Ex-Clinton adviser Mark Penn gives the President advice on his State of the Union speech

New York Daily News ^ | 1/23/11 | Mark Penn

[Slippery Jim]

In his State of the Union, President Obama has the opportunity, and even mission, to articulate the new direction he has taken in his presidency since the shellacking in the 2010 midterm elections. There is no doubt that he has radically changed course by backing the Bush tax cuts, sending olive branches to big business and reshuffling his team....

The best I can make of the Obama retooling is that it will be based on something less coherent but potentially just as potent--a revised economic philosophy that is based more on private sector renewal while holding firm to liberal views on social issues like choice, gay rights and stem cell research. Politically, he will leave the radical right Christian coalition behind while seeking to attract moderates who reject the Republicans on social issues but have been attracted to lower taxes, smaller government and toughness on national security.

This is potentially very successful for him--because it both splits the Republican Party and keeps together much of the Obama 2008 base, which is made up of better educated, upper-income voters who are fine with gay marriage as long as their taxes are kept low....

The first job for the President is jobs. This issue tops every poll and for good reason: He has to convey an economic strategy for America to succeed in the global economy. He has to be an optimist about America....

Immigration reform is the biggest piece of legislation in memory that has faced endless gridlock while the problem itself becomes worse rather than better....

[Slippery Jim]

The question is whether the GOP leadership is thinking one move ahead of this strategy. So far, their inattention to the three important issues (jobs, jobs, and jobs) indicates that they'd be caught flat-footed.

[BenLurkin]

The Republicans could never lie even half as well as the Democrats — and Clintoon, the Great Prevaricator,was the most successful of them all.

This year's SOTU will be 100% bullcr@p — again.

[HarleyD]

This is a liberal, narcissistic, Chicago-thug of a president. It's not in Obama’s nature to be conciliatory or to give up his ideology. He can't deliver one speech without complaining that it's the other guy's fault. Even if he gets up there and says we're going to reduce the size of government and get people back to work is anyone REALLY going to believe him? His problem isn't message or tone. It's credibility.

[Twinkie]

Let’s see - though it’s about to gag Obama, he has to pull back some (or at least appear to) and become Little Billy Clinton II; if he and Michelle hope to keep on living high on the hog on our dime. Oh, and he’ll keep on stressing this new and unfamiliar “tone of civility” and enforcing it on his “enemies”, the Republicans, UNTIL the citizens of this country get in line and the Democrats get back in their “rightful” place of dominance. If that happens, all bets are off and it’s back to “punishing their enemies” and sitting separate in the SOTU address, not to mention, back to the original Marxist plan.

[ronnie raygun]

This seems like a great opportunity for the American citizen who has had enough of this mans nonsense to show it by SHUTTING OFF YOUR TV in protest.

[Judith Anne]

"This is potentially very successful for him--because it both splits the Republican Party and keeps together much of the Obama 2008 base, which is made up of better educated, upper-income voters who are fine with gay marriage as long as their taxes are kept low...."

Oh PLEASE! Give me a freaking break!

[AbolishCSEU]

How about THIS advice?

His immediate resignation and suicide would be a start.