Tuesday, January 25, 2011

BLOG LIVE SOTU...night

Ask questions and comment live tonight as you watch the President's State of the Union address.

What would you advise the president to say?

152 comments:

  1. Time for the President to get us back to work. Words can inspire us, but his leadership can help make it happen. Will he be willing to roll up his sleeves to work by our side? Obama will need to avoid the political buzz words. Be post-partisan. Can he help revive the American spirit? Tonight he has a chance.

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  2. I personally hope that Obama manages to remain civil, and spend his time trying to reassure us, instead of making comments on what he did right, and what republicans did wrong. Entirely seperate from the Tucson crisis, Obama has a chance to unite the people. Not through political ideology, but through the common goal of civility, equality, and peace.

    As a small question, who were the original to propose the pairing off of senators that everyone else has jumped on to?

    Paul Grobman (Larson 6th)

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  3. The President's motorcade has arrived at the Capitol. We're now moments away...

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  4. also, what is the deal with the ribbons they are all wearing? Am I right to assume it is related to the Tucson Tragedy?

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  5. I am curious to see how the new seating arrangement might affect the political theater tonight.

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  6. Anybody watching online on the white house's "enhanced feed"?

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  7. Purple tie looks regal. No stripes, however, look bland. Hope this does not foreshadow the speech to come.

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  8. Cameras have never been so intimate. NFL films in charge tonight?

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  9. Is his tie purple? not blue or red...now that's bipartisanship

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  10. Wow what a euphemism for minority government

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  11. Will our new Speaker being crying throughout the whole speech?

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  12. Are there any statistics to back up his claim of "worlds best economy"?

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  13. Who did the CIA kidnap tonight? Secretary of commerce is there, hilary is there, secretary of the interior is there.....

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  14. Certainly the largest economy.

    Long periods of time without applause tonight. These new bromances have changed how the SOTU sounds.

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  15. We have the largest GDP by more than $4 trillion over China. Our per capita GDP is $47K while China's is $7K.

    Read more at http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/20/cbs-2-school-hu-on-tour/

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  16. Paul, US has highest overall GDP i believe

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  17. The US also has the highest GDP per capita (I think)

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  18. I think if we really want to get ahead on research, we should make kids actually start caring about math and science. Or school, for that matter.

    -The Real Citizen You

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  19. According to Wikileaks, Ken Salazar is this year's "designated successor."

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  20. Boehner isn't liking Obama's speech

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  21. Looks like Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, is the designated survivor tonight.

    He is safe in secure in some DC bunker.

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  22. That's what I read. Also, Justice Alito (and 2 others) seem to coincidentally have scheduling conflicts today.

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  23. Ken Salazar can't be the "designated successor" they showed him shaking the presidents hand before the speech.

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  24. 80% from clean energy? Now THAT'S pretty lofty. I mean it's nice to set goals even if you can't reach them, but man.

    -The Real Citizen You

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  25. Is it really as high as 1 in 4?

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  26. Obama subtly takes a dig at the pack with the super bowl reference?

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  27. I think I just heard a shout out to SHS scholastic bowl!

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  28. History fair is the best but science and mathematics will help more with advancing technology helping our standard of living.

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  29. I like how he's proposing to take away oil company subsidies.

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  30. the super bowl isnt as important now to obama without the bears

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  31. >I like how he's proposing to take away oil company subsidies.

    not gonna happen in the near future

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  32. I agree that education is the best way to fix our future

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  33. Big time focus on education, good choice

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  34. Shout out to South Korea's education system =D

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  35. Wow, I hope that "become a teacher" comment is picked up as a strong soundbite. It deserves to be

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  36. I feel a buildup to a reference to www.citizenu.org!

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  37. Last time I checked, the Federal government's role in education is less than 10% of all resources.

    What can, and what do we want the Federal government to do about local school policy?

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  38. Teachers are nothing without a society that values education. There are plenty of people out there who just don't care, and I think this sort of prevailing attitude is going to be a huge problem in terms of not falling behind China.

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  39. How is college affordable for millions of students? Its gonna cost my parents close to $80,000 dollars to send both my brother and I to college!

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  40. who's the woman they have that closeup on?

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  41. "That's me" was the funniest moment of the night!

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  42. John Kerry and John McCain next to each other is hilarious! Both presidential runners that lost...they must be sympathizing with one another!

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  43. Whoa, John Kerry is sitting next to John McCain!

