I think that, cosmetically, this State of The Union Address was Obama’s best speech that I have seen yet. President Obama’s command of the podium and his quick-witted comeback to the sarcastic clapping of his political opponents, I think, really brought him out of this speech in good light. In terms of the substance of the speech, along with visuals, I do have some questions.
I had decided to watch the State of The Union Address on Whitehouse.gov, and on top of the usual speech, visual representations of charts and notes would appear on the side of the screen, as President Obama would speak on those topics. I was surprised to find that I found these notes placed on the white house’s very own website were slanted in favor of the President and the Democratic Party. I noticed that in these notes, the Republican Party was blamed for events such as the shutting down of congress and the absence of many possible-bills making it to the President.
However, substance wise, there were many parts about the speech that I did enjoy. President Obama’s relaying of statistics and facts at the beginning of the speech was really impressive in my opinion; although I don’t know all the facts (it is possible that he is only giving the good facts) I did find that all the important bases were covered. His speech detailed what are in my opinion very important goals such as equal pay for equal work for women and addressing the risks in security and surveillance of the nation.
One idea that has me intrigued was President Obama’s Proposal for free community college. Although this would be great to have, there is the problem of where that kind of money would come from. Also, I fear a similar event would happen here as did happen to hospitals in the past. As insurance companies pay for a large portion of hospital bills, hospitals have raised the prices of their services while not increasing their quality any more than competition demands. I am worried that the guaranteed tax-based income to the community college system will lead to a inflation in the price of college due to higher demand while stunting the growth of the quality of education.
Overall, I enjoyed President Obama’s speech. His examples of finding ways to communicate better and make more compromises with congress to get more work done seemed sincere. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the next year as President Obama tries to work out his differences with congress to get work done.
President Obama’s State of the Union address demonstrates an undercurrent of banality, for it is no different from his predecessors with regards to the central message: the state of the Union is strong…according to all who have given this address, it is never less than. With that said, I was pleased that POTUS maintained his initial platform of helping the middle class. Although a bit redundant, especially concerning all the talk about the economy (I couldn’t help but think of Clinton’s, “It’s the economy, stupid!”), I thought it considerate of him to remind us of all he has accomplished during his presidency: the reduction in unemployment and gas prices, educational strides, and the return of our troops.
And even as the address slogged through the president’s hopeful plans, it was also refreshing. Obama’s not-so-subtle digs at his Republican colleagues (which, I suppose, turned to pleas for compromise), made me cheer at times, like when he said, “At every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too ambitious…”, and say, “Oh, please!” at others; for example, he alleged, “In two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that are practical, not partisan…We may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree…” --- um, what politician is going to say he or she is partisan?
Now, I applaud POTUS for his defense of his stance with regards to military policy; for instance, he “sticks it” to dissenters about his inaction towards Russian aggression. On another note, I am not quite so ecstatic about his opinions on Cuba --- did he mention Guantanamo Bay without actually mentioning it? --- and my feelings are the same with regards to the Snowden issue (he’s still out there?) and Obama’s infuriatingly neutral stance on all issues African-American (i.e, Ferguson, New York, etcetera).
All in all, though, it’s clear that our president wants the best for this country. And as he said, he has “no more campaigns to run”; we can expect him to continue trying to push legislation through Congress. Because of this, I’ll ignore his overly optimistic hopes for political “Kumbaya.”
