But after Obama was finished, about the only thing Republicans and Democrats agreed on is that the speech wouldn’t change things.
Advertisement
In his final year in office, Obama is renewing the call that animated his 2008 campaign – that American politics has grown nastier than most of its citizens want it to be.
President Barack Obama returns to his political birthplace Wednesday with a plea to the Illinois Capitol for “better politics”.
The president’s trip to Springfield was a nostalgic one, including a stop at a restaurant he frequented during his legislative service and recollections about some of the “hazing” he faced in his early days under the dome.
“Somebody like Jesse White”. He also emphasized the importance of building relationships and reaching across the aisle.
“It’s been noted often by pundits that the tone of our politics hasn’t gotten better since I was inaugurated, in fact it’s gotten worse; that there’s still this yawning gap between the magnitude of our challenges and the smallness of our politics”.
Some even went so far as to read Obama’s call for patience, experience, and temperament as a not-so-discreet endorsement of Hillary Clinton. And there were signs that the partisan divide in Springfield is like the one in the nation’s capital.
The problem, of course, is getting Gov. Bruce Rauner, House Speaker Michael Madigan, and Senate President John Cullerton to act upon such stirring words.
State Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago, seemingly has his entire party against him because of his allegiance with Rauner.
“So when I hear voices in either party boast of their refusal to compromise as an accomplishment in and of itself, I’m not impressed”, Obama told the statehouse chamber.
But then Obama left no doubts that he was not talking about Ken Dunkin. “I think we all see it, and think the message he was trying to say was, in part, that’s who we are”.
And on the same issue of compromise – Obama got in a not-so-subtle dig at Rauner.
Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, an Okawville Republican who served with Obama and was mentioned in the speech, said he was happy the president came.
Restricting money’s influence on politics, changing the congressional redistricting process and removing barriers to register and vote were several solutions Obama suggested to cultivate bipartisanship.
If President Obama decides on Wednesday to quote that paragraph from his 2007 speech, which was targeted at the national government, some ears certainly should be burning among state leaders in his Springfield audience.
“I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States”. He contrasted that with current political rhetoric, saying in the state Senate they didn’t refer to name calling.
Advertisement
Many Democrats have been suspicious of the IL effort.