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  44. Weak ovation for immigration reform. The nays will will again on that one.

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  45. Rebuilding that infrastructure will be pretty hard and expensive... as much as we need it.

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  46. Technically Chinese people built the Trans-Continental railroad

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  47. High speed rail? And people wonder why we're in a budget deficit. And ouch, on the pat down comment.

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  48. Gotta love the airport pat down reference!

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  49. Is he proposing a kind of redux-New Deal with his infrastructure plans?

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  50. nah
    i dont think americans like railroad

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  51. Is that Rep. Bobby Rush in the brown suit to the President's right? He's trying to start a serious stare down with Barack.

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  52. Tax code reform... I'm liking it, if it can be done correctly.

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  53. sarah palin's so confused right now

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  54. Count me in for serious tax reform.

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  55. I think I figured out the "designated Successor", its Robert Gates!

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  56. Nope, it's Salazar.

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  57. Our air is safe.... except for the birds in Arkansas

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  58. I'm not a fan of that pre-existing condition statement there.

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  59. amen on stopping denial of people's insurance for pre-existing conditions

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  60. "Mend it, don't end it" worked before why not try it again?

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  61. Well Mr. Obama, how do you plan to reconcile fixing the budget deficit and building high speed rail? Oh wait, you don't.

    (Fine, I'll stop knocking on the high speed rail comment...)

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  62. how would we go about freezing domestic spending?

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  63. I loved the stern looks the brass had over the military cuts Obama mentioned. They don't look pleased!

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  64. The military people don't look too happy.

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  65. Military cuts will never happen

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  66. Can someone repeat that airplane simile?

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  67. THANK YOU ON THE TORT REFORM ON MALPRACTICE SUITS!!! Seriuosly, I would really like that.

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  68. i think the airplane comment was improved...guess he should stick to the script sorry larsen

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  69. 1. the military is not allowed to show emotion during the speech because they aren't supposed to be biased!

    2. Why would you cut the military budget? Especially when your in need of more troops and better equipment!

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  70. Guaranteed retirement money at the whims of the stock market? Oh no, I think it's because people haven't heard of these things called, uh, 401ks. And, y'know, some companies will even match your investments if you put into 401ks, and, well, there's always the option of, y'know, saving up...

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  71. Is it really plausible that the law really pass to make available more jobs to Americans based on exports to countries like China and South Korea? Many people seems to support majority of what Obama says on delicate issues like health care when in fact, they oppose it in real life. Also, the constant clapping is kind of annoying. However, I think Obama is trying to get more support by proposing to cut costs of health care. He claims to lower spending on community action programs also as low as it was since the times of Dwight D. Eisenhower...

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  72. Agency cutting is definitely something I side with. Salmon example was a great example! Counterbalances the rather awkward simile of the airplane...

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  73. Anxious to see how Obama plans to reorganize government. Every president has promised this. Cannot remember the last to deliver.

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  74. I never realized the lox on my bagel this morning have really complicated politics behind it.

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  75. Hooray for the Earmarks pledge

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  76. Wow, that is a strong pledge on earmarks.

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  77. the Iraq war is ending but what about Afghanistan?

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  78. I'd like to ask favor and get some of the citizenu bloggers to add some comments (via the facebook recommend feature) at

    http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/25/cbs-2-school-sotu-three-four/

    I'm curious how it works.

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  79. He's saying that the Taliban should be denied a haven in Afghanista, yet he's proposing to remove troops from there at the same time?

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  80. South Sudan is a strong reference for Freedom

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  81. uh oh notice how everyone is standing up clapping for gay soldiers except the military men....

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  82. Obama needed to make a gay rights comment, and thankfully he did!

    The military didn't like that too much tho!

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  83. I certainly wouldn't trade places to be any other place on earth.

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  84. BOEHNER IS CRYING!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!!

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  85. Hey Mr. Conneen, I had a swim meet so I'm just sitting down to watch this on DVR.

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  86. Great speech, I just hope he follows through. This is a critical time for all of us.

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  87. That was a pretty good speech for only 61 minutes!

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  88. I like how all his deadlines are set for after 2012, so he wont be held accountable for any of the failures in the next election. 2035 gives him plenty of time to pass on the blame for his failures.

    Adam

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  89. great speach. interesting take on the illegal immigrants...not sure that its fair to allow them to stay in order to better serve us.

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  90. Eh, I thought the speech was sort of tepid. Perhaps I wasn't paying the fullest attention but I felt that it was just the typical political runthrough. Nothing new, typical "America is great", "yay progressive values", "[awkward simile/joke]" type stuff.

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  91. Listening to his third SOTU, it would appear the President is willing to try his own Plan B.

    He may not be able to reinvent government, but he is able to reinvent himself.

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  92. constantly brought up gabby giffords situation yet never adress a solution...

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  93. Sounded like a re-election speech to me. Solidify your base while reaching out to the middle.

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  94. most awkward plane without an engine joke i have ever heard. totally agree that america is great was over done

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  95. America is great can never be over done!

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  96. Actually, when you're living in a society that supposedly is post-imperialistic, yes it can.

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  97. I thought that the speech was very well delivered, and President Obama's assertion that the state of our region is strong seemed like a reassuring statement after setting such high expectations for the American government and public. I hope the bipartisan buddies will get along tomorrow.

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  98. totally agree with his take on education starting with parents and better supporting our teachers. --just added that in for u mr. c :)

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  99. The Real Citizen You, what is wrong with pride with your country?

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  100. Solid speech. This is our nation's "Sputnik" moment where we again are fighting tooth for tooth the technological race.

    Priceless facial expressions on the generals when Obama said gays are to be allowed in the military.

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  101. Sounds like he's supporting divided government...let's see him get congress to work together

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  102. this republican response is seriously depressing

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  103. One of the better SOTU responses that I've heard in recent years.

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  104. Overall great speech. I liked the focus on education. I agree that it's the best way to improve our future. Creating jobs with clean energy efforts was a good move, too. I really thing he did a good job of trying to unite the country tonight and set congress up for a productive team effort in the coming months.

    Also, the salmon thing was hilarious.

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  105. At this point, he sounds like he's echoing Conneen about us not having to fear China

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  106. Joshuaw123 - I don't think I ever implied that I was against pride in your country. I love America, and I'd much rather live here than in China (as Obama said I'd never make the choice to switch to anywhere else at the moment). It's just when the hyperbole comes in... "America is the greatest!" "We must be #1!" "We support democracy in the world!" That sort of sentiment is why people start to hate us; even if such claims can be substantiated by evidence, it doesn't change the fact that America really does still have a good deal of imperialistic ideology present, just not necessarily through physical conquest, and that people in the end really hate that "holier than thou" attitude.

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  107. While I appreciate the mention of education in the speech, what will be the best form of assessment from students as well as teachers for the future aside from standardized tests?

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  108. Subsidizing science? Then why are we destroying the space program?

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  109. (*I realized that I didn't put my signature at the end- Emily Davis Conneen Period 4)

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  110. This sounds fairly nationalist...also, when he talks about failing schools, I guess being a Stevenson student we don't really see the other side of the coin

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  111. Obama's attempt to embrace the diversity of opinion really is intriguing, especially coupled with the symbolism of the Democrats sitting with the Republicans. Obama begins with an appeal to revive the original Puritan work ethic in American society, and challenges everyday Americans to innovate, a rhetorical tactic that will mostly likely ring throughout all households in the nation. It is difficult to disagree on Obama's support for education reform and alternative energy measure. However, the repealing of DADT and his approach to reducing the deficit (thru sacrificng/taxing the rich)seemed to be received in a divided manner. Overall, Obama lives up to his eloquent speaking abilities and delivers an appealing, if broad, SOTU speech. Hope that the divided government does not remain purely symbolic, but an active reality. Should keep an eye on those bills that he mentioned...

    --Nick Millman pd. 3

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  112. If the congress didn't applaud as much, this speech would be so fast

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  113. Obama talks about rebuilding infrastructure, improving education, and funding science...he'll HAVE to cut entitlement spending if he wants to accomplish this business-heavy agenda

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  114. Notice Boehner applaud when Obama mentions lowering corporate taxes

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  115. Oh snap, he talked about cutting back on Medicare...grabbing the third rail?

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  116. Tonight, President Obama proposed some very brave, courageous, forward thinking objectives. I think that his take on how to fix our education system was especially encouraging; if he truly wants reform, getting rid of NCLB will be a major step towards rising in the international ranks in schooling. However, there is still a long way to go. I sincerely hope that the President has legitimate plans for reducing out debt, increasing R&D spending, and creating more jobs, along with reducing the bureaucracy in our federal government.

