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Here’s a Side-By-Side Comparison of How Obama, Rubio, & Paul View the State of the Union

Feb. 12, 2013 11:00pm

What’s the Difference Between Obamas, Rubios, & Pauls Take on the State of the Union?Getty Images

President Barack Obama on Monday went before Congress to deliver his State of the Union address, the first of his second term.

Shortly after the president’s speech, Florida senator and rising GOP star Marco Rubio delivered the official Republican response. And shortly after Sen. Rubio’s response, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul delivered the official Tea Party response.

In their own words, here’s a look at how President Obama, Sen. Rubio, and Sen. Paul view the following topics:

The Economy:

What’s the Difference Between Obamas, Rubios, & Pauls Take on the State of the Union?

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Obama:

[W]e gather here knowing that there are millions of Americans whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded.  Our economy is adding jobs – but too many people still can’t find full-time employment.  Corporate profits have rocketed to all-time highs – but for more than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged.

Most Americans — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — understand that we can’t just cut our way to prosperity.  They know that broad-based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit reduction, with spending cuts and revenue, and with everybody doing their fair share.

Rubio:

Unfortunately, our economy actually shrank during the last three months of 2012. But if we can get the economy to grow at just 4 percent a year, it would create millions of middle class jobs. And it could reduce our deficits by almost $4 trillion dollars over the next decade.

Tax increases can’t do this. Raising taxes won’t create private sector jobs. And there’s no realistic tax increase that could lower our deficits by almost $4 trillion. That’s why I hope the President will abandon his obsession with raising taxes and instead work with us to achieve real growth in our economy.

Paul:

Under the Obama economy, 12 million people are out of work. During the President’s first term 800,000 construction workers lost their jobs and another 800,000 simply gave up on looking for work.

[...]

Under President Obama, the ranks of America’s poor swelled to almost 1 in 6 people last year, reaching a new high as long-term unemployment left millions of Americans struggling and out of work.

[...]

With my five-year budget, millions of jobs would be created by cutting the corporate income tax in half, by creating a flat personal income tax of 17%, and by cutting the regulations that are strangling American businesses.

National Debt:

What’s the Difference Between Obamas, Rubios, & Pauls Take on the State of the Union?

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Obama:

[T]he biggest driver of our long-term debt is the rising cost of health care for an aging population. And those of us who care deeply about programs like Medicare must embrace the need for modest reforms – otherwise, our retirement programs will crowd out the investments we need for our children, and jeopardize the promise of a secure retirement for future generations.

Rubio:

The real cause of our debt is that our government has been spending 1 trillion dollars more than it takes in every year. That’s why we need a balanced budget amendment. The biggest obstacles to balancing the budget are programs where spending is already locked in.

One of these programs, Medicare, is especially important to me. It provided my father the care he needed to battle cancer and ultimately die with dignity. And it pays for the care my mother receives now. I would never support any changes to Medicare that would hurt seniors like my mother. But anyone who is in favor of leaving Medicare exactly the way it is right now, is in favor of bankrupting it.

Paul:

Over the past four years [President Obama] has added over $6 trillion in new debt and may well do the same in a second term. What solutions does he offer? He takes entitlement reform off the table and seeks to squeeze more money out of the private sector.

[...]

This massive expansion of the debt destroys savings and steals the value of your wages.

Big government makes it more expensive to put food on the table. Big government is not your friend. The President offers you free stuff but his policies keep you poor.

[...]

Both parties have been guilty of spending too much, of protecting their sacred cows, of backroom deals in which everyone up here wins, but every taxpayer loses.

It is time for a new bipartisan consensus.

It is time Democrats admit that not every dollar spent on domestic programs is sacred. And it is time Republicans realize that military spending is not immune to waste and fraud.

Where would we cut spending; well, we could start with ending all foreign aid to countries that are burning our flag and chanting death to America.

Immigration:

What’s the Difference Between Obamas, Rubios, & Pauls Take on the State of the Union?

Getty Images.

Obama:

[T]he time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

[…]

Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship – a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and a meaningful penalty, learning English, and going to the back of the line behind the folks trying to come here legally.

