Cruz said Obama diminished the threat posed by Islamic State and failed to mention last year’s terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
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-Citing Pope Francis’ Congressional address a year ago, in which the pontiff cautioned that “to imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place”, Obama added: “We don’t need to build [terrorist groups] up to show that we’re serious, nor do we need to push away vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is representative of one of the world’s largest religions….” Ted Cruz’s vow to “carpet bomb” the Islamic State group.
By that standard, Obama’s speeches are among the simplest yet.
Daniels thought one positive point was President Obama’s decision to appoint Vice President Joe Biden to head the effort to find a cure for cancer, given he just lost his son.
Obama says that works as a sound bite on television, but doesn’t pass the test on the world stage.
Obama’s speech was one of his few remaining chances to capture the attention of millions of Americans before the November 8 election of a new president who will take office next January.
“Our founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and imperatives of security”, he said. Real estate mogul Donald Trump was the 2016 presidential contender who gained the most Twitter followers during the speech.
President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union speech offered little in the way of new policy initiatives, but plenty of upbeat talk about prospects for a strong future.
However, striking similar notes to Obama, Haley also warned against strident voices in the GOP railing against immigrants and others, a measure of the party’s profound divisions as it struggles to unite to keep Hillary Clinton or any other Democrat from replacing Obama.
Mr Obama 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.
His words were unexpectedly echoed by SC governor Nikki Haley, who gave the Republican response to his address.
They sat around tables and there was a lot of clapping during several portions of President Obama’s speech.
He also faulted the president for “complaining” about global warming instead of discussing 10 U.S. Navy personnel detained by Iran earlier in the day.
Predicted those who dispute the science of climate change will end up “pretty lonely”.
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The president said he wanted to “go easy on the traditional list of proposals for the year ahead”.
