Experts say past presidents have offered a standard formula consisting of a proclamation of a “strong” state of the union followed by accomplishments of the presidency, daunting domestic policy objectives and finally, calls for action. That is just over the river from Iowa which holds the first-in-the-nation caucuses in less than three weeks. NPR’s Scott Horsley reports.
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U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Jan. 12, 2016.
He says he wants to enhance education and innovation to help Americans succeed in today’s economy.
By that standard, Obama’s speeches are among the simplest yet.
“And, of course, President Obama could take the much easier – but important – step of issuing the Executive Order requiring enhanced campaign finance disclosure by government contractors, which has been sitting on his desk unsigned for months”, Ryan concluded. Trump tweeted that the State of the Union address was “really boring, slow, lethargic – very hard to watch!”
Although Obama did not mention any candidates by name, he dedicated a lengthy portion of his speech to what many interpreted as a rebuke of the Republican primary – particularly its tenor on immigration and refugees.
The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth.
Obama said: “We need to reject any politics, any politics that targets people because of race or religion”.
“This is not a matter of political correctness”.
How do we keep the world safe without becoming the world’s policeman? She cautioned voters against the tendency to confuse noise with results.
Haley said Americans should resist “the siren call of the angriest voices” in how America treats immigrants. “We’ve got some big choices ahead”, he said.
There were some strong but fleeting lines about climate change, but the President declined to take a real victory lap on the Paris agreement from December, which he and his White House staff earned. That’s how you win.
The Republicans, not surprisingly, were not impressed.
Louisiana’s new Democratic governor started that process this week. And I – and they feel like I do. “I think the country is exhausted of it”, she told “CBS This Morning”.
“That’s basically what I do and I just have a blank stare on my face”, he said, laughing.
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“If you doubt America’s commitment or mine to see that justice is done, ask Osama Bin Laden”, said President Obama.