And real reform means fixing the legal immigration system to cut waiting periods, reduce bureaucracy, and attract the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will help create jobs and grow our economy.

Rubio:

We can also help our economy grow if we have a legal immigration system that allows us to attract and assimilate the world’s best and brightest. We need a responsible, permanent solution to the problem of those who are here illegally. But first, we must follow through on the broken promises of the past to secure our borders and enforce our laws.

Paul:

We are the party that embraces hard work and ingenuity, therefore we must be the party that embraces the immigrant who wants to come to America for a better future. We must be the party who sees immigrants as assets, not liabilities. We must be the party that says, “If you want to work, if you want to become an American, we welcome you.”

“The Sequester”:

What’s the Difference Between Obamas, Rubios, & Pauls Take on the State of the Union?

Getty Images

Obama:

These sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military readiness.  They’d devastate priorities like education, energy, and medical research. They would certainly slow our recovery, and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs.  That’s why Democrats, Republicans, business leaders, and economists have already said that these cuts, known here in Washington as “the sequester,” are a really bad idea.

Rubio:

We don’t have to raise taxes to avoid the President’s devastating cuts to our military. Republicans have passed a plan that replaces these cuts with responsible spending reforms.

In order to balance our budget, the choice doesn’t have to be either higher taxes or dramatic benefit cuts for those in need.  Instead we should grow our economy so that we create new taxpayers, not new taxes, and so our government can afford to help those who truly cannot help themselves. 

Paul:

​The President does a big “woe is me” over the $1.2 trillion sequester that he endorsed and signed into law. Some Republicans are joining him. Few people understand that the sequester doesn’t even cut any spending. It just slows the rate of growth. Even with the sequester, government will grow over $7 trillion over the next decade.

[...]

Not only should the sequester stand, many pundits say the sequester really needs to be at least4 trillion to avoid another downgrade of America’s credit rating. Both parties will have to agree to cut, or we will never fix our fiscal mess.

Energy:

What’s the Difference Between Obamas, Rubios, & Pauls Take on the State of the Union?

Getty Images

Obama:

Last year, wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America.  So let’s generate even more.  Solar energy gets cheaper by the year — so let’s drive costs down even further.  As long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy, so must we.

In the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy independence.  That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits.  But I also want to work with this Congress to encourage the research and technology that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and water.

[…]

I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good.

Rubio:

One of the best ways to encourage growth is through our energy industry. Of course solar and wind energy should be a part of our energy portfolio. But God also blessed America with abundant coal, oil, and natural gas. Instead of wasting more taxpayer money on so-called “clean energy” companies like Solyndra, let’s open up more federal lands for safe and responsible exploration.

And let’s reform our energy regulations so that they’re reasonable and based on common sense. If we can grow our energy industry, it will make us energy independent, it will create middle class jobs and it will help bring manufacturing back from places like China.

Paul: Sen. Paul in his response didn’t specifically address U.S. energy, but it’s widely known that he opposes government intervention in the free market. Obviously, this would extend to large and expensive government investments (i.e. the people’s money) in “green” energy.

“The only stimulus ever proven to work is leaving more money in the hands of those who earned it!” Sen. Paul said.

“For those who are struggling we want to you to have something infinitely more valuable than a free phone, we want you to have a job and pathway to success,” he added.

Here’s the president’s full address. Full text can be viewed here:

Here’s Sen. Rubio’s response. Full text can be viewed here:

And here’s Sen. Paul’s speech. Full text can be viewed here:

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Featured images courtesy Getty Images.

