President Obama: It was a great speech. It was strong, serious and optimistic. Of course, it oversimplified many issues. Of course, there were straw men built to mock his opposition. Of course, the reality will be much more difficult than the speech. But as political theater, it was definitely something to see. I don't think any problems were solved tonight, but the President has gotten himself back to where people will at least look at his proposals with an open mind. The rest is up to him (and his colleagues in Congress). Here's hoping they chart a course in the middle, where most of the country is.
Governor Jindal: His speech was solid, if not as lyrically soaring as Obama's. He was smart to not respond directly to Obama's speech, but rather simply lay out the Republican philosophy of governance. I also liked that he didn't try to defend bad behavior on the part of Republicans in the past. Honesty is always a good thing. It reminds me of something Robert F. Kennedy used to say...hang a light on your problems. He closed with a strong, persuasive case for responsible, conservative leadership.
Summing up: Both were good speeches, even though they had different styles and different goals. But, in the end, it's not going to be speeches that make the difference in America, it's action, and ultimately Obama (and the Republicans) will be judged by results.
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