Politico's Evan Thomas Calls Obama's State of the Union 'Disheartening,' 'Pathetic,' 'Cheap Pandering'
While most in the Obama-loving media took a predictable victory lap for the President's State of the Union address this week, Politico's Evan Thomas was not impressed.
Appearing on PBS's Inside Washington, Thomas said, "It was a disheartening speech. It was a pathetic speech...He is running on sort of cheap pandering" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
GORDON PETERSON, HOST: The President lays down the markers for his reelection campaign. We call it the State of the Union address.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot.
SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R-ARIZONA): I think it was a great campaign speech, obviously stoking the class warfare issue, but, you know, this may be a little different take than you are getting from others, but I was astounded by his praise for Iraq since Iraq is unraveling.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
PETERSON: Senator John McCain’s take on the State of the Union speech. Evan, you agree with any of that?
EVAN THOMAS, POLITICO: Yeah, I agree with all of it. It was a disheartening speech. It was a pathetic speech, really. I mean, here he’s got, the President of the United States needs a mandate for rebuilding the infrastructure, for getting control of the deficit, for tax reform. So what does he talk about? Raising taxes on millionaires, which I guess you have to do, but it is a tiny problem compared to all the others. And so he is running on sort of cheap pandering. And I’m sure the speech was well written, and it was sort of vaguely moving at the end when he talked about the military, but it was overall a pathetic speech.
What's interesting is that's likely what Americans would have universally heard about this address from the media if Obama were a Republican.
Just another example of what a difference a "D" makes.
Kudos for Thomas for having the nerve to say what most of his colleagues refused to.
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Comments
special olympics president
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 12:55pm.
From most of the media obama gets a medal just for participating.
It's the racism of low expectations
Submitted by Galvanic on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 9:12pm.
After three years the MSM has learned that the guy they invested so much hope in is little more than a talking horse, and he's been repeating himself for two years. But Obama is getting into campaign mode, and like an over-the-hill crooner about to sing his is old hits, the MSM is a bit excited in anticipation of feeling the old "Hope & Change" atmosphere again.
As this latest SOTU illustrated -- and Evan Thomas aptly described it -- this President is out of steam. He hasn't had a real idea in over two yeaers, and the ideas he got into law are hugely unpopular.
He's failed, but they won't publicly acknowledge it.
Unemployed?
Submitted by Joe W. on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 1:04pm.
Evan Thomas will be unemployed from POLITICO within 2 weeks, I would guess.
He could have used those
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 1:10pm.
He could have used those adjectives to describe Boy Barry's entire existence.
⇒ Evan Thomas - living proof
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 1:21pm.
Evan Thomas, you twit! That speech was indistinguishable from the previous two years addresses and suddenly you experience an epiphanous moment?
Why has it taken you this long to realize SNAP DiddyO has but one objective, surpassing the 50% barrier of government dependancy.
That you, Evan Thomas, would try to salvage some imagined journalistic integrity with such a johnny-come-lately following of the fray, is laughable.
I don't think there will be reprisals
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 1:37pm.
against Evan Thomas for this; likely the only people to see his statements saw them here, by clicking the video.
Noel. Evan Thomas answered Chris Matthews' demand of Obama
Submitted by Gary Hall on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 1:48pm.
On Saturday November 19th, Chris Matthews slammed President Obama, during a conversation with Alex Witt on her MSNBC show. Noel covered it here -- Chris Matthews Slams Obama: He's Got 'The Worst Kind of a Notion of the Presidency. An excerpt:
Matthews: If I could say one thing to Barack Obama, “Stop showing us how smart you are and lead us. Ask us to do something. Pull us behind you. Enlist us in the service of our country. Ask us to do something." There is no Peace Corps. There is no Special Forces. There is no 50 mile hikes. There’s no moon program. There’s nothing to root for.