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Comments (243)

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  • No_More_War_Please
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:09pm

    Ya, Rubio is another GOP establishment shill unfortunately. I think Gary North summed up my feelings on his SOTU speech best:

    “It was a pathetic speech. It was maudlin. It pandered to welfare state voters. It invoked his relatives, who he says were beneficiaries of the federal welfare state. So was he: free education. It is all good, he said. We must defend these programs. Of course there are beneficiaries to these programs. But who pays? For how long? With how large a deficit? Just because your family has cashed in on the system is not a moral or fiscal defense of the system. He appealed to the hoped-for Republican Party base of the future: welfare beneficiaries. He never gave any numbers, except for an unattainable 4% economic growth rate. It was all smoke and no mirrors. If this is the best the party can produce at the top, which I think it probably is, the party is pathetic. Hopeless….
    The best that you can hope for from Republicans is that they will keep the worst of the Democrat programs from being enacted. They are like a doorstop. They keep the door from slamming on your foot. Beyond that, the Republican Party is useless at the national level.”

    http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/gop-voters-have-learned-nothing/

    Report this comment

    No_More_War_Please  
  • Alexander Snitker
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 11:52am

    This article is a great example as to why Libertarians question Glenn Beck’s claim that he is a Libertarian. Carla Howell (who is the executive director of the LP) had a response to the State of the Union address. http://1787network.com/2013/02/libertarian-party-response-to-president-barack-obamas-2013-state-of-the-union-address/6329

    Glenn, If you want to claim that you are a Libertarian then showing what the Libertarian party is doing would be a good thing.

    Report this comment

    Alexander Snitker  
  • Herrmadl
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 11:36am

    If so many people are against our POTUS, then why why why did he get voted back in. Are there NOT enough people left with brain waves to vote the other way. COME ON AMERICA WAKE UP !
    Now we have him for another 4 years and THEY will distroy the USA and every other party will be to blame, except for the Democrate Party. You are right if a white, hispanic, or otherwise President did the things he has done, they would have empeached him by the end of the first year. What I don’t understand is if so many of us see the issues (problems) (lies) etc… WHY don’t everyone else??????????????

    Report this comment

    Herrmadl  
  • Apple Bite
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 12:39am

    Wind energy?!??? Not this$%@! again…..

    The only energetic wind America received was from the Libs piehole. Other than that, it was likely Pelosi and Reed playing farting games while That Turd is giving a speech.

    Report this comment

    Apple Bite  
  • Daddymac10
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 10:02pm

    Rand Paul / Michele Bachmann 2016

    Report this comment

    Daddymac10  
  • ScarletRose
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 6:21pm

    I have the same 4 opinion of the THREE of them,, Ryan and Obama have the same budget mind.
    PLUS:
    http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/12/07/Paul-Ryan-backs-Boehner-on-conservative-purge-refuses-to-deny-whether-he-was-involved

    Rubio is SHAMNESTY sotted.

    All three are WORTHLESS. OF A KIND!

    Report this comment

    ScarletRose  
  • FloraBelleza
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 6:13pm

    Add your comments

    Report this comment

    FloraBelleza  
  • tncdel
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 5:36pm

    ALL Of them are TRAITORS to America. I was especially grieved to find out that Rand Paul had flip-flopped on amnesty. Rubio has already proven himself a traitor. See:
    http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/did-you-know-that-marco-rubio-gutted-31-illegal-immigration-fighting-bills-in-the-florida-legislatur/question-2608369/

    Anyone with an IQ above that of a turnip should be able to realize that amnesty would only serve to attract millions more job-stealing illegals here.

    The ONLY way to stop the illegal alien invasion: MAKE THINGS AS TOUGH AS POSSIBLE on the illegals, so they will self-deport back to Mexico, etc. at their own expense because they get to hate it her so much. We certainly can’t afford to deport over 20 million illegals. Plus most would only come right back if we tried.

    Report this comment

    tncdel  
  • Fuzzy1
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 5:22pm

    According to many of these posts, nobody on this planet will be conservative enough for you. Lower your expectations, PLEASE!!! It took 100 years+/- to get to this point and it cannot be undone overnight. One step at a time. The most important thing any conservative should advacate is a reverse in direction. Fiscal responsability is a good start. Stop nit-picking folks. Romney, Paul, Ryan, Rubio, and many others all want to reverse direction. Get off their backs and support them or join the Commie croud.

    Report this comment

    Fuzzy1  
  • Digital_Dreamer
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 4:32pm

    Truth, you are the divisive, ignorant loudmouth that hurts our chances of electing a conservative. Oh and it is LOSE the election. L-O-S-E. Not “loose”. Since you haven’t mastered 6th grade English, I will save my replies for those individuals that can string 2 coherent thoughts together.