Obama's State of the Union Address seemed to me like the equivalence of putting a Hello Kitty band aid on a blistering wound. Obama is using the surprisingly strengthened American economy and rags to riches stories in order to promote the support of his domestic policies. Even though his domestic policies might be aiding in the strengthened economy, his foreign policy is rapidly losing support. Obama claims his domestic policies support the possibility of the "American Dream" for every individual. However his vision of the "American Dream" is different, one where self-made individuals don't exist. His proposed policies support the idea that individuals should continue to rely on the government for everything. Making community college free for people to attend essentially lowers the value of a college education. Also, with the predictable overflow of community college students due to this policy, 4-year public institutions would become more expensive. Public Institutions will have to raise yearly tuition costs in order to provide for the loss of potential students. Obama called on Congress to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work, even though such legislation already exists. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, amended in 2013, prohibits discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin. Also, Obama wants to, unnecessarily, raise the minimum wage. Quoting Obama, “If you truly believe you could work full time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it”? Obama needs to understand that all jobs aren’t created to be able to support families. By raising the minimum wage, fewer jobs would be created due to the increase in costs that companies will have to pay for labor. Obama is more than happy to brag about the current unemployment rate. However, if his proposed policy falls through, the unemployment rate would be a sore thumb to the remainder of his presidency. There are people out there who are more than welcome to take the current minimum wage jobs that are available. Obama's stance on foreign policy was abysmal. He prematurely proclaimed the end of the “combat mission” in Afghanistan. Quoting Obama, “Tonight, for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is over. Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 15,000 remain.” I would feel that the remaining 15,000 troops would strongly disagree with his stance, along with the 2,000 troops sent back to Iraq this year. Although from all these negatives from his speech, there were a few positives. I like how he acknowledged that 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century. I like the Obama administration’s carbon dioxide emissions rule and the other new environmental regulations.
On January 20th 2015, Barack Obama gave his 6th State of the Union Address as President of the United States. As I watched the speech on YouTube posted by the New York Times account, I began to develop my own opinions on certain topics addressed by President Obama.
One of the most important topics Obama addressed was the economy. For example, he started of on the topic by stating how “More jobs are being created at the fastest rate since 1999” in order to display to the people what things he has done to help our economy. Unsure whether this statistic is true or not, it’s very impressive to say the least. In his address, President Obama also stated, “We will commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort”. I enjoyed this statement because I felt it was necessary to include the part about those who make the effort. I appreciate people in America who work hard to make a living instead of just sitting back and hoping that the government will some how take care of them. Obama also addressed how he has created 11 million new jobs. Although it’s great that he has created so many new jobs, these jobs mainly pay minimum wage. It’s been proven that people with families simply cannot live off of minimum wage, which brings up my next point. President Obama touched up on the idea of increasing the minimum wage because he realizes that families cannot afford to live off of only $15,000 a year, but how much can he truly increase it so that it actually helps those who have families?
Another two heavily talked about subjects were taxes and the issue of ISIS. I enjoyed Obama’s statement about working to close the “loopholes” that the top 1% and big businesses always seem to find because I feel that it is unfair that these people don’t have to pay taxes when those of the middle and lower classes are struggling simply to afford things while still having to pay taxes in full. He also stated that we need to “Stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad and reward those that invest here in America”. This statement is important because it will help to accumulate revenue for our country and help our economy to continue circulating. The next issue President Obama addressed after taxes was the threat of Terrorism and specifically the topic of ISIS. A statement the president made that had everyone on his or her feet stated, “We stand united with people around the world who have been targeted by terrorists…we will continue to hunt down terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies”. I applaud President Obama in his delivery of this statement. When addressing the topic of ISIS, President Obama specifically talked about how In Iraq and Syria, military leadership is stopping ISIS advancement and how we are leading a broad coalition to “degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group”. He also addressed how with the new Congress, he wants to pass a resolution to use force against ISIS I which is something I agree should be permitted. Although I am not one for violence, I feel that we must stop terrorism to the best of our ability when the threat of it is felt.
In conclusion, I applaud President Obama on a lot of his points, but I hope that he can work together with the new Congress to hopefully make some of these points a reality. However, I am upset with the president’s “snarkiness” towards Republicans through saying things such as saying if Congress tries to stop him from some of his ideas, he will simply veto their actions. Although I understand it is difficult for a democratic president to be faced with a republican Congress, it is what the people wanted and voted for and as our nation’s leader, he must learn to rise above that obstacle and hopefully find common ground with them. Overall, I enjoyed President Obama’s address and feel he did a great job.
President Obama’s State of the Union address sounded positive and inspiring; however, after analyzing the substance of the speech, there appears to be a lot of contradiction. He would say one thing when the facts or his actions don’t always support what he is saying.
For example, in his speech, he called for nicer, more civil politics, but within the same speech he taunted the Republicans by reminding them he had won two presidential elections.
