 Navy personnel and their two riverine craft were commandeered by Iran? And this as Obama is preparing to write Iran a “goodwill” check for $150 BILLION in released sanctioned funds? As Sen. Tom Cotton, an OEF combat veteran, notes, “It’s humiliating Barack Obama, and therefore the United States, to have American sailors held hostage during his final State of the Union.” Fortunately, it only took Iran 24 hours to calculate that, while Obama was not going to mention the incident, our Republican Congress was not going to tolerate this seizure. Now, extending the insult, Iran’s RG Is using the seizure as propaganda, showing our Navy personnel on their knees with hands behind their heads? Here is an idea for some good propaganda. Pick an Iranian military “target of interest,” or maybe a nuke facility, and BOMB THE S#!T OUT OF IT! (There, I feel better now!)

Sidebar: Recall, if you will, that within minutes after Ronald Reagan completed his oath of office in 1981, 52 U.S. Embassy hostages were released by Iranian Islamists. They had been held hostage for the last 444 days of Jimmy Carter’s presidency. On the other hand, the day of Obama’s SOTU, Iran takes 10 Navy personnel hostage – for propaganda purposes. What a contrast. And the last time Iran assaulted a U.S. Navy vessel was in 1988. A day later, President Reagan responded, “They must know that we will protect our ships, and if they threaten us, they will pay a price.” A day later, he launched Operation Praying Mantis, and our Navy sunk or severely damaged more than half of Iran’s operational fleet. Hmmm…

BO: Recognize the Cold War is over.
TP: Nope.

BO: Leadership means a wise application of military power.
TP: RETREAT!

BO’s Big Theme Three: Urgent Challenges

BO: If anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You will be pretty lonely because you’ll be debating our military, most of America’s business leaders, the majority of the American people, almost the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it’s a problem and intend to solve it.
TP: In regard to Obama’s Orwellian statist “climate change” agenda and his assertion about consensus, the central question remains, why is the climate warming? And what does Obama mean by “you’ll be debating our military”?

BO: But even if the planet wasn’t at stake — even if 2014 wasn’t the warmest year on record…
TP: Asserting 2014 was the “warmest year on record” is a big assumption. It’s questionable. But even if Obama’s right, what’s the big deal?

BO: What the Affordable Care Act is all about… Nearly 18 million have gained coverage so far. Health care inflation has slowed. And our businesses have created jobs every single month since it became law.
TP: ObamaCare is the biggest government hijacking of our economy in the history of our nation. And regarding all those insured, the majority of those qualified under Medicaid because of loosened eligibility. Furthermore, in a recent study of ObamaCare provisions, researchers at Harvard and Stanford determined that some provisions have resulted in “wage reductions of approximately $1,200 per year.” And did I mention our premiums went up 25% last year?

BO: Let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all. What do you think? Let’s make it happen.
TP: Great suggestion!

BO’s Big Theme Four: Politics

BO: How can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?
TP: Stop propagating the Democrats’ perennial “politics of disunity.”

BO: Our unique strengths as a nation … our commitment to rule of law … give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and security for generations to come.
TP: Seriously, Obama has demonstrated exactly NO commitment to Rule of Law.

BO: “We the People.” Our Constitution begins with those three simple words.
TP: He is a “constitutional scholar” after all!

BO: Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue … over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and the imperatives of security.
TP: Yes they did, and Obama has ignored that distribution in spades. And no, our Founders were clear about the “meaning of liberty.”

BO: Democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn’t matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some special interest.
TP: The system is “rigged” in favor of the central government.

BO: It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency — that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better.
TP: All Obama has done is foment “rancor and suspicion between the parties.”

BO: We have to change the system to reflect our better selves. … If we want a better politics, it’s not enough just to change a congressman or change a senator or even change a president. We have to change the system to reflect our better selves.
TP: Yes, the “fundamental transformation” continues!

Finally, BO’s Big Theme Five: The Future

BO: Our collective futures depends on your willingness to uphold your duties as a citizen.
TP: Maybe we should start teaching civics again…

BO: When I no longer hold this office, I will be right there with you as a citizen.
TP: So what is Obama now, a king?

BO: Dr. King believed…
TP: The Democrats’ “Great Society” has turned Martin Luther King’s dream into a hellish nightmare, enslaving generations of poor people on urban poverty plantations.

BO: I believe in change because I believe in you, the American people. And that’s why I stand here, as confident as I have ever been, that the state of our Union is strong.
TP: Vacuous.

James Madison wrote, “An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among the several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.”

Barack Obama’s legacy will be framed by his utter disregard for his oath “to Support and Defend” our Constitution.

Oh, and a footnote: Although Obama only referenced “gun violence” once in his opening remarks, he has cut a deal with billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a quid pro quo to make gun control the centerpiece of his last year in office in return for Bloomberg’s support of Obama’s presidential library.

Pro Deo et Constitutione — Libertas aut Mors
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis