A day of disappointment: iPad and Obama
Michael Mayday
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Opinion
Last Wednesday was a day of addresses. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Inc., announced the anticipated tablet computing device: the iPad. It was a disappointment. What was expected was a top of the line revolutionary piece of technology like the iPhone. What was presented was an overgrown iPhone, sans phone. Oh, and Obama said something too.
Not at Steve's announcement, that would cost Apple stock and, Jobs forbid, focus. Instead, Obama did a little song and dance at the capital where he, supposedly, is supposed to say something meaningful which gives the country direction and lays out his plan for the country. He didn't.
One word for the State of the Union address: confusion. Not only was there an absence of any plan, but there was also a noticeable quivering in Obama's voice. His health care plan didn't pass and it cost him a super majority. The economy is still in shambles while he continues to employ some of the key figures who caused its demise, and unemployment still remains high.
Obama, of course, suggested Washington can fix all of this. But on very same night, in the very same speech, he claimed that Washington was also sick, a victim of partisan politics and a continuous campaign where politicians wait for one another to trip up instead of moving America forward. How arrogant.
Obama, more than any other politician, is guilty of the very things he claims is wrong with Washington. He points toward a perpetual campaign slowing down progress, he continuously gives speeches with his teleprompter and continues to push for health care reform that even the most liberal of Washington view as useless; he blames Bush for ruining the economy and causing the inevitable crash. In part, he is to blame, but thus far Obama has only amplified the Bush response to the economy, putting us so far in debt that we cannot comprehend it. Obama said he would somehow bring change Washington, he didn't. He has only cemented the phrase "politics as usual."
The problem with Obama's address was the absence of focus. Instead of "fixing" health care, or nursing the economy or "creating or saving" jobs Obama opted to save everything in one giant democratic net, treating everything the same - equally prioritized and equally distant.
In all likelihood, Obama could have chosen to not address the union and Americans would not have noticed. Instead, he has continued to act on a decade of poor economics, poor politics and just flat-out bad ideas, like looking towards Washington for a solution. If there is to be an economic and political renaissance in America it won't stem from Washington, thankfully. It'll take place in businesses and consumers.
Most likely, Steve Jobs' announcement of the comical iPad will more than likely do more good for the economy than the entirety of Obama's address. In fact, it would probably do more good than the past two administration's actions combined.
Not at Steve's announcement, that would cost Apple stock and, Jobs forbid, focus. Instead, Obama did a little song and dance at the capital where he, supposedly, is supposed to say something meaningful which gives the country direction and lays out his plan for the country. He didn't.
One word for the State of the Union address: confusion. Not only was there an absence of any plan, but there was also a noticeable quivering in Obama's voice. His health care plan didn't pass and it cost him a super majority. The economy is still in shambles while he continues to employ some of the key figures who caused its demise, and unemployment still remains high.
Obama, of course, suggested Washington can fix all of this. But on very same night, in the very same speech, he claimed that Washington was also sick, a victim of partisan politics and a continuous campaign where politicians wait for one another to trip up instead of moving America forward. How arrogant.
Obama, more than any other politician, is guilty of the very things he claims is wrong with Washington. He points toward a perpetual campaign slowing down progress, he continuously gives speeches with his teleprompter and continues to push for health care reform that even the most liberal of Washington view as useless; he blames Bush for ruining the economy and causing the inevitable crash. In part, he is to blame, but thus far Obama has only amplified the Bush response to the economy, putting us so far in debt that we cannot comprehend it. Obama said he would somehow bring change Washington, he didn't. He has only cemented the phrase "politics as usual."
The problem with Obama's address was the absence of focus. Instead of "fixing" health care, or nursing the economy or "creating or saving" jobs Obama opted to save everything in one giant democratic net, treating everything the same - equally prioritized and equally distant.
In all likelihood, Obama could have chosen to not address the union and Americans would not have noticed. Instead, he has continued to act on a decade of poor economics, poor politics and just flat-out bad ideas, like looking towards Washington for a solution. If there is to be an economic and political renaissance in America it won't stem from Washington, thankfully. It'll take place in businesses and consumers.
Most likely, Steve Jobs' announcement of the comical iPad will more than likely do more good for the economy than the entirety of Obama's address. In fact, it would probably do more good than the past two administration's actions combined.
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