Research Briefing

What Obama Didn’t Say In His State Of The Union Speaks Volumes About The Failure Of His Presidency

AFTER FAILING TO CUT THE DEFICIT IN HALF AS HE PROMISED, AFTER FAILING TO MAKE THE TOUGH CHOICES, OBAMA ONLY GIVES OUR DEBT “A RHETORICAL NOD”

THEN: Obama Said He Was Not Going To “Punt To Future Administrations The Tough Choices” Necessary To Get Control Of Our Debt And Deficits. OBAMA: “And so what I've said is, I'm going to be willing to make some very difficult choices in how we get a handle on this deficit. That's what the American people are looking for. And, you know, what we intend to do this year, next year, and all the years that I'm in office is to demonstrate our seriousness, not by gimmicks, not by punting to future administrations the tough choices, but by making some of those tough choices while I'm in office.” (President-Elect Barack Obama, Informal Exchange With Reporters On The Economy And Budget, Washington, D.C., 1/6/09)

NOW: The Washington Post: “Once Again Mr. Obama Slighted The Threat That The Federal Deficit Poses To The Growth He Said He Wants. … Mr. Obama Did Not Go Beyond A Rhetorical Nod To The Issue.” “Once again Mr. Obama slighted the threat that the federal deficit poses to the growth he said he wants. As with last year’s State of the Union speech, when he relegated the debt to a near-aside late in the speech, Mr. Obama did not go beyond a rhetorical nod to the issue.” (Editorial, “State Of The Union Speech Is Full Of Soaring Rhetoric But Skips Over Some Major Challenges,” The Washington Post, 1/24/12)

• Only 2.8 Percent Of Obama’s State Of The Union Addressed The Debt. (President Barack Obama, State Of The Union Address, 1/24/12)

Obama Super PAC Priorities USA Senior Adviser Paul Begala Admitted Obama Did Not Talk About Reducing The Deficit. CNN’S ANDERSON COOPER: “Paul Begala was there - there wasn't much talk about reducing the deficit in this speech, which is something certainly for a lot of Republicans should be front and center.” CNN’S PAUL BEGALA: “You're right.” (CNN’s, “Anderson Cooper 360” 1/25/12)

Deficit Reduction Took A “Back Seat” In The State Of The Union. “President Obama unveiled a ‘blueprint’ plan for the U.S. economy during the State of the Union and in it, the top GOP issue of deficit reduction takes a back seat to revitalizing manufacturing, combating unfair trade, and changing the tax code to make the wealthy pay more.” (Erik Wasson, “Obama Downplays Deficit In SOTU,” The Hill’s “On The Money,” 1/24/12)

• Obama De-Emphasized The Deficit. “The de-emphasizing of the deficit reflects the election year political reality that a grand deficit bargain is unlikely this year between the White House and Congress.” (Erik Wasson, “Obama Downplays Deficit In SOTU,” The Hill’s “On The Money,” 1/24/12)

Obama Failed To Mention The Debt Because He Failed To Control His Binge Spending

PROMISE: Obama Pledged To Cut The Deficit In Half By The End Of His First Term. OBAMA: “And that's why today I'm pledging to cut the deficit we inherited by half by the end of my first term in office.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At The Fiscal Responsibility Summit, Washington, D.C., 2/23/09)

• “President Barack Obama Plans To Cut The U.S. Budget Deficit To $533 Billion By The End Of His First Term …” (Hans Nichols, “Obama Plans To Reduce Budget Deficit To $533 Billion By 2013,” Bloomberg, 2/21/09)
• One White House Official Told Politico “We’ll Cut It At Least In Half.” “Under White House projections, this year’s inherited budget deficit of $1.3 trillion will be cut to $533 billion by fiscal year 2013, the end of the first term. ‘So we’ll cut it at least in half,’ the official said.” (Mike Allen, “Obama Vows To Cut Huge Deficit In Half,” Politico, 2/22/09)

FAIL: Even If Every Part Of Obama’s Deficit Reduction Proposal Was Enacted, The Deficit At The End Of His First Term Would Still Be $1.33 Trillion, Over Double What He Promised. (“The President’s Plan For Economic Growth And Deficit Reduction; Table S-3,” Office Of Management And Budget, 9/19/11)

• Politifact: “Obama Made A Pledge To Cut The Deficit In Half By The End Of His First Term. And He’s Falling Short So Far.” (Gregory Trotter, “Tim Pawlenty Says President Obama Is Going To Break Promise On Deficit And Will Double It,” Politifact, 6/10/11)

• Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Said Even If Congress Enacted The President’s Budget “We Would Still Be Left With A Very Large Interest Burden And Unsustainable Obligations Over Time.” (Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Remarks Before Senate Budget Committee, Washington, D.C., 2/17/11)