The president called to attention the need for equal wages for men and women, but he did not mention that there are unequal wages between men and women within the White House itself.
He called gay marriage a story of freedom and a civil right; however, he was opposed to gay marriage until the last election.
The president emphasized the excellent state of the economy, but the labor participation rate is at a thirty-six year low. Many of the people who are employed are in low-paying jobs. A large percentage of the population still believes the economy is not doing well despite the positive spin the president puts on it in his speech.
It could also be argued that there is contradiction in the things the president did not say in his speech. The president has spent a lot of time dealing with health care and immigration in the last six years, but these issues were hardly addressed. It is interesting that the president chose not to discuss these major aspects of his presidency.
The president can be very inspiring, but great speeches can only go so far. At some point there has to be action that is consistent with the words and doesn’t contradict them. Considering the makeup of the Republican-led Congress, the president’s proposals are unlikely to happen in the next two years. Rather than unrealistic dreams, it would be nice to hear a list of things that can actually be accomplished given the division of power in Washington.
I think the state of the union speech was projected in a positive view, President Obama i think did a great job on explaining what he improved and what he is trying to improve during his stay in the white house. One thing that he talked about that caught my eye is trying to make a two-year community college completely free. Although there were a few restrictions such as maintaining a certain gpa and graduating on time. My thought on that is, a lot of people can earn a college degree and get a better education, which can open up more jobs and opportunities.
President Obama also talked about POTUS and helping the middle class. For example, when he talked about more jobs being created and a lower unemployment rate which really helps the middle and lower classes, it isn't technically helping everyone but they're a lot of people that need those things.
Also, i think the president did a great job on making the republicans wanna step in and help out. In my opinion, at times i felt like he was mainly targeting congress when talking about proposing to legislature to protect companies and consumers against cyber threats, for example encouraging companies to share cyber security info with the government while protecting privacy, as read in the video on whitehouse.gov.
Overall i definitely thought the speech was very informing, but there is a lot that still needs to be worked on. Giving that there are negatives i think there is also much positives to get out of this speech. There isn't much time before president Obama's terms are up, so i think he should make one more last change and go out with a bang.
Obama’s 2015 State of The Union address was truthfully one of his greatest in all of his 7 or so years of presidency so far. Cosmetically, he had witty and comedic responses, he addressed a variety of topics in which people from all ends of the spectrum take high interest in, and he allowed insight into the past, present, and future. However, examining his speech solely based on its content allows me to change my mind on how “great” it really was.
Obama did a fabulous job of covering a large series of topics; however, his statements were very contradictory or even seemed to lack factual evidence. He claimed “our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis,” yet this is only true because a large sum of Americans are not even considered unemployed due to their lack of effort in searching for a job. He also claimed that “our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999,” and that “our business have created more than 11 million new jobs,” and although these statistics seem very impressive they also feel unreal. By saying this he has created a way to make himself reign as a supreme leader of the country. I noticed that the SOTU address this year focused a lot on how much we have already improved, rather than how much more we can. Yet, many of the statistics and evidence Obama presented is not really from much of his own doing. For instance he mentioned, “America is #1 in oil and gas, America is #1 in wind power, every 3 weeks we bring on line as much solar power as we did in 2008,” yet none of this can he take all or even most credit for.
Obama also seemed to focus a lot on hoping to strengthen congress putting all political differences aside, yet continued to play the blame game with the republicans. He blamed the republican party for all bad or wrong doing in the government, which contradicts him trying to build a positive relationship with them. He also became extremely quick witted with his remarks to the republican party’s sarcastic praise for him by saying “I would know, I won them both,” regarding both elections that he beat McCain and Romney. Obama also poked fun at the rich, since many people criticizing the controversy over raising minimum wage are of wealthier background or fortunes. He simply said “If you truly believe you can work full time and support a family on less than 15,000 dollars a year, you try it.”
Obama mentioned that our combat mission in Afghanistan is over for the first time since 9/11. As well as made the point that we are more free from foreign oil than we have been in 30 years. We could’ve changed that long before with the amount available in Alaska, while still preserving the beauty and nature that resides there as well. He also addressed the issue of ISIS; however, for the first time since 2001 Al Qaeda had failed to be mentioned at all. He reassured everyone from all hardships by saying “Know this: the shadow of crisis has passed and the state of the union is strong,” but has it really passed?
