Is it surprising that the criticisms over Obama’s speech last night are falling along predictable partisan lines? The President gave a good, but not great speech last night. Offered up reasons enough to vote for him and might sway some independents that might be on the fence.

The clearest message was that the GOP is simply offering up no plan or alternative to Obama other than that Mitt is simply not Obama. That’s the sum and substance of the GOP plan - vote Mitt because he’s not Obama.

The economic plans to get the economy going? Obama at least has a vision and has tried getting things going - the GOP is simply falling back on still more tax cuts even as they complain that the deficit grows (ignoring the link between cuts in revenue and adding to the deficit). Spending cuts alone wont shrink the deficit either, and would harm Americans in the short and long run.

I think the President reaffirmed his case to Democrats and urged them to GOTV for him in November. He might have swayed some independents.

It will be interesting to see what kind of bounce he gets, particularly with the mixed figures on unemployment that came out this AM. Jobs were below expectations, but the rate also ticked down .1%, and that is being attributed to more people stopping looking for jobs. That may spur the Fed to act (what they might do? I’m not sure, since interest rates are already extremely low - maybe another qualitative easing round).