Thursday, February 26, 2009
The front pages of the New York Times, the Kansas City Star and USA Today all had the same thing to report yesterday morning: “We will recover.” President Barack Obama’s words from his first “Address to Congress” represent the same American spirit, determination and optimism that every American president tries to convey. Although it may seem easy to say that everything will turn out all right in the end, Obama’s speech did more than make promises.
In the past week, he vowed to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Though this sounds completely impossible, Obama gave me at least some indication that he is doing everything in his power to accomplish this. He said his administration would go through the budget line by line to find out what spending could be cut.
I didn’t plan on watching his speech Tuesday night, but I’m glad that I did. Obama’s first address to Congress since he took office on Jan. 20 represents something more important than your average speech. The issues Obama talked about in his speech, most importantly the economy, are everything Obama’s administration intends to fix.
I had never paid attention to presidencies and politics very closely before the presidential primary campaigns. But now that I’ve started keeping up with the news, I’ve started noticing even more the important traditions of our country. Many of us who just voted in our first election probably didn’t realize how much the presidency revolves around image-making and public relations. The presidential address to Congress replaces the State of the Union address for a president’s first year. It has been a tradition since George Washington, and each president has an opportunity early on to specifically outline how he intends to solve the pressing problems facing the United States.
With the economy dominating the forefront of Obama’s administration, it was important for Obama to create a strong, determined image for his administration. Obama concedes that his administration cannot do everything to solve America’s problems, but at least he seems to be honest. It’s nice to know that America’s image is something to be proud of again.
— Simon is a Manhattan sophomore in journalism and history.
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Comments
Simon: Obama’s address bolstered presidency's positive image
President Obama speaks from his heart. He is a man of courage, strength, and passion for right and justice. He and his wife Michele have already done so much in the first month. We should all thank God that this man was elected. We are on the path to a better, stronger, more just America. The ones who bear malice, the naysayers will be shown up for what they are. God bless President Obama and God bless our country.
Simon: Obama’s address bolstered presidency's positive image
Sometimes it's hard to tell whether you're being sarcastic or not.
Simon: Obama’s address bolstered presidency's positive image
No one is being sarcastic. It really is a new America with the Obama's in the White House. It may take some getting used to, but there are people who are hopeful, optimistic, and willing to cut others a little slack now and then.
Simon: Obama’s address bolstered presidency's positive image
If you think all this political footwork and deficit reduction talk stands for some new era in American politics, you could have left that part out about how you just started watching the news. As an aside, I've always felt America's image is something to be proud of, regardless of who is in office.
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