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky released a speech of himself criticizing a large sum of the SOTU address. He begins by saying “All is not well in America. America is adrift. Something is clearly wrong. America needs many things, but what America desperately needs is new leadership.” That in itself is enough for people to begin their panicking. He also criticizes Obama’s leadership for our country as well by claiming “the president tonight, and for the past six years, has had the wrong diagnosis for what ails our country.”
I believe this was, cosmetically, one of Obama’s best speeches which also did a beautiful job in demonstrating what seems to be great progression that our country has made. I honestly don’t think Rand Paul’s opinion of fresh blood is so bad, we all need change after so long. But maybe Rand Paul pushed it a little too far.
The State of the Union Address given on January 20th 2015 was one of best State of the Union Addresses I have seen. The use of comedy and Obama’s witty personality allowed for his message to get across to all Americans. The first response that spoke to me was when he said “You try living with $15,000 a year.” 15,000 annually in this day and age can barley buy a car. So I believe his decision to higher minimum wage can help many Americans livelihood.
The next part of his speech that I believed was very moving; was his thought of wanting to make two-year community college free. I also agree with Obama that making community college free would allow for more people to get a higher education. Having a higher education will allow people to make more money in their jobs.
The president in his speech talked about a rag to riches story. It was very touching that this family was able to move up in the world through a better economy and going to community college. Then he proceeded to talk about how they were trying to achieve the “American Dream.” However not everyone’s has the same “American Dream.”
Apart of his speech that was hypocritical was when he talked about women being paid less than men in the work force, but he failed to mention federal records show that it happens in the white house too. If it happens in the white house no wonder it happens in the work force.
In conclusion, I feel he gave a very powerful speech that will move many people. His points were very valid although some statistic seemed to good to be true. I feel as though from watching his speech he really wants to improve before he leaves office.
To me, Obama’s State of the Union Address of 2015 appeared no different than other ones he has conducted over the past few years. Overall, I feel that his message had a positive impact, as it did. But after a second look, there also seemed to be an underlying current of tension between the President and Congress. It was as if there was a battle to deem who was right and wrong. The primary theme of Obama’s message was “middle-class economics”. I’m pleased to see him educating the nation and showing that the inequality gap is at its highest point. The president urged a new tax platform that would help decrease the burden that middle-class Americans face. He also wanted more unemployment benefits for those who need it, and showed that unemployment has been the lowest since his presidency. What I did enjoy was his authority on the topic. Although contradicting, the president asked Congress for cohesion in formulating legislation that would turnaround the growing economic gap. And if not, then Obama would use his presidential power for Executive Action. But I believe remarks like this did create tension, because it’s like a rebelling teenager saying, “If you don’t give me what I want, I’ll do it anyway.” As Kristen said, Obama’s POTUS stance helped reaffirm his impact and reliance as a president. By letting the people know how much the government has accomplished, such as the decrease in unemployment, troops in Afghanistan, etc. Obama showed that the government can be trusted to do good. It was something that people needed to hear. However, his jabs to congress for being the reason of a standstill (in topics such as the economy and most especially IMMIGRATION) will have an impact later on. By Obama putting blame on congressional disapproval for many topics that hadn’t turned into legislation, it makes him seem less of a man for not owning up to any mistakes that he has made. I guess that’s why the republican side of the room didn’t clap often: another jab as well. Some questions arise though. Obama says he will do his best to help turn around our government through “practical means” but what do these means entail? What are the solutions? He never clearly gave a set of possible ways he could help. There needs to be more substance in his stance. Also, with Obama wanting to take out the remaining troops in Afghanistan, but authorize the use of military force against ISIS, what will happen to those troops? Will they be sent home or deployed elsewhere?
