Alan: At the 45:40 minute mark of last night's State Of The Union Address, President Obama begins "the most important part" of his speech; the need to "work together," to conduct "rational, constructive debate," and to resolve that, together, we will "fix our politics."
Excerpt: "A better politics
doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything. This is a big country,
with different regions and attitudes and interests. That’s one of our
strengths, too. Our Founders distributed power between states and
branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, over
the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations,
over the meaning of liberty and the imperatives of security.
But
democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens. It
doesn’t work if we think the people who disagree with us are all
motivated by malice, or that our political opponents are unpatriotic.
Democracy grinds to a halt without a willingness to compromise; or when
even basic facts are contested, and we listen only to those who agree
with us. Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get
attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person
feels their voice doesn’t matter; that the system is rigged in favor of
the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.
Too
many Americans feel that way right now. It’s one of the few regrets of
my presidency — that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has
gotten worse instead of better. I have no doubt a president with the
gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I
guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.
But,
my fellow Americans, this cannot be my task — or any
President’s — alone. There are a whole lot of folks in this chamber, good people, who
would like to see more cooperation, a more elevated debate in
Washington, but feel trapped by the imperatives of getting elected, by the noise comin' out of your base. I know;
you’ve told me. It's the worst kept secret in Washington. And a lot of you aren't enjoying being trapped in that kind of rancor. (Alan: This italicized passage is improvisational.) And if we want a better politics, it’s not enough to
just change a Congressman or a Senator or even a President; we have to
change the system to reflect our better selves.
We have to end
the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians
can pick their voters, and not the other way around. We have to reduce
the influence of money in our politics, so that a handful of families
and hidden interests can’t bankroll our elections — and if our existing
approach to campaign finance can’t pass muster in the courts, we need to
work together to find a real solution. We’ve got to make voting easier,
not harder, and modernize it for the way we live now. And over the
course of this year, I intend to travel the country to push for reforms
that do.
But I
can’t do these things on my own. Changes in our political process — in
not just who gets elected but how they get elected — that will only
happen when the American people demand it. It will depend on you. That’s
what’s meant by a government of, by, and for the people.
What
I’m asking for is hard. It’s easier to be cynical; to accept that
change isn’t possible, and politics is hopeless, and to believe that our
voices and actions don’t matter. But if we give up now, then we forsake
a better future. Those with money and power will gain greater control
over the decisions that could send a young soldier to war, or allow
another economic disaster, or roll back the equal rights and voting
rights that generations of Americans have fought, even died, to secure.
As frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into
tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray
like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.
We
can’t afford to go down that path. It won’t deliver the economy we
want, or the security we want, but most of all, it contradicts
everything that makes us the envy of the world.
So,
my fellow Americans, whatever you may believe, whether you prefer one
party or no party, our collective future depends on your willingness to
uphold your obligations as a citizen. To vote. To speak out. To stand up
for others, especially the weak, especially the vulnerable, knowing
that each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, stood up for
us. To stay active in our public life so it reflects the goodness and
decency and optimism that I see in the American people every single day.
It
won’t be easy. Our brand of democracy is hard. But I can promise that a
year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I’ll be right there
with you as a citizen — inspired by those voices of fairness and vision,
of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so
far. Voices that help us see ourselves not first and foremost as black
or white or Asian or Latino, not as gay or straight, immigrant or native
born; not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans first, bound by
a common creed. Voices Dr. King believed would have the final
word — voices of unarmed truth and unconditional love.
They’re
out there, those voices. They don’t get a lot of attention, nor do they
seek it, but they are busy doing the work this country needs doing.
I
see them everywhere I travel in this incredible country of ours. I see
you. I know you’re there. You’re the reason why I have such incredible
confidence in our future. Because I see your quiet, sturdy citizenship
all the time."
Text:
USA Today Fact Check's President Obama's Last State Of The Union Address
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/01/13/fact-check-obama-state-of-the-union/78713514/
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