An Appeal For Fairness (And Votes)

washingtonmonthly.com — If President Obama’s State of the Union address was intended as a bookend to the December speech he delivered in Osawatomie, Kansas, it was a success. It was in Osawatomie that the president presented a vision based on populism, characterizing economic opportunity and justice “the defining issue of our time,” and last night, Obama did so again, using nearly-identical language. By my count, Obama used the word “fair” or “fairness” 11 times in the address. Subtle it was not. But there can be little doubt that populism suits him.Was this a speech for the 99%? You bet it was. But it was also an explicitly political speech. In an election year, the State of the Union is often considered the unofficial launch of an incumbent president’s campaign. Last night, this was so overt, I half expected the White House to put “Game On” on its home page.

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