Political analyst and Democratic pollster Doug Schoen said that President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address was full of “lofty rhetoric” that amounts to “massive new taxes” on wealthy Americans.
“The appeals to bipartisanship and cooperation masked a sharply partisan speech designed to position the president as an outsider taking on Congress and pursuing a class-based agenda with massive new taxes on the rich,” declared Schoen in an exclusive interview with Newsmax following Tuesday’s speech.
Schoen, who provided analysis of the speech and GOP response for the Fox National Radio Network, described the politics of the speech as very strong.
“The president has his themes,” said Schoen. “It’s clear the approach taken in the State of the Union is good for the president. It’s less clear whether this is a speech America and the Congress needed to hear at this point in time.”
He said the president gave short shrift to the long-term fiscal challenges facing Americans.
“There was little emphasis on our long-term fiscal challenges — the debt, the deficit and it was like healthcare never passed,” he said.
“Did you hear anything about healthcare?” Schoen asked. “The signature legislative accomplishment of his first two years was MIR — missing in rhetoric.”
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