OK, let's look at President Obama's first State of the Union speech as compared to my Presidential platform. Let's see how well he did. (I'm not going to comment on the art of the speech itself, except to say it was ordinary.  It had some pretty good lines--I counted about four or five--but a lot of avoidable awkward expression and transitions.  Am I really saying that I could have done a better job writing that speech?  Damn right, I am.)

Let's just go down the list.

No 1:  Baby Bond-National Service Concept.  Well, there was a tantalizing passage about a future Hatch-Kennedy bill on volunteer and service that helps pay for college.  The President gave no details, and I don't know anything more about this.  If it comes even close to being as bold as my idea, I'll be shocked, however. I'd be happy, though, if it does.

No. 2: Banning the financing of public education via property taxes: Not a word, no suggestion the problem is even on his radar screen.

No. 3: Repealing the 17th Amendment: Not a word, and not a word suggesting that our federal system is out of balance. Not a word about the uses of state governments for policy innovation to be scaled up to the national level. 

No. 4: Getting out from under the divisive impact of the culture war issues: Well, he mentioned none of this last night, but he has spoken of it elsewhere, and I think he gets it.  But has he done anything more about it?  No sign yet.

No. 5: Health care: This is one of the three highest priorities, along with energy and education, but it is disappointing in the extreme to hear so few real ideas and so little serious analysis, and to hear about a review conference of shareholders. One would have thought that a top priority would have already been the subject of serious thinking and sharing and planning. What the hell were these people doing during the transition, anyway?  When you get into office and call for a policy review, you totally blow your chance to strike while the iron is hot. Very disappointing, and no hint, yet, of any understanding of what the real sources of the problem are. 

No. 6: Control biotechnology: Not a single word.

No. 7: Getting a grip on TV and electoral reform: Not a word, but it'd be too early to say that our loud in the present context, even if the man had a clue about what to do here.

No. 8: Reform DHS: Not one word.

No. 9: Reform the USPS: not one word, but, of course, so what?....

No. 10: Reform the IRS: just a reference to eliminating tax breaks for companies that export American jobs.  That's nice, depending on whether that masks protectionist inclinations or not. But it's hardly adequate as a statement about what's wrong with the tax code. 

On the other hand, the President did mention getting ride of direct payments to agribusiness (let's see him even try to get away with that), did mention the importance of preventive care in medicine, did mention that education begins at home with parents taking responsibility, and did mention the idea of creating tax-free universal savings accounts for all Americans (which harmonizes, at least, with the Baby Bond-National Service idea). Great stuff, and it was a joy to hear it. So the speech wasn't a complete wash, although most of the good stuff was very vague in the way it was expressed. And a lot of opportunities, as I have suggested, were missed.

As to the overall tone--striking the right balance between expressing concern and being optimistic--I think he did very well. He used the bully pulpit well. It could have been a lot worse. But I could have written such a better speech for him. Oh, well. .....