The sixth State of the Union address given by President Obama was an interesting one. There were little mistakes and loopholes here and there. However, he handled it very well and was excellent at, in essence, showcasing the successes of his presidency and the Democratic Party in general. I particularly liked how the president targeted the Republican Party and his republican audience. There were times in which he made republicans want to aid him and help his policies go into effect, like when talking about the protection of corporations and companies from cyber threats by sharing more electronic information with the federal government for safety(also suggesting the safety of the common people as well). However, he also attacked the Republican Party in what was, without a doubt, the number one talking point of the whole speech. He cleverly saved himself from most ridicule by giving it a touch of humor as well which, going back I to recent history, few presidents would've been able to execute with proper timing. He managed to touch on most of the issues that he stood on. He stated his desire to equalize wages for men and women. He mentioned that enable to have a "truly free America", equality must also be brought to homosexual and transgender citizens. He also brought up his intent to degrade and eventually destroy ISIS. This was a tricky subject, but I believe he handled it very well. In the past, the American public has not been that fond of conflicts ensuing overseas for the sake of taking down a dictator or terrorist head. However, research showed that taking down ISIS is the number one priority on the mind of the American people, and President Obama used that in his speech in full knowledge. For 25 years, presidents have made speeches about taking down terrorists or "evil figures", but Obama used his success as a president and great word choice to essentially back up America's bedrock principle of not negotiating with terrorist organizations and bringing them down. In summation, this State of the Union address was a success for Obama. He maintained, if not improved, his good status as a president and a person. He reassured the public and his own government that he intends fulfill the agenda. He used the "started from the bottom" success story to describe the United States to metaphorically instill a sense of hope and pride into his audience. He exclaimed the successes of his time in office, like successfully pulling troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and creating and sustaining new jobs and placing employment at a new high. The President, all in all, did an excellent job of speaking to the American public and rallying the support of his people.
The State of the Union is always comprised of lofty rhetoric and bold claims and proposals that never really have a chance to become laws. However, if you look under all the fluff that is placed though out the speech you can find some interesting points. President Obama in my opinion is a fantastic speaker, just the way he reads his speeches cause me to stop a listen even if it goes in one ear and out the other. For this speech however I sat down and paid attention to the President. The past couple months have been the best since Obama took office. Gas prices are lower then most people have seen in awhile and the president says that less people are unemployed however, that statement can be misleading. Obama is able to say that less people are unemployed because less people are still looking for jobs and have just called it quits. Obama likes to point out that under his watch oil prices have dropped considerably, however, it doesn’t really relate to him or his plans. Oil companies have been more efficient and are able to pump more oil daily causing an increased supply of oil meaning that oil prices have dropped under $2 in most parts of the country.Obama spoke about the idea of raising the taxes on capital gains which I believe is a good idea. Capital gains are earning from the sales of investments and stocks. For most people very little income comes from capital gains however, in the top one percent over 30% of their income comes from capital gains. I believe we need to tax the wealthy more. Overall I thought his speech was a bunch of fluff and a lot of promises which doesn’t surprise me because all presidents load their State of the Union with extra info that doesn’t mean much. Obama did have some good points and I hope to see him and congress work together to get some of his better plans going.
In the beginning of and throughout this address, President Obama reviewed, like usual, the progress that America has made as a whole over his presidency—ranging from lowering oil costs, higher graduation rates, and so on. However, something that I thought was a bit unusual, yet still beneficially interesting, was that the President of the United States decided to make this address not only about the past six years, but the past fifteen years as well. Throughout this address and especially in the beginning of it, President Obama made our improvements clear, but the downfalls we still share as a nation even clearer. Another thing that I thought was interesting was that, aside for a 10-second supplemental slide on whitehouse.gov’s video (in which discussed the negative effects of the government shutdown in 2013 and the threat of default by the Republicans in 2011), the POTUS never took digs at the Republican Party. If he had, I would have less hope in his message; however, this address definitely seemed like more of a cry for togetherness and compromise than anything else, and I agree with everything he discussed. While he did hint at his successes over the past six years, I agree that the President definitely made this speech about the American people, and the places that he, as well as many citizens across the country, want to go—never before have I personally seen a State of the Union address be more focused on the benefit of the lower and middle classes, and so distracted from the benefit of the upper class. The POTUS isn’t focusing on the good side of what life in America is like in this speech; he is focusing on grabbing the bull by the horns. Yes, the reforms that the president would like to make will take time, negotiation, and effort, but President Obama recognizes that, and I think that he genuinely hopes to follow through in order to help heal America from the inside out.