AFTER SPENDING OVER A YEAR TO GET IT PASSED, OBAMACARE REMAINED REMARKABLY ABSENT FROM OBAMA’S STATE OF THE UNION

“President Obama Made Only Glancing References To Healthcare Reform During His State Of The Union Address Tuesday Night.” (Sam Baker, “Obama Largely Avoids Healthcare In State Of The Union,” The Hill’s “Healthwatch,” 1/24/12)

Politico’s Jennifer Haberkorn: “The Health Care Reform Law … Obama's Most Significant Domestic Policy Accomplishment … Only Got A Fleeting Mention Tuesday In His Third State Of The Union Speech.” “President Barack Obama used his State of the Union speech to remind voters that his administration killed Osama bin Laden and rescued General Motors. But that big health care law he spent a year pushing through Congress didn't get much play. The health care reform law, which has gotten support from about 42 percent of Americans in recent polls, is Obama's most significant domestic policy accomplishment. But it only got a fleeting mention Tuesday in his third State of the Union speech.” (Jennifer Haberkorn, “State Of The Union Address Barely Mentions Health Care Reform Law,” Politico, 1/24/12)

• Only 0.63 Percent Of Obama’s State Of The Union Addressed Healthcare.  (President Barack Obama, State Of The Union Address, 1/24/12)

• CBS’s Bob Schieffer Noted Small Time Spent On ObamaCare, Saying “There May Be A Reason For That,  It's Not Very Popular.”  SCOTT PELLEY: “The President didn't say very much about criticism of health care reform. he saved it for the middle of the speech, he didn't dwell there. He said that he would not be reversed on health care but it wasn't something that he spent very much time on.” BOB SCHIEFFER: “No, he didn't. There may be a reason for that,  it's not very popular.” (CBS, 1/24/12)

• NPR’s Julie Rovner: “His Landmark 2010 Health Overhaul … Got Barely A Passing Mention.” “When it came to health, what was most surprising was how little President Obama had to say in his State of the Union address. His landmark 2010 health overhaul — whose fate is currently before the Supreme Court and whose repeal is the top priority for every GOP presidential candidate — got barely a passing mention.” (Julie Rovner, “Analysis: Landmark Health Overhaul Gets Barely A Mention,” NPR’s “It’s All Politics” Blog, 1/24/12)

Because ObamaCare Is Failing To Make Health Care More Affordable Or Available

FactCheck.org: ObamaCare “Falls Short Of Making Health Care ‘Affordable And Available To Every Single American,’ As Promised.” “Furthermore, the law falls short of making health care ‘affordable and available to every single American,’ as promised. The law provides subsidies to help some Americans buy insurance, expands Medicaid and doesn’t allow insurance companies to exclude persons with preexisting conditions. But still, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected 23 million persons will remain uninsured — some because they can’t afford coverage.” (D’Angelo Gore, “Promises, Promises,” FactCheck.org, 1/4/12)

• FactCheck.org: ObamaCare Is Actually Making Health Care “Less Affordable.” “At the moment, the new law is making health care slightly less affordable. Independent health care experts say the law has caused some insurance premiums to rise. As we wrote in October, the new law has caused about a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored family plans because of requirements for increased benefits. Last year’s premium increases cast even more doubt on another promise the president has made — that the health care law would ‘lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.’” (D’Angelo Gore, “Promises, Promises,” FactCheck.org, 1/4/12)
• The Washington Post’s The Fact Checker: “Moreover, at this point it is debatable whether the law has made health care more affordable. Insurance premiums have gone up, in part because of new benefits mandated by the law.” (Glenn Kessler, “The Fine Print In Obama’s ‘Promises Kept’ Ad,” The Washington Post’s “The Fact Checker,” 1/6/12)

ObamaCare Continues To Remain Unpopular With Nearly Half Of Those Surveyed Oppose The Law With Support Dropping From 36% To 29%. “The poll found unpopularity for last year’s health care reform bill, one of Obama’s major accomplishments. About half of the respondents oppose the health care law and support for it dipped to 29 percent from 36 percent in June. Just 15 percent said the federal government should have the power to require all Americans to buy health insurance.” (Jennifer Agiesta & Ken Thomas, “AP-GfK Poll: Majority Says Obama Deserves To Be Voted Out Of Office,” The Associated Press, 12/16/11)

Democrat’s Support Of ObamaCare Dropped By 9 Points Since An Earlier Poll Conducted Last June. “Even among Democrats, the health care law has tepid support. Fifty percent of Democrats supported the health care law, compared with 59 percent of Democrats last June. Only about a quarter of independents back the law.” (Jennifer Agiesta & Ken Thomas, “AP-GfK Poll: Majority Says Obama Deserves To Be Voted Out Of Office,” The Associated Press, 12/16/11)

Only 11 Percent Find That ObamaCare Was Obama’s “Most Positive Achievement.” In a survey conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, only 11 percent of those polled answered that the passage of ObamaCare was the Obama’s “most positive accomplishment.” (NBC News / Wall Street Journal, 1000 A, MoE 3.1%, 12/7-11/11)