    Lubes, Conneen 3rd Period Gov't-Comparative

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  117. Obama is mentioning a lot of policies that Republicans seem to like. How is he going to get them through the Democratic Senate-if he even walks the walk?

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  118. Thanks for all of your comments tonight!

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  119. All those old congressmen will need knee replacements after getting up and down so much

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  120. Interesting that the Supreme Court justices never get up...is this because they aren't allowed to show any partisan bias or are they just old and lazy?

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  121. Well, I know that Obama is a great speaker. But a few things still trouble me...what will Obama do to walk the walk? How will he get the Congress to implement these idealogical plans, if he sticks to this at all? Also, he sounded pretty nationalistic, even while talking about joining forces with Brazil, Chile, and El Salvador. We'll see how well he can raise America out of the dust.

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  122. Although I was not able to watch the actual speech, I was able to find a written copy of the State of the Union Address. It seems to me that after reading the first quarter of the speech, Obama is prefacing alternative fuel sources and its particular involvement with education. Next he mentions the proposed government cut backs, and then he mentions the situation in Pakistan and North Korea. Obama seemed adamant in solving these issues yet, in my opinion, I think it will be difficult to balance these particular goals. Increased education and research requires government spending which Obama is trying to reduce. While a reduction in spending is also being targeted towards the military, the United States still has a presence in Afghanistan and an active role in Pakistan. Similarly, it will be interesting to see if Obama will follow through with cutbacks in the domestic affairs in the government that he had mentioned.
    In conclusion, from what I read, I observed that Obama is now realizing that the voice of the Republican Party must be taken into account. His policies on spending have Republican as well as Democratic tones. All we can hope for is that a policy be enacted that alleviates the US from its debt while maintaining the prosperity of the United States.

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  123. Before listening to his speech, I was most interested in how President Obama would address educating. My mom is a math and science teacher and for many years she has been concerned with "No Child Left Behind." I wonder what is to come with his new plans regarding teachers, math, science, technology, and higher level education.

    To be honest, I do not have a lot of knowledge about our government and its policies, but I guess that is why its so important that I am required to take a government class. I am glad I watched the SOTU, it made me wonder why I have never cared enough to pay attention earlier.

    I found it very interesting that President Obama wanted to stop deporting students that are children of undocumented workers. He made it seem like a good idea, but what could the drawbacks be?

    Amanda McMullen
    Conneen P.4

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  124. The ASCE report card, detailing the status of American infastructure, gave our country the overall grade of "D". President Obama apparently has big plans to boost our grades.

    I find it laughable that it took more than fifty years for nuclear energy to be considered "clean". If President Obama would reinstate federal funding for the Yucca Mountain site, some of our power issues could be resolved.

    Another huge problem is our internal waterways. Ohio River Lock #52 allows for $96 billion worth of goods to be transported across this country every year. Lock #52 has the highest traffic volume in the country, yet it recieved a D- on the ASCE report card. Aside from the failing infastructure on these waterways, what about the water itself? The Mississippi river is now so contaminated by failing waste water infastructure in St. Louis, that experts are arguing whether or not fish and shellfish, once plentiful and safe to eat, will ever be harvested from the river again.

    St. Louis is only the tip of the iceberg for failing rustbelt cities. Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit, and Buffalo are also on the brink if not over the edge already. How do we save these former powerhouses of industry? Perhaps more research and development? The answer is surely not government bailouts or outsourcing.

    As for our education system, our government has been fighting over this issue for a very long time. Obviously, we don't yet have a solution. I believe, rather than continue to argue, we should focus on problems that we do have solutions for. We need to boost the grades on our infastructure report card. If we fail, this report card has much bigger consequences than no TV for a week.

    Steve Brask

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  125. After looking over a copy of the state of the union address, it seemed that Obama’s main goal is to fix the state of the economy. He also stated that if the economy is going to improve, Americans must look for ways to utilize it in the future. It was interesting to see that he addressed some of the issues we were talking about in class like oil and energy. Obama is eliminating the billions of dollars we give to oil companies because he believes that they are doing fine on their own. I was also happy to see that he addressed the issue of unemployment. Because we are in a recession, many jobs were being taken away and now the government will help create jobs, which will hopefully decrease unemployment by 10%. Also, educating children will be a big priority to help the United States move forward. It will be interesting to see the outcomes of the changes he wants to make.

