State of the Union

Whatever else the president is an enrapturing speaker. The irritating smug demeanor he stepped to the podium with mesmerizing-ly melted away as he got into the speech.

His over-arching theme -- I, like you, am decent and resilient; identify your struggles with mine -- was brilliant.

There were two incongruous moments that undermined his intended message.

The first -- shades of "guns and religion" -- he mentioned global warming, and, with his party, took the opportunity to laugh at the expense of the nearly half of independents who are skeptical of the science (Republicans laughed as well, but with different reason). One doesn't appeal to independent voters by deriding their beliefs.

The second was both more subtle and more damning. Discussing healthcare reform:

... And I know that with all the lobbying and horse-trading, the process left most Americans wondering, "What's in it for me?"

This sentence placed in stark contrast the fundamental decency of the American people -- who were revolted by the depth of the horse trading, not their lack of participation -- and the fundamental corruption of the man they elected President.