"The people have the final say"

I know that many pundits are criticizing President Obama's speech yesterday as being too long and wonkish. But I see it differently. It was billed as a policy speech on our economy more than a campaign rally speech. He needed to do this to lay out the specifics.

And then came this:

So, Governor Romney disagrees with my vision. His allies in Congress disagree with my vision. Neither of them will endorse any policy that asks the wealthiest Americans to pay even a nickel more in taxes. It’s the reason we haven’t reached a grand bargain to bring down our deficit -- not with my plan, not with the Bowles-Simpson plan, not with the so-called Gang of Six plan.

Despite the fact that taxes are lower than they’ve been in decades, they won’t work with us on any plan that would increase taxes on our wealthiest Americans. It’s the reason a jobs bill that would put 1 million people back to work has been voted down time and time again. It’s the biggest source of gridlock in Washington today.

And the only thing that can break the stalemate is you. You see, in our democracy, this remarkable system of government, you, the people, have the final say.

This November is your chance to render a verdict on the debate over how to grow the economy, how to create good jobs, how to pay down our deficit. Your vote will finally determine the path that we take as a nation -- not just tomorrow, but for years to come.

When you strip everything else away, that’s really what this election is about. That’s what is at stake right now. Everything else is just noise. Everything else is just a distraction...

Governor Romney and the Republicans who run Congress believe that if you simply take away regulations and cut taxes by trillions of dollars, the market will solve all of our problems on its own. If you agree with that, you should vote for them. And I promise you they will take us in that direction.

I believe we need a plan for better education and training -- and for energy independence, and for new research and innovation; for rebuilding our infrastructure; for a tax code that creates jobs in America and pays down our debt in a way that’s balanced. I have that plan. They don’t.

And if you agree with me -- if you believe this economy grows best when everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules -- then I ask you to stand with me for a second term as President.

The day is coming soon when it won't any longer be an issue of what President Obama does/says any more than it will be about what Mitt Romney and the Republicans are doing/saying. It will be up to us. The focus will shift and it will be our chance to do something. We'll have a decision to make.

Without all the spin and lies the Republicans tend to employ, President Obama clearly laid out that choice for us when it comes to the different plans for our economic future. In other words, he asked us to think about our choices rather than simply react to the style of red meat Stephen Colbert calls truthiness.

I'm very aware that's not how most people see our politics these days. But President Obama promised a long time ago that he would work to change how we do politics in this country. He believes we're mature enough to move beyond the way the Republicans play to our fears and insecurities - that we can think and not just feel our way through these choices.

This is the antithesis of elitism...he believes in us. Those politicians/pundits who assume we'll only respond to gut punches demean us and the democratic process itself.

And so the people will have the final say. President Obama is asking us to think about that choice.