As Obama was speaking to a Republican-controlled Congress for the first time since he took office, he not only opened his speech with a powerful and positive outlook, but he reflected on the accomplishments since he has been in office. Though and throughout his speech he emboldened millions of Americans and showed us how the country’s future must be re-written repeatedly. As Nancy Pelosi put it, Obama's speech was a "powerful vision of opportunity and prosperity" for American families, and highlighted his plans to help the millions in the middle class.
In order I’ll be responding to the three main topics which were addressed by President Obama First being new taxes on the wealthy. “At this moment — with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production – we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on earth,” Obama said. The same week the White House pledged to close tax loopholes on large inheritances, raise capital gains tax on the richest earners from 23.8% to 28% and introduce new fees on US financial firms with assets which account to around $50 billion. With these proposed changes, the Republicans refuted his statements by dismissing this is simply "class warfare,” Obama’s words hold true to me. In my opinion, it is impossible to tax half of the national income to finance an ambitious program of social entitlements without asking EVERYONE to make a substantial contribution to our economy. If you look at it, and if we go on further by doing what Obama has said, these progressive taxes on the rich will help by keep the inequality in check. The next big topic he spoke about was progress on the ISIS fight. He addressed the audience by saying "I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL." These words by Obama desperately needed to be said at this time. By saying the prior at the State of the Union, he showed America the profound ambivalence about the military campaign that he's launched against ISIS, which, as it happens, goes by the name "Inherent Resolve." mentioned in the speech. Additionally, he vowed to "destroy" ISIS, but only if doing so does not require the ground troops, which I a 100% agree and back him on mainly because the situation needs a congressional sanction more than anything. This shows the nation that the world including the billions of Americans are united in this mission together and show our main support. The last topic which stood out to me was his words on the climate change battle. We can safely say that it is probably one of the greatest threats to our growing future. He mainly ended his speech with this topic because he truly believes that he sees this as a “legacy issue” for his administration as one of the responders put it. President Obama will likely discuss America’s renewed global environmental leadership and his use of executive power to regulate greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and the landmark agreement with China to reduce greenhouse gases. In my opinion this was effectively executed but is also possibly the biggest and one of the hardest problems to tackle in my opinion, and by doing so effectively, he can leave office with a big bang.
Subtle but deadly, stern yet comedic, President Obama was able to combine all these attributes in his state of the Union address last Tuesday. It was made relate able because of the Rebecca and Ben Erler story. Seven years ago they were in love and a child coming on the way. He worked in construction and she waited tables, but when the house market collapsed, Ben had to work multiple jobs and she took out student loans and went back to community college. They bought their first house and had a second son. “Their story is our story” in the sense that the times were hard but we were able to strive and prosper. Then he told what he told Americans he has indeed done what he promised. The troops are back home, and the economy has improved. Then he continued on to say that time needs to be spent on the middle class, which makes sense because it is one the bigger demographics. His main focus was on the economy with unemployment down to 5.6 percent, and several hundred thousand jobs a month, and with growth accelerating, Obama has reached a political breakthrough. The president has got little credit to no credit for restoring an economy that was dropping 700,000 jobs a month when he took office. In my opinion, the speech was clever in so many ways. He listed his accomplishments in his terms and what he wants to still improve. Also he laid the ground for the upcoming democratic candidate by stating some of the agendas that the democratic would like to see being done. All in all, it was a great speech!
President Obama's State of the Union Address touched on the topics of middle-class tax cuts, a greater economy, ISIS, and other priority topics. His speech was not aimed at political centrism. Obama was simply influenced by a rising public and improving economy to present ideas to the public with a socialist approach to ensure that he would not leave the presidency quietly.
In his speech, he talked about the thought of making two-year community college free. Although this would be beneficial to many students, I'm not sure I completely agree with his idea because of the fact that there would be a rise in taxes being put on people in society in order to achieve this goal. But I do believe that it would strongly benefit those who want to broaden and expand their knowledge but simply cant afford to do so completely. Higher education would in fact increase the salary rates in jobs across America.
