This is not one of those general explainers to an upcoming event cheekily labeled "Idiot's Guide." This is, rather, a guide to Barack Obama's State of the Union speech, written by an idiot.

"Is Obama More Interested in Progress or Politics? From his State of the Union address, five ways to judge the president's motives," by Ron Fournier, published in National Journal. Fournier's thesis: though the State of the Union speech is often used for "the status quo," its better use is for the president "to chart a path toward consensus on issues like jobs, social mobility, education, infrastructure, energy, the debt, the environment, and terrorism." Furthermore, Ron Fournier argues, you may determine whether Obama is interested in the former or the latter by using one of Ron Fournier's five proprietary methods, of which we will only here give you two, so as not to ruin your appetite for more Ron Fournier content published at NationalJournal.com.

How does one properly analyze Barack Obama's policy proposals for jobs, social mobility, education, infrastructure, energy, the debt, the environment, and terrorism?

The tone: Close your eyes, set aside your opinion of Obama, and objectively listen to a chunk of the address. Does he sound like a college professor—dismissive, dour, arrogant, and argumentative? Or does he sound like a preacher—inspirational, inclusive, optimistic, and humble? The latter approach is the mark of a great leader.

Thank you, Descartes.

How else does one properly analyze the president's policy proposals for jobs, social mobility, education, infrastructure, energy, the debt, the environment, and terrorism?

The pronouns: Count how many times Obama uses the words "I," "me," and "my." Compare that number to how often he says, "You," "we," "our." If the first number is greater than the second, Obama has failed.

How else does one properly analyze the president's policy proposals for jobs, social mobility, education, infrastructure, energy, the debt, the environment, and terrorism?

I dunno, maybe... listen and see if the fella sounds like he's lying. If so, brother, watch out.

[Photo: AP]