MEDIA REACTION: COUNTDOWN TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS;

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000070 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 SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: COUNTDOWN TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS; 1/23-26/10; BUENOS AIRES SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Argentine newspapers are reporting growing expectations over President Obama's State of the Union address, portraying it as an effort to regain political momentum and regain initiative. Despite one opinion article critical of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, the speech is expected to concentrate on U.S. domestic policy without significant changes in foreign policy. Most media also focuses on the recent Democratic defeat in the Massachusetts Senate election and its impact on the President's political ambitions. End summary. CRITICAL OF U.S. LATIN AMERICAN POLICY -------------- ¶2. Leading circulation daily Clarin published an opinion article (1/24) noting that President Obama's foreign policy view toward Latin America is based on a homogenous view of the continent, creating blanket foreign policy for all. It also says the U.S. Government has failed to address the needs of the region, while focusing primarily on world affairs. Clarin's analyst claims the region is disappointed at President Obama for failing to keep his promise of multilateralism at the Summit of the Americas in April ¶2009. The U.S. misconception of the region and its desire to talk only with world powers (such as China),or regional power players (such as Mexico and Brazil) when U.S. or world interests are at stake is leading to "diplomatic errors." Among those errors, Clarin's journalist singles out remarks made by Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela, when he referred to "legal uncertainties" in Argentina, sparking criticism from the Argentine authorities. http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/24/opini on/o-02126070.htm STATE OF THE UNION PREVIEW -------------- ¶3. Pagina 12, Clarin, and second-largest daily La Nacion (1/26) reported that the President's will talk about helping the middle class with a series of new relief measures, about shrinking the federal budget deficit, and about creating public programs reducing unemployment during the State of the Union address. Clarin's Washington correspondent framed these ideas as part of the President's adoption of former President Clinton's "triangulation" �00A;approach to win back public support from the Republicans, while La Nacion's correspondent wrote about the President's new title of "populist," which will be a theme of the address. Additionally, the Pagina 12 and Clarin articles mentioned President Obama's previous hope to have health care reform passed before the State of the Union address and the uproar in the Democratic Party's radical wing that President Obama was too cautious when Democrats had 60 seats in the Senate. http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/26/elmun do/i-02127319.htm http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elmundo/4-1 39042-2010-01-26.html http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225977 ¶4. On January 25, Clarin reported on President Obama's recent setbacks, including the Republican victory in the Massachusetts Senate election, and how this might affect the President's political ambitions. The article reports that President Obama is planning to focus his speech on job creation and the difficulties facing the middle class. Clarin's correspondent in Washington highlights the President's recent promises to step up efforts to defend the "original agenda" of his administration in a move to "reconnect himself with the Democratic Party's disillusioned base." In addition, Clarin discusses the impact the "Tea Parties" will have on the upcoming Mid-Term elections, drawing parallels to Newt Gingrich's 1994 revolution and the possible danger it has for President Obama. http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/25/elmun do/i-02126527.htm ¶5. La Nacion's Washington correspondent wrote an opinion article (1/26) saying President Obama's new strategy targeting the American middle class will be the dominant theme of the State of the Union Address. The opinion states that the President should try to recapture the magic of his election by "feeling the same pain" as voters, former President Clinton's famous phrase. La Nacion's correspondent believes that President Obama's "populist" State of the Union address could "seal the style and mark of his presidency." http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225982 ¶6. State-owned Telam on January 26 released a news wire detailing talking points President Obama expects to discuss during his State of the Union speech. Telam notes that the President will request Congress to increase funding for various public programs that "could only increase inflation." In addition, Telam writes that President Obama will address one of the main worries for both Republicans and Democrats: the "runaway government deficit." Finally, Telam writes that the President will introduce other new measures regarding the economy that should be "relatively easy to approve" by Congress, as opposed to the President's health care reform and climate change laws. http://www.telam.com.ar/vernota.php?tipo=N &idPub=175680&id=337587 CHALLENGES AT HOME -------------- ¶7. A Clarin editorial (1/26) describing how hopes of change and progress President Obama brought with him have collided with political obstacles over the past year, leading the President to not have succeeded in reaching his goals. While at first the President had large support bases in the United States and abroad, the editorial suggests President Obama must reflect on his fall in popularity and the electoral reversal in Massachusetts and reevaluate himself. http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/26/opini on/o-02127193.htm ¶8. La Nacion published an opinion article (1/25) headlined "Three elections with world impact," one of which is the Massachusetts Senate election. The author believes the election shows "voters' dissatisfaction with the country's direction" and President Obama's administration's activism and health care reform. Proof cited includes a poll showing 65% of Senator Brown's voters chose him as a way to express their opposition towards the President's agenda. http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225618 ¶9. On January 23, La Nacion's U.S. correspondent wrote an article about the "power war" inside the White House for President Obama's advisors to see who can get the President to reconnect with the country's voters soonest. While it is unthinkable, according to the correspondent, the fashionable term right now is "populism," and includes the President's assault against the banking system. Even though Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said this "may not be the right thing to do," he changed his mind after Paul Volcker, former Fed Chairman, proclaimed "fight, fight, fight" against the banks. Now, in an about-face, Geithner considers himself a populist. http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225130 ¶10. On January 25, financial newspaper Ambito Financiero, pro-government Pagina 12, and La Nacion printed articles stating that after the loss in the Massachusetts Senate election, President Obama has asked his former campaign manager David Plouffe to come back and be part of his consulting team. Plouffe's job will be to "design political strategies with the Congressional elections in mind" and to give President Obama "a powerful defender within the political machine." http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225543 http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elmundo/4-1 39012-2010-01-25.html To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires MARTINEZ