All in all, I feel he gave a very moving and motivational speech that will spark many people in believing there is still hope. A lot of what was said seemed to be based on the ideas of socialism in that what he was proposing sounded to good to be true. In my opinion, he felt he needed to prove himself and offer we the people some improvements and adjustments before he leaves the presidency.
I think that, cosmetically, this State of The Union Address was Obama’s best speech that I have seen yet. President Obama’s command of the podium and his quick-witted comeback to the sarcastic clapping of his political opponents, I think, really brought him out of this speech in good light. In terms of the substance of the speech, along with visuals, I do have some questions.
ReplyDeleteI had decided to watch the State of The Union Address on Whitehouse.gov, and on top of the usual speech, visual representations of charts and notes would appear on the side of the screen, as President Obama would speak on those topics. I was surprised to find that I found these notes placed on the white house’s very own website were slanted in favor of the President and the Democratic Party. I noticed that in these notes, the Republican Party was blamed for events such as the shutting down of congress and the absence of many possible-bills making it to the President.
However, substance wise, there were many parts about the speech that I did enjoy. President Obama’s relaying of statistics and facts at the beginning of the speech was really impressive in my opinion; although I don’t know all the facts (it is possible that he is only giving the good facts) I did find that all the important bases were covered. His speech detailed what are in my opinion very important goals such as equal pay for equal work for women and addressing the risks in security and surveillance of the nation.
One idea that has me intrigued was President Obama’s Proposal for free community college. Although this would be great to have, there is the problem of where that kind of money would come from. Also, I fear a similar event would happen here as did happen to hospitals in the past. As insurance companies pay for a large portion of hospital bills, hospitals have raised the prices of their services while not increasing their quality any more than competition demands. I am worried that the guaranteed tax-based income to the community college system will lead to a inflation in the price of college due to higher demand while stunting the growth of the quality of education.
Overall, I enjoyed President Obama’s speech. His examples of finding ways to communicate better and make more compromises with congress to get more work done seemed sincere. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the next year as President Obama tries to work out his differences with congress to get work done.
President Obama’s State of the Union address demonstrates an undercurrent of banality, for it is no different from his predecessors with regards to the central message: the state of the Union is strong…according to all who have given this address, it is never less than. With that said, I was pleased that POTUS maintained his initial platform of helping the middle class. Although a bit redundant, especially concerning all the talk about the economy (I couldn’t help but think of Clinton’s, “It’s the economy, stupid!”), I thought it considerate of him to remind us of all he has accomplished during his presidency: the reduction in unemployment and gas prices, educational strides, and the return of our troops.
ReplyDeleteAnd even as the address slogged through the president’s hopeful plans, it was also refreshing. Obama’s not-so-subtle digs at his Republican colleagues (which, I suppose, turned to pleas for compromise), made me cheer at times, like when he said, “At every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too ambitious…”, and say, “Oh, please!” at others; for example, he alleged, “In two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that are practical, not partisan…We may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree…” --- um, what politician is going to say he or she is partisan?
Now, I applaud POTUS for his defense of his stance with regards to military policy; for instance, he “sticks it” to dissenters about his inaction towards Russian aggression. On another note, I am not quite so ecstatic about his opinions on Cuba --- did he mention Guantanamo Bay without actually mentioning it? --- and my feelings are the same with regards to the Snowden issue (he’s still out there?) and Obama’s infuriatingly neutral stance on all issues African-American (i.e, Ferguson, New York, etcetera).
All in all, though, it’s clear that our president wants the best for this country. And as he said, he has “no more campaigns to run”; we can expect him to continue trying to push legislation through Congress. Because of this, I’ll ignore his overly optimistic hopes for political “Kumbaya.”
