Reactions to Obama’s State of the Union address
By Dan Moran dmoran@stmedianetwork.com January 24, 2012 10:18PM
Democrats watch President Barack Obama give his state of the union address at the 10th Dems Community Connection on Genesee Street in Waukegan. | Michael Schmidt~Sun-Times Media
Updated: February 26, 2012 8:18AM
Nearly eight years ago, Bob Bluth of Deerfield marched alongside then-state senator and U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama in Chicago’s Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Four years ago this month, on the night of the 2008 Iowa caucuses, Bluth gathered with local Democrats at Flanagan’s in North Chicago and predicted that Obama would be the next President of the United States.
On Tuesday, Bluth was among those huddling at the Tenth Dems Community Connection office on Genesee Street in Waukegan to watch now-President Obama’s third State of the Union speech. The construction worker and Democratic precinct committeeman said he hoped that the president’s remarks would “be welcome to most of the American people.”
“Regular American workers need a pay raise and rich Americans need to start paying their fair share (of taxes),” he said. “Rich people being taxed at a higher rate makes sense to me.”
Bluth was participating in one of at least three “SOTU watch parties” hosted by 10th District Democrats, including gatherings in Gurnee and Vernon Hills.
Prior to the address, Samantha Thomas, assistant director of the Community Connection office, said she would like to see Obama’s long-range agenda alleviate “the polarization between the Democrats and Republicans, between the 99 percent and the 1 percent.”
“He’ll ask for cooperation from the Republicans, which he’s not likely to get. He’ll ask for his jobs bill to be passed, which is not likely,” said Thomas, adding that she feels the atmosphere in Washington is “divisive and detrimental” to progress.
Aryn Alschuler, a social worker from Waukegan, said she didn’t “really have any expectations” going into the address, pointing to gridlock in Washington.
“It’s frustrating to have a small number of politicians guide the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of government,” Alschuler said. “There are so many things that could have been done to benefit the public.”
Alschuler, describing herself as a progressive Democrat, added that she wanted to see Obama “return to his original stances” on domestic issues, though she conceded that “I know I’m not going to get everything I want.”
The man who holds the 10th District Congressional seat in Congress, Republican Robert Dold of Kenilworth, issued a statement following Obama’s hour-plus address that also called for bipartisanship.
“Everyone can agree that jobs and the economy are the most important issue facing our country today,” Dold said, “so now is the time to work together, find common ground, and start moving our nation forward.
“The President must work to unite the country, not divide it. We need to focus on putting Americans back to work and start putting people before politics and progress before partisanship.”
Dold also said that “coming from a large manufacturing district, I was pleased that the President focused on manufacturing and job-training. I was also pleased to hear the President mention Master Lock, headquartered in Illinois’ 10th District, for their work to bring jobs home.”
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