I am still trying to process President Barack Obama’s speech before a joint session of congress tonight.  I have tons of thoughts going through my brain and will have to download it in order to fully digest it.  But, I can tell you this, I felt a certain sense coming from President Obama that we will make it out of this economic crisis and address other issues that have kept us back for so many years.

 

So instead, I took time to write and email Governor Bobby Jindal the Republican governor of Louisiana who was selected to give the Republican response.  Below is that letter just sent off to him.

  

To Governor Bobby Jindal,

 

While elected leaders, writers and notable others will focus in on President Barack Obama’s joint speech before congress tonight, I on the other hand decided to reach out to you instead.  I wanted to give you my opinion of how your speech played to me an ordinary citizen who before tonight saw a landscape of gray before me.

 

The recurrent theme in your response to President Barack Obama’s speech before a joint session of congress was, “the American people can do anything” and that I do agree with.  But, given the current state of our economy, each and every American be they rich, middle class or poor for that matter needs adequate and responsible tools so we as a country come out of this current crisis as one and more importantly stronger. 

 

In my opinion, this is the exact time that we Americans need our government.  We do not simply elect a president, a senator or congress member as a figure head, but someone to actually lead us, to teach us and stand on our side.  It is they who help formulate the tools along with our input to forge on and when we begin to see the fruits of our labor, instead of keeping us in shackles afford us our liberty to live life with the pursuit of happiness.

 

While originally annoyed with the tool bar at the bottom of the screen as one viewed both speeches on MSNBC, which showed how both Obama and McCain voters were responding to each, within that tool bar told a far larger story.  Both Obama and McCain voters were basically in sync with what President Obama was laying out before we the people.  As I watched that same tool bar as you gave your responsorial speech, the lines divided.  What that indicated to me was a polarization of the American people.  That is the same polarization that Americans by and large rejected in this past election which gave President Barack Obama a resounding and historical victory.

 

You invoked both 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and by and large as the Bush years went on, they saw an inadequate response coming from their government to both horrific events.  That was your biggest blunder, governor.  You reminded people of two failed moments in history where the president at that time failed its people.  I have to say this, but you sounded much like former President Bush and that is exactly what Americans rejected in this past election.

 

At this time if anyone is focusing in on the 2012 presidential election, you have a lot of work to do communicating your vision for a stronger America.  To those who are formulating their campaigns for that year, now is not the time to do so, but to pull together to strengthen our economy, make sure Americans have health care, so that we will come out the other side a much stronger nation.

 

Lastly, before President Barack Obama’s speech, I was filled with a certain sense of anxiety given our economic crisis, but during it and at the end of it, my fears were eased and I was able to smile.  President Barack Obama gave me hope that there will be better days ahead of us.  You gave me nothing.  Chris Matthews of MSNBC put it correctly in stating that some may see you as Governor Buzz kill.

 Author's email is, xmjmac@optonline.net

 

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