    ally haberman
    Conneen period 4

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  126. I loved that he took the time to refer to the shooting in Arizona and thought it was interesting how he said Tuscan gave us a way to all work together, connect with other factions (parties. I was able to understand that better, especially with learning about how parties must come and work together in situations like these.

    he explains that children are the face of America and with taking the first step, it's the start of a thousand possible footsteps they can take to start something new- similiar to his analogy of an ordinary business man making himself into someone sucessful and someone to remember.

    obama explains the best job to help someone out and be remembered for is a teacher, and he honestly shows he cares about kids and their educations which is great! he ties all of his points very well together, from the girl in the Tuscan shooting, and her dreams, to the kids in America and their education. Especially because I want to be a teacher, it helps me connect to how it helps other individuals and give everyone an equal chance at success.

    Nikki Penherski
    Conneen- Period 4

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  127. Obama focused a lot on fixing our country's education system. What I got from the speech is that he wants to get rid of the outdated "No Child Left Behind" and instate a new system where schools are paid for good grades. I mean I get the connection between better education for children and being able to create more jobs in the future, but it's something that won't make an impact for a very long time. I know he also talked about more immediate ways to create jobs, but I just thought it was interesting that this would be such a big focus when we need so many new jobs now.

    Allison Thomsen

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  128. Similar to what Allison said, after looking over what Obama had said during the speech, I noticed he talked a lot about education in our society. I liked when he said, "in this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential." I think it is true that in America, if you live in a wealthier area you are almost guaranteed a better education than if you live in poverty. Although I understand why that is true, I agree with Obama when he says that needs to be fixed because every has the pontential. Also, I agree with his point to revitalize community colleges, because a high school diploma no longer cuts it in many fields of work, and for many people community college is their only way to get a college degree, so they deserve a fantastic education.

    Sam Wasserman

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  129. I really liked that a lot of what president Obama said was pragmatic. I liked this a lot because I feel like American politics have become so focused on political standing. It seems as though one's political party is more important than reaching across party lines to actually get something done.

    Another thing I really liked about president Obama's speech was that he talked about college. Now that we are getting ready to go to college and many of us are facing the reality of the financial burden, what he talked about was very relatable and understandable. I agreed when he said, "in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college." This is so incredibly true, yet the scary thing is, so many people do go broke. While it's reassuring that our leaders realize the burden college brings, I doubt that something will be done to change this sad truth before I'm done in college.

    Erica Loken

    Conneen- Period 1

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  130. I think that this State of the Union Address showed how President Obama finally has come to terms with the fact that the stimulus packages aren't working as well as expected. I belive he made a good choice in deciding to decrease government spending because our defecit is too large.

    I also found it interesting and kind of inspiring that President Obama is so intent upon making the different parties unite and work together despite all the little conflicts. At one point he even said, "We will move forward together or not at all" which shows that if we want to make any changes then both parties will have to put aside their differences and work together for the common good.

    Obama showed that he was serioius about these two ideas when he talked about the "Race to the Top" program that will improve education programs spending much less money than we're spending on education now. The new education programs are also being created by both democrats and republicans, showing how it is possible to work together with a positive outcome.


    Katie Pearson
    Conneen- Period 1

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  131. After watching the SOTU, I started to see some of the nuances of Obama's speech. He certainly started strong speaking about economics and national security: two important topics that were major reasons why he was elected. I found it interesting that his delivery was almost as if he was "talking" to the nation, but some of his jokes didn't really do it for me...

    What I thought was his best point was that he placed emphasis on giving money back to small businesses. It's a good strategy, as it is a bipartisan issue that both democrats and republicans can agree on. That's something that can garner universal support. In regards to health care, a certainly touchy subject at this time, he was also smart to put it in the middle of the speech and try to avoid controversy. Hey, this is the state of the "union" address, not the state of the "left-wing!"

    In all, I felt that the speech was pretty solid. It was definitely what Americans wanted to hear at this time, but Obama needs to follow through with his plans. If he does, then we certainly have a bright future ahead.