    Report this comment

    Digital_Dreamer  
  • unicorn71
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 4:26pm

    Paul’s comment on immigration was vague. He should have said we welcome you if you come in the front door and not sneak through the cracks!

    Report this comment

    unicorn71  
  • yourpaled
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 3:37pm

    I didn’t watch the whole speech from Obummer, but kicked in every so often. All I got was more of the same promises, more presidential action to create a better economy, but NO reference to how he’s going to pay for all this stuff. It’s a repetition of his first four years of overspending without showing any improvement in the economy. And to see all the standing ovations from the dems was just another expression of “yes Mr president”. Political correctness at its worst.

    Report this comment

    yourpaled  
  • JoeBlow4204
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 3:36pm

    My wife works part time and this week she was told that she can’t work over 25 hours a week because of Obama Care. This country is going in the wrong direction!!!! People wake up!!!!

    Report this comment

    JoeBlow4204  
    • Herrmadl
      Posted on February 14, 2013 at 11:38am

      EXACTLY! However I am afraid it is to late. see m y earlier post.

      Report this comment

      Herrmadl  
  • Bjorg
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 3:15pm

    I appreciate hearing what the other part of the country thinks as I listen to the Blaze and FOX, etc. I wish the conservative side would do the same…listen to other opinions,

    The irony in listening to Rubio was that he clearly was not giving a response to the President. What he gave was a well-worn ideological monologue that could have been used during the Republican primary. And that’s exactly where our Congress is stuck… too many not listening and just restating ideological purity lines. For example, most Americans continue to want fair cuts and see the military as still significantly overspending, the wealthy and corporations bearing too little of the burden, and healthcare as our #1 issue in terms of changing the debt curve. Neither Rubio nor Paul address any of this nor do they admit that most leading economists say we are in a significantly better place than we were in 2008 … with lots more to do and very long-term re-structuring to do … if people would actually get off of their “only cuts” mantra. The poor and middle class have taken the major hits and still deserve the most help and fiscal stability and incentives.

    Funny, many sound like they are already running for 2016 and can’t face why they just lost a major election … again. If these are your “moderate” and “tea party” candidates, you have no clue how far right you have gone and how alienating to independent thinkers (and I don’t mean Karl Rove).

    Report this comment

    Bjorg  
  • jagape
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 2:54pm

    SocialistSlayer
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 10:38am SAID…
    I think Rubio is just another GOP Puppet ! The machine is grooming him but he will not get my vote – In fact no mainstream Republican will – they are all Commie Traitors !
    ******************************************************************************
    It is totally obvious you don’t know what a Commie is. You probably don’t know what socialist slayer means either.

    Report this comment

    jagape  
  • Margyt
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 2:40pm

    Let there be no mistake, MR and RP have some policy differences but BO has major philosophical and ethical differences. Good men who disagree have it hands-down over a bad man who lies any day. The Tea Party didn’t need to do its own rebuttal this year and as a Tea Partier, RP doesn’t speak for me. I’m glad, though, for the attention to conservative principles. I can definitely set aside my relatively minor disagreements in order to eradicate the evil that is taking over our nation.

    Report this comment

    Margyt  
    • jagape
      Posted on February 13, 2013 at 2:58pm

      You should bring your rhetoric down a few notches. 80% of Americans have no idea what your stating.

      But I do agree with you.

      Report this comment

      jagape  
    • Herrmadl
      Posted on February 14, 2013 at 11:48am

      I got it ! agree. I want no more BS just give it to us straight, don’t tell me you are going to bake a pie. And how wonderful it will be, Tell me HOW you are going to bake the pie, I want to know the ingredients, then I will decide how wonderful it is. Tired of all the BS from every direction, Although I think Rubio has a better idea of how to do the immagration, Fix the borders first. We will be bombarded with illegals. We will end up with triple here on welfare because there are no jobs. How can the POTUS stand there and say things are better, we are being cut down on hours losing more of our pay check and EVERTHING is going up. I just dont know where in the H$!! they get their facts from. By the time they are through I will lose my home and file for bankruptcy. After all these years for me this is a very stressful time.

