Remember when President Obama was once thought to be a great orator? Five years into his presidency, it seems fair to say that he has yet to give a single memorable speech, and Tuesday night’s State of the Union address was certainly no exception. But it did contain this curious passage amidst the blandness:
Tonight, I ask every American who knows someone without health insurance to help them get covered by March 31st. Moms, get on your kids to sign up. Kids, call your mom and walk her through the application. It will give her some peace of mind—plus, she’ll appreciate hearing from you.
After all, that’s the spirit that has always moved this nation forward. It’s the spirit of citizenship . . .
Thankfully that “spirit of citizenship” is aided by Obamacare’s unprecedented individual mandate, which for the first time in American history requires ordinary citizens to buy a product of the federal government’s choosing or else pay a penalty for refusing to comply. Yep, that’s the liberty-loving “spirit that has always moved this nation forward.”
© 2014 by National Review Inc. Reprinted with permission.