What are we trying to do in this administration? Why does he want a second term? Would he tell us? What's he going to do in the second term? More of this? Is this it? Is this as good as it gets? Where are we going? Are we going to do something the second term? He has yet to tell us. He has not said one thing about what he would do in the second term. He never tells us what he is going to do with reforming our healthcare systems, Medicare, Medicaid, how is going to reform Social Security. Is he going to deal with long-term debt? How? Is he going to reform the tax system? How? Just tell us. Why are we in this fight with him? Just tell us, Commander, give us our orders and tell us where we’re going, give us the mission. And he hasn't done it.
As Evan Thomas, so clearly noted, Obama didn't do any of that which Chris Matthews so desperately wanted. So why is Matthews having that tingle down his leg again, over the speech?
(;~/ gary
Who Watched It
Submitted by bmacdmac on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 2:44pm.
Only the dye hard watched, you know the ones that have chemicals for brains. Nothing new, tax the rich and all will be better. Oh I got OBL remember that. Four years of the same crap over and over, I for one will be happy when he becomes the EX-president.
⇒ I watched it
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 2:51pm.
Admittedly, I found myself getting ahead of the teleprompter, having heard the same speech twice before.
I must say, though, this was the best he's ever read it.
Not unlike watching a rerun
Submitted by rockyracoon on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 5:24pm.
Not unlike watching a rerun of say..."Gilligan's Island" for an example, only less entertaining.
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
⇒ Gilligan's Island
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 5:30pm.
I remember when they changed the ending jingle to say "the movie star, the professor and Mary Ann, here on Gilligans Isle", instead of "the movie star, and the rest, here on Gilligans Isle".
At least on Gilligan's Island, people had an opportunity to advance.
What's up with Evan? I've
Submitted by mattm on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 2:45pm.
What's up with Evan? I've seen many comments from my liberal friends at how wonderful his speech was. Even the supposed criticism that it was at an eight grade reading level was touted as being a smart rhetorical tactic used to get his message of government expansion to the most people possible.
Maybe Evan, being an elitist intellectual, was just miffed at being talked down to. Or maybe he was hoping for something more lofty to heap praises upon. In any case, he'll get over it, and be back to his Obama worship in short order.
Mussolini for Morons bamboozles the kiddies
Submitted by lgeubank on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 3:29pm.
To me Obama always sounds like Mussolini's mentally-challenged younger brother, trying to fool a bunch of school kids into giving him their lollipops. His calculated, manipulative rhetoric, so transparent and so simplistic, makes me wonder how anybody could ever be fooled by him. I guess you just have to be a willing sap to be taken in by Obama.
(And if I hear him refer to people as "folks" one more time, I'm gonna puke!)
Totally agree..........and
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 11:25pm.
Totally agree..........and double for that 'folks' crap............he might as well call us the 'great unwashed', or use that Russian term, the 'proletariat'........that would make him sound really official!!!
WOW!!!
Submitted by bigdaddy on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 3:32pm.
I haven't felt this good since Darth Vader transformed back into Anakin Skywalker at the end of "Return Of The Jedi".
Welcome Back Evan Thomas, the world of logic and common sense embraces you with open arms.
I tried to listen to
Submitted by nolefan2 on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 4:12pm.
his first SOTU address, but was unable to stomach it for the entire time. I have not watched another one since. From what I hear from those who can stand to watch it is that it is the same old tired rhetoric full of narcissistic blathering. He sure goes on and on for a long time to result in such little new information. What I have gathered from this is that his favorite words are "I, me, and my." It is all about HIM. You would think that HE was the one who got UBL when he only gave the order. George Bush never got much credit for getting Saddam Hussein. Did HE not give the order for that? Why does Duh One get so much credit and GWB so little from the main stream media when they BOTH gave the orders?
evan thomas, has,in recent months
Submitted by Paarl on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 8:39pm.
committed several random acts of journalistic integrity . I cannot cite them but they have made me sit up and take notice...he must be part of the 1 % ;>)
Paarl of Rhodesia
truth
Submitted by angelann1 on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 2:33pm.
Truth is a wonderful thing !!