“[T]he millions of Americans who are watching right now: they don’t care about politics,” said President Obama near the beginning of his speech before Congress tonight. Nice little delusion, but people who don’t care about politics weren’t watching. And the speech wasn’t for them, anyway. This was a sop to the disillusioned liberals who complain in op-eds and blog posts that Obama just needs to get more aggressive in pushing for policies that they imagine will reinvigorate the economy. Politically, it was a move to rally a base that is rather depressed at the moment, and it might work somewhat. But the spectacle of demanding an audience from Congress for such a speech was utterly absurd.
For a rundown on the substance, see Phil Klein’s take.
