Jack & Jill Politics

Did you watch the State of the Union last night? I thought it was one of Obama’s best speeches and given the tone & content of the recent Republican debates, a refreshing dose of sanity. Here’s the video from the most powerful part of the speech for me — the inspirational ending calling all Americans, Congress in particular, to come together to build a better nation.

According to a CBS poll right after the speech (emphasis mine):

An overwhelming majority of Americans approved of the overall message in President Obama’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, according to a CBS News poll of speech watchers. According to the poll, which was conducted online by Knowledge Networks immediately after the president’s address, 91 percent of those who watched the speech approved of the proposals Mr. Obama put forth during his remarks…

The president had more success convincing viewers that his economic proposals would lead to job growth and increased success on the international playing field: 75 percent of viewers said they thought the president’s plans would make America more competitive in the world economy, and 75 percent also said they thought the plans outlined in his speech would create jobs. That’s up from 55 percent before the speech.

That’s better than last year — a mere 83% of viewers approved of the 2011 SOTU.

Dang nephew! Looks like a black president kinda nailed it, y’all. My hope is that Republicans pay heed. His proposals are actually quite centrist. There’s a lot for Republicans to get behind, if they can choose patriotism over politics, big ideas instead of bigotry.

Great gripping speech with real remedies for real Americans. Nice work, Mr. President.

On a lighter note, New England Patriots wide receiver and Dancing with the Stars contestant Chad Ochocinco had a fetching exchange with Speaker John Boehner over twitter. Why does that matter? Well, black folks (not just celebrities) are 3x more likely to use Twitter than whites and @Ochocinco has over 3.1 million followers while @SpeakerBoehner has a fraction of that love with only 269,000 followers. Black folks on twitter? We are legion. And we’re up in your biznazz. Expect us.

Here’s the conversation (thanks HuffPost Hill!):

@ochocinco: Anybody notice the guy over Obamas left shoulder doesn’t seem very happy and he’s not smiling. He’s not clapping with joy

@ochocinco: Does John Boehner have a twitter RT @KeithFoster: @ochocincoThat’s the Speaker of the House John Boehner,a Republican, he won’t clap often.

@ochocinco: @SpeakerBoehner Just read some of your tweets and you seem pretty angry kind sir. I can see you on tv but you’re not smiling. Hope you’re ok

@ochocinco: @SpeakerBoehner Hello Mr. Boehner, hoping you are in better spirits today. If all else seems bad in life just remember I love you kind sir.

@ochocinco: Wow thanks RT @SpeakerBoehner: @ochocinco: Thanks & good luck in the @SuperBowl we’ll see you in the playoffs next year. Go #Bengals #WhoDey

@ochocinco: Totally awesome that John Boehner just tweeted me.

@ochocinco: Well now we are friends you f_cking Pansy RT @healey10:@ochocinco wtf ocho..you didn’t even know who he was until last night dummy

The text from the video above is offered after the jump. Enjoy.

Which brings me back to where I began. Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn from the service of our troops. When you put on that uniform, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white; Asian or Latino; conservative or liberal; rich or poor; gay or straight. When you’re marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails. When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one Nation, leaving no one behind.

One of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took with them on the mission to get bin Laden. On it are each of their names. Some may be Democrats. Some may be Republicans. But that doesn’t matter. Just like it didn’t matter that day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates — a man who was George Bush’s defense secretary; and Hillary Clinton, a woman who ran against me for president.

All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about politics. No one thought about themselves. One of the young men involved in the raid later told me that he didn’t deserve credit for the mission. It only succeeded, he said, because every single member of that unit did their job — the pilot who landed the helicopter that spun out of control; the translator who kept others from entering the compound; the troops who separated the women and children from the fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs. More than that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other — because you can’t charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger, unless you know that there’s someone behind you, watching your back.

So it is with America. Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those fifty stars and those thirteen stripes. No one built this country on their own. This Nation is great because we built it together. This Nation is great because we worked as a team. This Nation is great because we get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard. As long as we’re joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will always be strong.