Political Doublespeak: State of the Union Or State Of Obama? | Global Research

Political Doublespeak: State of the Union Or State Of Obama? | Global Research

The political classes
in our country seem to relish moments of high ritual and symbolic
occasions with TV news routinely bringing these events to a country more
engaged with awards shows and sporting contests.

The State of the
Union, the annual presidential projection of power enjoys a special
status because it showcases the prowess of the incumbent to weave a
self-congratulatory narrative before what is in effect a peanut galley
to cheer him on. Widely understood is that the Congress is at a new low
in public approval.

Even when half the
office holders, cabinet members, Supreme Court Judges (minus 3) and
military brass is sitting on its hands, with some glowering hostility,
the acoustics make it seem as if the Speechifier-in-chief’s every word
is receiving a standing ovation. His guests joined in to make it appear
as if it was a pep rally or he had won the lottery.

Obama may not be a brilliant politician or program implementer, but
he is a good speaker and his speech was crafted like a Hollywood script,
sprinkled with humor and closing with a crescendo of bi-partisan
patriotic adulation for an injured soldier—the modern equivalent of
manipulative flag waving. With wife Michelle beaming love for the
obsessive and sicklywarrior with his l0 “deployments,” the goal was to
reinforce the halo that Obama was hoping would turn around his low
approval ratings.