SOTU Speech: President Attempts to Reinvent Himself Rightward, Bankward

JUDGES NOT TRUE ALITO AND THOMAS DON'T GO
SINCE MR. OBAMA'S APPEARANCE in Tucson several weeks ago to console and commemorate the victims' of the grisly mass shooting in that city, the president's popularity and poll numbers have gone up considerably. I admit it was a good and appropriate speech that mercifully took the focus off---even for a few hours---the increasing invective of partisan politics and finger pointing and put it back on the people and families that were so deeply affected.

I wrote about my experience for Pajamas Media while at a retreat center outside of Tucson at that time.

Since that speech in Tucson, much has been written in the MSM and online about the liklihood of President Obama handily winning a second term. Roger Simon led the charge.

There's no question that since the democratic shellacking in the midterm elections, our president has hot-footed it to the right, towards the center of the political spectrum. This can't---at least in theory---be bad for the country. Or so it would seem. With a split Congress, Obama's erstwhile radical agenda would forever be eclipsed in a second term, right? Well sort of. But much of the damage has already been done, in more ways than one.

However well or poorly the president does tonight in his SOTU, whatever the bipartisan comraderie, in the beginning, middle and the end, President Obama can andwill only get re-elected if two things are happen: 1) jobs improvement and 2) a stronger dollar.

Let me say it again: JOBS and a STRONGER DOLLAR. Don't believe it? Think Tunisia where jobs are disappearing at warp speed and its currency buys less and less; it's not pretty.

There's no getting around it. The job market has to improve in a way that middle America tangibly feels, and the buying power of our money needs to stop declining, stabilize and even increase so that it buys food, gasoline and other staples at reasonable, rather than sky-high prices. A stronger dollar means a drop in gold and silver prices.

However well Mr. Obama grandstands tonight about Congress freezing/cutting spending, prohibiting earmarks---all of which need to be done and much more---none of it matters if the jobs and dollar picture don't improve.

It's not going to be as easy as Mr. O may make it sound. Then again, it will probably happen just in time for the 2012 election. And when and if President Obama is re-elected, watch the dollar plummet again while food, gasoline, gold and silver blast off again to the stars.