VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBU #0086/01 0281828
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 281827Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0393
INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000086
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC, CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KMDR PREL AR EFIN ECON ETRD
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION; STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS; 1/28/10; BUENOS
AIRES
SUMMARY
-------
1. Local newspapers extensively covered President Obama's State
of the Union Address, leading their international sections.
Reactions were mixed. Most newspapers reported positively,
highlighting the President's plans regarding job creation and
health care reform. Largest daily Clarin and right-leaning Buenos
Aires Economico viewed the address as a reaction to dropping
popularity and recent Republican criticism. End summary.
RECONNECTING WITH ORDINARY AMERICANS
------------------------------------
2. Conservative paper La Nacion targeted President Obama's
"strong call to the opposition" in its coverage, as he asked
Democrats and Republicans to "overcome their differences" in order
to "reach the objectives people want." Washington correspondent
Silvia Pisani describes President Obama putting a lot of "passion"
into his speech in order to "reconnect with the common citizen" who
"has shown signs of impatience" with the President. Pisani
concentrates on the main topics of the speech, including job
creation, health care reform, and in a "surprising promise,"
President Obama's demand to double exports within five years.
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 226794
3. Pisani also wrote an opinion article in La Nacion commenting
on the three R's from President Obama's address: "reconstruct,
reconquer, and reconnect." Pisani details the President's desire
to "reconstruct confidence, reconnect with Americans, and reconquer
the public," along with the necessity of the President becoming a
leader again. The journalist also notes that now that President
Obama has been brought "down to earth," he can accomplish the three
R's by being "less ambitious but effective" in carrying out his
domestic agenda.
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 226798
4. Conservative daily La Prensa headlined the President's address
with his promise to "not forget Americans that have lost their
health insurance" and not to "abandon his fight for universal
health care." Intent on showing the American public that he will
"take the reigns of national problems," President Obama will not
tolerate "the United States falling into the Second World." La
Prensa also notes that the President desires to fight climate
change, which includes building high-speed rail and developing
clean energy.
5. Financial daily El Cronista, right-leaning Buenos Aires
Economico, and daily Critica concentrated coverage on the economic
aspects of the address. El Cronista headlined its coverage with
the President's promise to "open battle on government spending and
unemployment," while Buenos Aires Economico noted that President
Obama concluded that in order to win back popular support, he
centered on what matters to the middle-class: their wallets.
Critica also wrote about economic issues and the President's
strategy to reduce the federal deficit, but also domestic policy
dominated the speech in lieu of foreign issues such as terrorism,
Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Haiti.
http://www.cronista.com/notas/219313-obama-pr omete-librar-una-batal
la-contra-el-gasto-y-el-desempleo
http://criticadigital.com/impresa/index.php?s ecc=nota=37624
SELLING THE DOMESTIC AGENDA
---------------------------
6. Largest Argentine daily Clarin focused on President Obama's
move to the "center of the political spectrum" as he confronted a
nation "believing less in his leadership each time." In an
"environment very different" from the President's inauguration last
year, the article describes the President's plan to create jobs,
reduce the fiscal deficit, and give fiscal aid to small businesses
and companies that build new factories. Despite facing an
"opposition determined to hinder his government" and with the
Democratic Party "totally divided," as Clarin's Washington
correspondent notes, President Obama promised to continue pushing
for health care reform and "other topics from his initial agenda,"
including allowing homosexuals to serve in the military.
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/28/elmun do/i-02128761.htm
7. Clarin also published two opinion articles commenting on the
"decline of the middle class and the American Dream" and its
relation to President Obama's ability to "reverse his [popularity]
fall in his electoral base." The opinion articles suggest that
"every time Wall Street rises, [economic] inequality worsens" in a
country where 1 out of every 5 people "had serious problems giving
food to their family" last year. In addition, the author writes
about a University of California study that showed during the past
decade, the average American income rose only 2.8% while the
average income for the riches 1% rose 11%. These factors combined
lead these commentators to believe that Americans are looking for
President Obama to be more than the "manager of a rich nation" but
rather the "leader of those that need him."
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/28/elmun do/i-02128501.htm
8. Buenos Aires Economico published an opinion article analyzing
how both President Obama's supporters and opponents look to "his
impotent government with restless distrust." Democrats have
started to distance themselves from the President's health care
plan, while Republicans believe the President "does not know where
he is going" except to "to bring the U.S. to the doorstep of
catastrophe." While the President touted various economic programs
to help the unemployed, the author opines that neither the
unemployed nor the workers fearing losing their jobs believe that
the President is "offering them another opportunity, another
beginning."
MARTINEZ