“We agree that real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job”, Obama said. This isn’t a matter of political correctness. “And because he’s gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I’m putting Joe in charge of Mission Control”.
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President Barack Obama today used his final State of the Union address to paint a hopeful portrait of America under his leadership, with a resurgent economy and better standing in the world despite racial inequality and growing menace of home-grown terrorism.
Obama countered what he calls election-year “hot air” that he says wrongly downplays the economy and suggests America is weaker than its enemies. It is still vibrant, and it is still the most powerful nation on earth. “Period. It’s not even close”, he said.
Last night, president Barack Obama sought to inspire the USA political system to do better. It’s just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world. “Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks, twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians, they have to be stopped”.
“America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights”, the president said. That’s the story ISIL wants to tell…
“We’ve made progress. But we need to make more”.
Despite the partisan hits, the White House promoted the speech as an optimistic look at the nation’s future, rather than the typical laundry list of legislative proposals. Demeaning the concerns of those who question the reality of climate change is not likely to change minds, but that may not be his goal in his final year in office.
“Democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens”, he said. Johnson said Obama lacks a credible strategy to contain the terrorist organization.
“We’re already looking forward to have a new president…”
Olive branch Obama offered an olive branch to Republicans, praising the new House speaker, Paul Ryan, sitting behind him, for his constructive approach in passing a budget and making tax cuts for working families, and for his interest in tackling poverty.
Obama conceded it is “one of the few regrets of my presidency – that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better”.
“Tonight marks the eighth year I’ve come here to report on the State of the Union. So I’m sad to see him go, I’m sad that this is the last one”. Quite frankly, I think, everybody needs to realize that if you don’t start talking about the issues, issues don’t get solved.
Joining Rubio in the Capitol was Bernie Sanders, an Independent Senator from Vermont who is vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination against Hillary Clinton.
However, some of his toughest words were for Republican statements over the rise of the Islamic State group.
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The president’s speech clocked in at just under one hour.
