Hobart and William Smith Colleges

9 February 2010 Lucas Discusses State of Union

An article in The Finger Lakes Times following President Barack Obamas State of the Union address quotes DeWayne Lucas, associate professor of political science, It was a good speech, sort of a necessary speech to show hes still in the game. It showed hes prioritizing the big problems, but it was not inspiring.

According to the article, Lucas applauded Obamas call for monthly meetings with both Democratic and Republican party leaders and was surprised by Obamas mention of ending Dont ask, dont tell policies in the military.

One of the things that did stand out was his comment to Republican senators that theyre also a part of governing, Lucas is quoted. He said that if youre going to make us do everything with a filibuster-proof supermajority that you now have to step up and be a bigger part of the process.

A member of the faculty since 2000, Lucas teaches courses on Introduction to American Politics, Elections and Voting, Political Parties in the United States, and The American Congress. He holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and his M.A. and Ph.D. from State University at Binghamton.

The full article follows.

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The Finger Lakes Times
Obama: Push forward: Some say State of Union speech lacked punch, specifics
Some applaud call for bipartisan leadership; others criticize the blame game
Sean McCracken January 28, 2010

Perhaps not surprisingly, local reaction to President Barack Obamas State of the Union address last night appears mixed.

DeWayne Lucas, a political science professor at Genevas Hobart and William Smith Colleges, said the speech was exactly what youd expect right now and not much more.

It was a good speech, sort of a necessary speech to show hes still in the game, Lucas said. It showed hes prioritizing the big problems, but it was not inspiring.

Lucas said the partisan politics commonplace in Washington, D.C., were exemplified by Obama giving Republicans opportunities for applause that they repeatedly refused. One of the speechs defining moments was when Obama took Republican lawmakers to task for their current way of doing business, he said.

One of the things that did stand out was his comment to Republican senators that theyre also a part of governing, Lucas said. He said that if youre going to make us do everything with a filibuster-proof supermajority that you now have to step up and be a bigger part of the process.

Lucas applauded Obamas call for monthly meetings with both Democratic and Republican leaders, saying such sessions arent unheard of but are less common in the current political climate.

In a conference call earlier in the day, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he hoped the president would focus like a laser on jobs, the economy and helping the middle class. And that seemed to be where the bulk of the speech went, Lucas said.

There werent many surprises, but at least one sentence caught Lucas off guard.

I was sort of surprised about the fact that he talked about [ending] dont ask, dont tell,' Lucas said.

Wayne County Republican Chairman Dan Olson said he found the contents of Obamas speech disconcerting and was particularly troubled by a shift in his demeanor at the end.

I found the last minute and a half a little unsettling, Olson said. I thought I was listening to John McCain. That was kind of on the odd side.
Olson said he thinks Obama made a fairly substantial political gaffe by pinning some of the problems his administration has faced on his predecessor, George W. Bush.

There are seven places in my notes where he blames the previous administration. I dont remember Ronald Reagan doing that in 1981 with Jimmy Carter, Olson said. Thats just not done. Lincoln never blamed James Buchanan for the Civil War.

If things remain the way they are leading up to the midterm elections, Olson predicts trouble for congressional Democrats.

I dont think he did his guys any favors, Olson said, referencing the fact that local Democratic congressmen face re-election campaigns this fall. I think weve seen that one party rule clearly doesnt work.

David Soule, treasurer of the Yates County Democratic committee, was a bit less scathing in his review of the presidents speech. But he still wasnt completely satisfied.

One striking impression I had was he couldnt have devoted more than two minutes to Iraq and Afghanistan, Soule said. I wouldve like to hear more about those, and that was about all there was with foreign policy.

Still, Soule liked that the president was willing to take others who wield power in Washington to task, in part echoing Lucas sentiment about challenging Republicans on the responsibility of governance.

One of the highlights for me was when he was staring down at the Supreme Court justices, because he wasnt happy about their recent decision, and how he hopes to correct it through legislative action, Soule said, referring to the courts decision to strike down restrictions on corporate campaign donations.

Soule found some things Obama mentioned either surprising or unrealistic, including claims that the nations energy policy will include an increased focus on nuclear power.

That wont happen realistically. There arent going to be more nuclear power plants in this country, Soule said. That was a little strange.

Soules biggest complaint was a lack of detail in Obamas speech, a concern echoed by Rep. Eric Massa, D-Corning, specifically when it comes to a proposed spending freeze.

We need to cut spending across the board and a spending freeze may be one way to go about doing this, but Id like to see the finer details of the presidents plan first, Massa said in a press release. The best way we can reduce our spending and return to fiscal responsibility is by ending our welfare payments to Afghanistan and its narco-government, which has already cost us billions of taxpayer dollars.

Gov. David Paterson praised Obamas call for fiscal responsibility.
As 48 of the 50 states in the Union, including New York, face deep budget deficits, we must work together to continue the presidents calls to not only address skyrocketing budget deficits, but also to restore security and confidence in government, Paterson said in a press release.

But Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio found Obamas speech less worthy of praise, especially when it came to security matters.

Tonight, President Obama called upon Americans to do what it takes to defend our nation,' Lazio said in a press release. That statement is at odds with a fundamentally wrongheaded policy that treats terrorists not as the enemy combatants that they are, but as common criminals.