State of the Union

I broke a rule last night; I watched the State of the Union Address. They are difficult to watch because of the endless stream of good ideas, promises and insights that have been culled from hours of interviews and editorial searches. As with most of politics, these noble observations and plans have no future--and, actually, little past. Most are alien to the speaker and are used mainly as sedation for his angrier opponents.
Insincerity can be polite, can be soothing, can be entertaining but when it is practiced, relentless and involves lives and families it can be rankling, insulting and can seem pathological. Simply, it is too much work to watch.
But watch I did. He shifted ground a bit, emphasizing that fantastic mythological beast of government job creation and seemingly including a new concern for small business. He held on to his campaign programs of escape from the Middle East, universal governmental health care and solutions for Mann-made global warming as if they were on the brink of achievement. The main aspect was particularly weird: He presented himself as an outsider and the Democrats as a minority. He is, of course, the President and the ultimate insider. His party holds overwhelming majorities in the Senate and House--I would guess more than any in my lifetime. (Perhaps Johnson?) His presentation of himself and his party as the struggling, moralistic voice crying out to a self-centered and self-satisfied establishment--so adolescent and 1960's--was unnerving.
Obama is very good, not as good as DeNiro, Hopkins or Reagan would be but very good. But then he is not an amateur; he is a practiced politician and he should be good. I regret he was not inspiring because he could be and we need it.