"Obama the Populist" Doesn't Ring True

Written by David Frum on Monday January 25, 2010

My latest column at CNN.com discusses President Obama's upcoming State of the Union address. Lately, the Obama team has been experimenting with a new theme -- a sharp populist turn, attacking bankers and lobbyists. ... But will this theme continue into Wednesday's State of the Union?

My latest column at CNN.com discusses President Obama's upcoming State of the Union speech.

As President Obama acknowledges, his administration hit a buzz saw in Massachusetts last week.

The president will respond as he always does to emergencies: with a speech. In this case, it's his State of the Union address. The Obama team always assumes the best remedy for any Obama difficulty is more Obama.

But what to say in that speech?

The Obama team has been experimenting with a new theme -- a sharp populist turn, attacking bankers and lobbyists. Here's the president speaking in Elyria, Ohio, on January 22:

"I can promise you, there will be more fights in the days ahead. We're having one of them right now -- because I want to charge Wall Street a modest fee to repay taxpayers in full for saving their skin in a time of need. You can rest assured, we're going to get that money -- your money -- back, each and every dime."

In one short speech, the president promised or threatened a "fight" 15 times.

Will that trope continue into Wednesday's State of the Union? If so, it would be a big mistake. It may win the president an immediate bounce in the polls by exciting downcast liberals and progressives. But that bounce will prove limited and short-lived, and it will come at the expense of more trouble not very far down the road.

Read the rest here.

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