Obama-1, Jindal-Zero

Last night was the first "State of the Union" speech (not its official name, since the President doesn't give a State of the Union in his first year, but I digress...) for our new President. As a political junkie, I spent the night watching all of the coverage before, during and after. Many things were noteworthy about last night, but one specific concept kept resonating in my head that was impossible to shake: the contrast between President Obama and Bobby Jindal's speeches. The difference in their messages and delivery was so blatant, so stark in its contrast, that it overshadowed everything else for me about the night.

Obama delivered a speech that addressed the issues of our time--the economy, health care, education. Topics that have been ignored for far too long in this country. Issues that are finally pushing the wedge issues (the small-minded issues) to the side, like Immigration, Marriage Amendments, "Move-on.org" Censure proposals, etc. It was a message of (what else?) hope, of shared accountability, and motivation. It was a message to America that better days lie ahead, which is something we haven't heard much of recently. (He also appears to be able to pronounce the word nuclear, which makes me and my wife very happy, but that's not really important right now...)

So far, the worst comments I have seen on the speech have been Michelle Malkin calling it a snoozer, and the National Review's Rich Lowry worrying more about how the speech may actually shift the country's perceptions on the expanded role of government.

If that's the best the far right has to offer, it's about as lame as it gets. But that's only half the story. The second half of the night was even worse...

In the most unenviable position, Bobby Jindal was selected to deliver the Republican reaction to Obama's speech. Jindal has been crowned the rising star of the Republican Party, and on the short list for the next GOP Presidential nomination in 2012. But from the beginning, it was a delivery that made me long for the speech-delivery prowess of John McCain.

The first thing that struck me, even before he opened his mouth, was the almost childish appearance of Jindal, walking out, much the way President Obama had during his earlier press conferences. It appeared as if a choreographed scene, meant to evoke images of a future president, were set up, but the crowned prince showed up, wearing a diaper. Jindal looked like a kid, wearing dad's suit, trying to play big shot on tv. Remind you of anyone?

But despite my initial reaction, I was intent on listening to a potential future national leader.

Jindal began his speech benignly enough. Pleasantries were extended to President Obama, and his historic election, and ascendancy to the Presidency. But the tone, and the rhetoric just started to slide from word one, and never got better throughout the entire speech.

Jindal made references to how government had failed the people of Louisiana during Katrina (never mind that his Party was in charge at the time), how fiscally responsible Louisiana had been since he took over (not tying this fact back to anything relevant), how Republicans had "gone along" with irresponsible spending that had led to a large federal deficit (not noting that it was in fact the Republican party that had been in charge and spent that money to create the deficit in the first place), and how he was eternally optimistic, despite all the doom and gloom we were hearing from Washington (tone deaf to the speech just delivered by the President).

In short, Jindal delivered the old line GOP response about cheery optimism in the face of the evils of government. All he didn't do was try to channel images of having a wife named Nancy, and a vision of defeating the Soviet Union. This was, in retrospect, a man trying to deliver a Ronald Reagan, circa 1982, speech, without the actor's charm, or any perspective on the reality of today's world.

The pitch of the two speeches couldn't have been more starkly different. Obama addressed the issues of the day head on, with determination, and a rallying cry that we are not a nation of quitters. Jindal's speech tried to make big government the enemy, made a mish-mash of mea-culpas about the GOP party, and explain why the "other guy's" speech was short sighted.

If this is the picture of our choice of leaders going forward in this country, I think I can breathe a sigh of relief that we dodged a bullet on this one, electing a leader who can inspire us to be better. Score--Obama 1, Jindal ZERO.