'Why Accept That It Is The Government’s Job to Do Anything?' (Plus Other Responses to Obama's Speech Made By TheBlaze Audience)

Coverage of President Barack Obama's state of the union speech Tuesday sparked a lively debate among readers of TheBlaze, especially those who checked out our side-by-side comparison of key points made by Obama, Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Rand Paul.

To keep the discussion going, we've collected some of the comments you made and are giving you your say in this article (please note that we did not edit the comments).

Here you go:

Toledofan:

There are many different ways to solve today’s problems and, honestly, although somewhat painful today, if left unattended they will be more 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.

AmericaMustBeFree:

This is a remark Obama made from Bush’s last State of the Union address… “Imagine if next year, the entire nation had a president they could believe in. A president who rallied all Americans around a common purpose. That’s the kind of president we need in this country.” Yes, Mr. Obama. just imagine if you took your own words and did exactly what you said.. Instead, you have divided a nation…

Digital Dreamer:

Rubio is the only one that any of us should be backing.

Rand is a waste of time. Not because he doesn’t make sense on certain points but because he’s perceived as an extremist .His father is a consumate liability. He’s too connected to the much maligned Tea Party, whereas Rubio only has mild ties to the organization. Rubio is young, hispanic, yet caucasian and accessible to the conservative base. He’s articulate, smart, charismatic and is the perfect foil to the desperate ethnicity/racial grab the democrats employed with Obama. Hes’ the smart choice.

Those that delusionally cry out that Rubio is a “rhino” or a liberal-in-conservative’s clothing and demand that Rand should be the conservative party representative are unreasonable and foolish. He has zero chance of capturing the liberal demographics, and Rand has almost no traction in minority groups. Rubio *is* a cuban-american, and, as such, has the marketability to survive both the left’s smearing of him on the news, as well as gaining a sizeable hispanic support based on his ethnicity alone.

However his viability as a candidate will ONLY happen if conservatives stop bickering, and work together to protect his future candidacy (vehemently and diligently if necessary). If conservatives like many posters on this forum continue to split the conservative base by chasing “empty” or weak candidates that have no chance of winning an election, then you’ll only succeed engendering more liberal victories.

Libertarian:

There is a huge philosophical difference between Rubio and Paul. One is an avid constitutionalist, the other toes the line of Republican establishment with a touch of conservatism. One obeys the constitution as it was meant to be the other will toe the line of the Republican Party DESPITE what the constitution says.

As the years go by toward 2016 you will see Rubio turn into an Eric Cantor or John Boehner because the establishment has picked their man for 2016. Much like unionism, the Republican Party picks by seniority not by record or philosophy.

Watch Karl Rove and the ilk under the (R) tag, which has been equally culpable in destroying our constitution back Rubio or blue dog Democrat John Huntsman Jr in 2016.

GAC1218:

Why accept that it is the government’s job to do anything?

Reagan had it right, “government is not the solution but the problem”.

Free market doesn’t work with government intervention.

- The cost of a college education has been driven through the roof because of pell grants and interest free government loans. Injecting false money into the system.

-Energy should not be regulated by a government that refuses to give permits to companies. Supply and demand should dictate how much oil and natural gas is produced.

(government debt makes your gasoline 3.50/gallon instead of $2.10)

- Why does the gov. spend money on medical research and scientific research? That should be private money.

- $9/ hr min. wage is a cover for a 24% increase in income tax collected.

- The housing bubble and subsequent collapse was caused by government policy.

- High corporate tax drives business out of this country.

- No cross state line competition of insurance companies drives up our costs.

- Innovation should be driven by independent money. Gov. has no business using your money to incentivize or reward innovation. (It’s all just a congressional slush pool anyway)

When you socialize a free market you destroy the free market, and when the money runs out you also destroy the social republic. It’s lose, lose.

The government has stepped to far accross the line. It’s time for the people to stand up and demand they remove themselves from our private lives.

Samurai2112:

On minimum wage…If $9 is good why not round it up to $10, why not $20 per hour and let them not only live above poverty but be middle class? Why not a minimum of $100 per hour and we can all be upper middle class? This is the fallacy of the minimum wage argument. Also don’t forget a lot of union contracts are tied to the minimum wage and they would all get an automatic wage increase.

Wal-Mart in ND is paying $17 for entry workers and still can not find people to fill. Same problem with service industry like restaurants etc they just get someone hired and trained only to loose to someone else paying more. The even larger problem is not enough housing for new workers coming into the area. The ECONOMY in that state is BOOMING, that is what drives higher wages not some set number from the Gov. He who shall not be named could learn something on how the economy really works and apply it to the whole country. Unfortunately it goes against everything he believes.

Edotdot:

Whatever happens in the next two election cycles, if we are able to take back the senate and then the Whitehouse, it will be under the Republican banner… if we don’t quit nitpicking we will stay right where we are now, feckless to pull back any of Obama’s and his merry band of progressives crap. It just might be that we can’t right our nation on the first or second attempt but we can pull her back from the brink. Please quit name-calling, grow up, and get a dose of reality!