Kat with a K

State of the Union Reactions

First: I thought it was a good speech. Not mind-blowing, not earth-shaking, but really good. There were more laugh lines than I'd expected, I think. I like how the tone was a little sarcastic and cynical at times, because I think too much rosy optimism would have just seemed out of touch. I liked the emphasis on hard work. I was especially happy that getting rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell made it in. Overall, the tone brought to mind the best-ever LOLObama:

Now: reactions some of my favorite bloggers and journalists!

The American Prospect: A Nod To Conservatism, A Case For Liberalism by Adam Serwer
The Daily Beast: Brilliant Speeches Only Get You So Far by Matt Yglesias
Ezra Klein: Just the Policy and A good speech that needs a good follow-through
FiveThirtyEight: Did the Speech Work? by Tom Schaller and Clintonian, in a Good Way by Nate Silver
The Fix's First Thoughts
Slate: Obama 2.0 by John Dickerson and How the Television Pundits Covered Obama's Big Speech by Troy Patterson
Ta-Nehisi Coates: I Just Remembered Chris Matthews Was White
Washington Independent: Defense Analysts Blast Military Exemption to Spending Freeze by Spencer Ackerman