"My fellow Americans good evening and thank you for watching. I speak to you tonight from the Oval office following a week of unacceptable economic news, specifically our unemployment rate and a seemingly unrelenting recession. For over two and half years we, your elected representatives have bickered and fought over solutions big and small. We have accused and shouted. We have pointed fingers and, figuratively, given each other the finger. We have negotiated, cut deals, horse-traded and brokered impotent compromises that have hardly put a dent in our economic troubles while wasting hundreds of billions of dollars. We have behaved as if we were mortal enemies instead of political opponents. And what has that done for you...the average man or woman busting their backside to make ends meat, raise a family, pay your bills and keep your head above water? Nothing. Let's face it, you're no better off now than you were 5 years ago or 3 years ago. While most economists agree the bail-outs and stimulus plans prevented a depression, that's not good enough. The time has come for us, you and me and every elected official, to make politics our second priority and America number 1, again. Therefore, I propose the following programs to break the downward economic spiral we are in;
(ramble off 5-10 FDR style New Deal programs that you really believe will work...even if they have little chance of passing the Republicans in the House)
I know these programs will be costly in the short term and I know there will be critics who will decry 'big government' and point to the ever increasing deficit. But the hard reality is that history has shown us, time and time again in economies around the world, that you simply can't break the grip of a recession of this magnitude while reducing government spending. If Congress refuses to fund these programs I can guarantee you with absolute certainty that the economy will not improve, unemployment will not improve and we will move from a recession to a depression. The time for half measures is over. The time for political compromise is over. The time to restore Hope in America is right now. The time for us to Change the priorities in Washington has come. I am not drawing a line in the sand, I am getting out of the sandbox. Let me be as clear as possible, I will use every power of the Executive branch to end this recession and get Americans back to work. To borrow from my predecessor, "You're either with us, or you're against us." Either support these programs or accept responsibility for the economy you broke.
In his first inaugural address President Roosevelt told America that we had nothing to fear but fear itself. Today, that same sentiment holds true. We have lost confidence in our government because our government has betrayed us. We, and I include myself in that group, have too often put our political philosophies and personal ambitions ahead of what we know is best for America. We calculate votes and political fall-out before making any decisions of significance. Lobbyist politely inform us of how much money we can count on from a certain donor based on how we word regulations or vote in committees. Every morning your elected officials get results from the latest polls on the hottest issues. Let me pull back the stained curtain on Washington politics and verify what you probably already suspect....politicians are more interested in getting re-elected than they are in doing the right thing.
One of the most important duties of the President is to set an example of what an elected official should be...a person who puts the good of the Nation ahead of personal ambition. Therefore, I will not seek nor will I accept the nomination for President of the United States. I ask the majority and minority leaders of both chambers of Congress to join me in not standing for re-election so we can all but focus on building the American economy instead of our political careers.
Thank you and God bless America"
1. The President instantly becomes a political martyr and is canonized by the Left
2. He effectively takes the economy off the back of the Democrats (H. Clinton) running to replace him. 3. If Congress doesn't pass his FDR package (they won't) and the economy doesn't significantly improve prior to the election (it won't) Dems will simply say 'he told you so'.
4. What Republican is going to argue against him not standing for re-election? They're going to have to agree with his decision...which will cause serious bowel issues for many of them.
5. He denies the far Right what they want the most, an election loss for Obama.
5. He goes out on top...sort of. His foreign policy legacy will be pretty fresh and positive. He'll get some credit for the Arab Spring, he got OBL, if we adhere to the status of forces agreement we'll be out of Iraq and mostly out of Afghanistan by the end of 2012. He''ll have some nice (for libs anyway) Domestic policy wins and be able to say "I told you so" on the economy.
6. Nobody will ever be able to take away his historic election
7. He's freed from all of the pressures of being the POTUS
8. He can pretty much do whatever the heck he wants for the rest of his life, including making a few bazillion on the speakers' circuit.
8. He becomes a rainmaker in the Democratic party
9. He could relax for a couple of years and then quietly campaign for a Supreme Court gig
10. He avoids becoming Jimmy Carter and never gives the "Crisis of Confidence" (aka "The Malaise") speech