      Report this comment

      Herrmadl  
  • truthnstuff
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 2:28pm

    @Digital_Nightmare……How about you look at his voting record. What he says is not what he does. He has the faux conservative talking points down, but he is simply a hispanic McCain. His GOP line will be the same, 0bama is a nice guy just has wrong policies. You low information trolls will keep us loosing elections.

    Report this comment

    truthnstuff  
  • Charles Curtis
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 1:56pm

    the moles are out digging holes in every effective alternative to any possible answer to this BO. the trenches are full of rats on both sides… shotgun remedy is possible – though the solution might be simply to get out of the trenches, extend a hand to others who want out, and move away from this two trench sewer system. Throw off the chains of tyranny, those subtle chains of debt, and borrow NOTHING. Establish new leadership that is composed of people that have proven success, not media hype; that have strong character; with service as their heart; and only those who will accept short term assignment – not lifetime careers – as a PUBLIC SERVANT.

    Report this comment

    Charles Curtis  
  • truthnstuff
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 1:22pm

    I think Beck should give his people access to courses on the constitution and the meaning of liberty and freedom from government tyranny. Is S.E. CUPP getting a pay check from Rove and the GOP?

    Report this comment

    truthnstuff  
  • Jack76
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 12:27pm

    Obama’s a compulsive liar, Rubio is a winping sounding Hispanic panderer and Paul seems to get it.

    Report this comment

    Jack76  
  • toledofan
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 12:19pm

    There are many different way to solve todays problems and, honestly, although somewhat painful today, if left unattended they will be mor painful as time goes on. So, the main idea from the Democrats is just to keep kicking the can down the road, spend some more, worry about it later. The other side is to start to address the problems today, implement the solutions and move ahead to kick start the economy and get out of the way. The burden becomes the citizens who can’t, won’t, or just don’t want to do anything because they feel they are owed. As long as the Democrats are in charge and Obama is President, nothing will change.

    Report this comment

    toledofan  
  • Micmac
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 12:16pm

    Most Americans — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — understand that we can’t just cut our way to prosperity. They know that broad-based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit reduction, with spending cuts and revenue, and with everybody doing their fair share.
    ——————————————————————————————–

    NoBama will never do spending cuts so his speech is just a lie to America. SOP. He will tell you what you want to hear . 1st time I saw this was when Reagan was running for governor in CA and he came to my college and said he would not raise college tuition. He raised tuition the 1st week in office. They all do it.

    Rubio is and always has been a RINO. He’s a good looking, smart and articulate minority, so he has become a tool of the Republican party to reach minorities. “He walks and quacks like a duck, so…”

    Paul. He has the stigma of his father by those that didn’t accept his father for some of his extremist views like Isolationism. Paul needs to work on this and display where he is more sensible overall. Personally, I think he speaks closer to the truth.

    Report this comment

    Micmac  
  • The Third Archon
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 12:07pm

    “It is time Democrats admit that not every dollar spent on domestic programs is sacred. And it is time Republicans realize that military spending is not immune to waste and fraud.”
    LOL–yeah, you’re SO moderate and evenhanded in even the way you TALK. Socioeconomic investment = “excessive”; military investment = “it’s not ALL perfect”

    “Where would we cut spending; well, we could start with ending all foreign aid to countries that are burning our flag and chanting death to America.”
    The sum TOTAL of our foreign aid is a drop in the bucket as a proportion of the federal budget. I find your vapid reactionary jingoism dangerous and patronizing. Randy TALKS a good game (if fascism appeals to you), but he’s not got the brains or plans to back up his bluster.

    “But God also blessed America with abundant coal, oil, and natural gas.”
    AH HAH AH AHA HAH AH AH AHA–what, a, RIOT! XD

    Uh, no, I’m afraid millions of years of DYING LIVING THINGS blessed American with abundant coal, oil, and natural gas, Ruby.

    Report this comment

    The Third Archon  
  • bankerpapaw
    Posted on February 13, 2013 at 12:04pm

    I watched the Dog Show instead of the dog and pony show. Dogs don’t lie.

    Report this comment

    bankerpapaw  
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