Dumbing Down the SOTU
An aspect of last night's SOTU address struck me as particularly odd. It wasn't the utterly predictable misrepresentation of fact, also known as lies. It wasn't even Obama's predictable solution for the problems at hand -- nearly all of which were, ironically, created, inflicted, or perpetrated by government: more government. No, what struck me as odd, were the rather juvenile visual aids, released by the White House, which accompanied the SOTU address via online broadcast, or web cast. The full slideshow can be seen here.
The slideshow was, at best, an annoyance; a visual reminder of the creek we're up with government holding the paddle. Or, a graphic for dummies, if you will, which is what Obama presumes citizens who can't grasp his brilliant embrace of large government to be. At worst, the White House graphics were mistruths on parade, live and in color, including abject lies about oil subsidies, healthcare access, and the tax rates of millionaires, among others. It's hard to imagine a once visiting lecturer of Constitutional Law would endorse such libel.
There was a handy graphic for spiking the Usama Bin Laden football, followed by inspiring photos of the very military Obama simultaneously evokes and methodically cripples and dismantles. Most predictably, the slideshow contained nearly a dozen photos of Obama himself, leading from behind -- meeting with failing, taxpayer-subsidized green energy businesses; hanging with his BFF of fairness, Warren Buffett; posturing in front of big red, flag-draped barns; and the concerned Commander-in-Chief in the situation room right after he was ushered off the golf course. There was even the familiar and iconic Steve Jobs photo, hand to chin, complete with a quote, not from Jobs -- an actual job creator -- but Obama.
Thankfully, Mitch Daniels was available to address the adults in the room last evening, eloquently laying out the solution to government's havoc -- the free citizen of an unshackled private sector. And Daniels speaks the truth - for this he needs no illustration. Although, his own Indiana House Democrats -- again refusing to show up to work today and vote on legislation that empowers an individual against bullish unions - make about as good a case for electing adults to lead, as does Obama's "Blueprint" slideshow.