    Mike Wilner
    Conneen p. 7

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  132. i believe in modern day society money is the key issue. whether, your rich, poor or wealthy money isn't abundant; therefore, money is a key issue. unlike the "green" movement which wastes infinite amounts of the tax payers money, obama should take action in a "paper green" (money) movement. but instead he feels the need to cut back on medicare. the process of cutting back or taking away medicare is like taking candy from a baby- easy to do if you have no heart.

    bkim.
    conneen
    1st period

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  133. As always, I felt that President Obama's speech was pretty professional and the way he said his information was clear. But, that doesn't talk about what he actually said. It's easy for a President to go up to the mic and say things that Americans want to hear. It's another thing to follow through on that. President Obama covered a wide variety of topics such as education and North Korea, expressing his views on the issues. What he said about education did sound promising, but whenever I hear Obama say he's going to do something I always wonder if there's another side to the story. He said he was going to bring change to the Economy through his 4 year term, but the only change I see is an increase in the national debt and the only thing to show for that is some new roads.

    At the end of the speech, watching President Obama walk from the mic and head out into the crowd, I noticed how he just didn't seem to have much warmth in the way he dealt with the people that talked to him and shook his hand. When people would ask him to give them his autograph it almost seemed as if he was displeased and didn't really want to spend any more time with the people. This to me is the opposite of how a President should act, especially if they want the people's support.

    Andrew LaGioia

    Mr. Conneen

    1st Period

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  134. Although I didn't get the chance to see the State of the Union last Tuesday, I am glad that i had to the chance to view it on youtube today.

    Before viewing the state of the union speech,i thought it would be about education , the economy, and the future.

    I wonder what President Obama would have said in the State of the Union about the crisis in Egypt. What role does President Obama think that the United States should have on this crisis?

    In the beginning of the speech, President Obama recognizes that one of the members of Congress was not with them. I believe that the reason that President Obama starts with the shooting in Arizona was that it was recent. It shows that no matter what party we believe in, that these factions( the parties) should work together. As Mr. Connen said , representative democracy( republic) is where factions must work together and make compromise. Right now, factions aren't working together efficiently to make a compromise that both sides agree with. . President Obama recognizes the implications that the rivalry between parties have on this country, thus the constant reminder throughout his speech to have the republicans and democrats work together because we are an "American family" . As a family , the parties have some differences but in the end of the day , we are still America and we should do what is best for America.

    Anna Gertsberg
    Connen Period 1

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  135. President Obama is quite a character. Although i like his proposals for education, i doubt that much will be done about it. A lot of what he proposes goes beyond his presidency. He can't accomplish his goals in two years. He references China's education where children are taught at an early age for success and learning. He recongizes that that is a strength of China's. I believe that is why many parents are now starting tutoring programs at an early age. When i used to work for Kumon, I had a kid that i tutored that was as young as three. It shocked me how desperate parents have become . It isn't just a competition between countries. It a competition between different kids and parents. The parents want their kid to be placed at a higher level , the highest level. There was a parent that wanted me to prepare their kid for kindergarden when his kid was only four years old. Yes, i agree education is important, but not enough where the kid is pressured for the rest of his life to succeed and misses out on his/ her childhood.

    President Obama states that he wants to raise expectation. Raising expectations in this community would bring more of a burden for students. The standards for college are going to get higher. Parents are going to push kids harder for success. I understand that he is probably saying that raising expectations are not the Stevenson community, more so for those that do not pass education requirement. Setting a bigger bar wouldn't help, it would make things even harder. If some schools couldn't fulfill the requirement of no child left behind. How are they supposed to fulfill these high standards?

    Anna Gertsberg
    Connen per.1

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  136. People are telling obama what he should have said, but I would tell him not what to say but who to connect with. I would advise him to try to connect with all different ethnic groups and make sure he talks about equal rights, because if all the groups think they have equal rights they will all start to work together and then make it easier to make the US a better place

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  137. I felt that Obama focused a lot on fixing education in the US. He introduced his idea of getting rid of "No Child Left Behind" and instead paying teachers based on the grades their students get. I feel that yes we need to figure out a better way to make education and a good education available to every child in the nation. However, I feel that if teachers are paid for grades their students get there will be a lot of corruption on teachers part, trying to make the most money they can. I also believe that tests are not always the best way to demonstrate how smart a person is. I think he has good intentions but they can be very short lived. I also agree with Anna, that to raise expectations can be good but very dangerous. Pressure on teenagers in America is a lot more intense than most people believe. I wrote my junior research paper on helicopter parenting and learned how there are so many negative effects on parents pushing their children over limits. I realize Obama wants to compete with other nations, however I believe just focusing on school 24/7 is not the way to go. To raise expectations simply is easier said than done.

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