Most political commentators, whether liberal or conservative, have formed a consensus about the latest State of the Union Address: it was too long and it is not going to go down in history as memorable. What we heard is what I anticipated—the same old thing we’ve heard for five years, topped off with a hubris that leaves one shaking one’s head over how anyone can come across as that arrogant.
Amidst all the foolish and/or dangerous comments and ideas in the address, none is more pernicious than the reaffirmation that this president will do whatever it takes to advance his agenda. He won’t let little things like the Constitution or the rule of law stand in his way. If Congress won’t act, he boldly declares, he will do all within his power to act unilaterally. Actually, he has no “power” to do so; he has no authority to act on his own without the legislative branch. No matter how low an opinion anyone may have of Congress, it’s important to respect the fact that Congress, not the president, is the branch that makes the laws. President Obama doesn’t like that fact:
The third branch of government, the judicial, is also rather unwieldy; one never knows if it will back his agenda or not. Ideally, he would like to ignore it as well:
The Founders had a word for this; they called it tyranny. Obama can’t do everything he seeks to do, but the overall damage can be pretty devastating. My prayer is that this nation will survive the next three years.