Obama's State of the Union Address seemed to me like the equivalence of putting a Hello Kitty band aid on a blistering wound. Obama is using the surprisingly strengthened American economy and rags to riches stories in order to promote the support of his domestic policies. Even though his domestic policies might be aiding in the strengthened economy, his foreign policy is rapidly losing support. Obama claims his domestic policies support the possibility of the "American Dream" for every individual. However his vision of the "American Dream" is different, one where self-made individuals don't exist. His proposed policies support the idea that individuals should continue to rely on the government for everything. Making community college free for people to attend essentially lowers the value of a college education. Also, with the predictable overflow of community college students due to this policy, 4-year public institutions would become more expensive. Public Institutions will have to raise yearly tuition costs in order to provide for the loss of potential students. Obama called on Congress to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work, even though such legislation already exists. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, amended in 2013, prohibits discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin. Also, Obama wants to, unnecessarily, raise the minimum wage. Quoting Obama, “If you truly believe you could work full time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it”? Obama needs to understand that all jobs aren’t created to be able to support families. By raising the minimum wage, fewer jobs would be created due to the increase in costs that companies will have to pay for labor. Obama is more than happy to brag about the current unemployment rate. However, if his proposed policy falls through, the unemployment rate would be a sore thumb to the remainder of his presidency. There are people out there who are more than welcome to take the current minimum wage jobs that are available. Obama's stance on foreign policy was abysmal. He prematurely proclaimed the end of the “combat mission” in Afghanistan. Quoting Obama, “Tonight, for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is over. Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 15,000 remain.” I would feel that the remaining 15,000 troops would strongly disagree with his stance, along with the 2,000 troops sent back to Iraq this year. Although from all these negatives from his speech, there were a few positives. I like how he acknowledged that 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century. I like the Obama administration’s carbon dioxide emissions rule and the other new environmental regulations.
ReplyDeleteOn January 20th 2015, Barack Obama gave his 6th State of the Union Address as President of the United States. As I watched the speech on YouTube posted by the New York Times account, I began to develop my own opinions on certain topics addressed by President Obama.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important topics Obama addressed was the economy. For example, he started of on the topic by stating how “More jobs are being created at the fastest rate since 1999” in order to display to the people what things he has done to help our economy. Unsure whether this statistic is true or not, it’s very impressive to say the least. In his address, President Obama also stated, “We will commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort”. I enjoyed this statement because I felt it was necessary to include the part about those who make the effort. I appreciate people in America who work hard to make a living instead of just sitting back and hoping that the government will some how take care of them. Obama also addressed how he has created 11 million new jobs. Although it’s great that he has created so many new jobs, these jobs mainly pay minimum wage. It’s been proven that people with families simply cannot live off of minimum wage, which brings up my next point. President Obama touched up on the idea of increasing the minimum wage because he realizes that families cannot afford to live off of only $15,000 a year, but how much can he truly increase it so that it actually helps those who have families?
Another two heavily talked about subjects were taxes and the issue of ISIS. I enjoyed Obama’s statement about working to close the “loopholes” that the top 1% and big businesses always seem to find because I feel that it is unfair that these people don’t have to pay taxes when those of the middle and lower classes are struggling simply to afford things while still having to pay taxes in full. He also stated that we need to “Stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad and reward those that invest here in America”. This statement is important because it will help to accumulate revenue for our country and help our economy to continue circulating. The next issue President Obama addressed after taxes was the threat of Terrorism and specifically the topic of ISIS. A statement the president made that had everyone on his or her feet stated, “We stand united with people around the world who have been targeted by terrorists…we will continue to hunt down terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies”. I applaud President Obama in his delivery of this statement. When addressing the topic of ISIS, President Obama specifically talked about how In Iraq and Syria, military leadership is stopping ISIS advancement and how we are leading a broad coalition to “degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group”. He also addressed how with the new Congress, he wants to pass a resolution to use force against ISIS I which is something I agree should be permitted. Although I am not one for violence, I feel that we must stop terrorism to the best of our ability when the threat of it is felt.
In conclusion, I applaud President Obama on a lot of his points, but I hope that he can work together with the new Congress to hopefully make some of these points a reality. However, I am upset with the president’s “snarkiness” towards Republicans through saying things such as saying if Congress tries to stop him from some of his ideas, he will simply veto their actions. Although I understand it is difficult for a democratic president to be faced with a republican Congress, it is what the people wanted and voted for and as our nation’s leader, he must learn to rise above that obstacle and hopefully find common ground with them. Overall, I enjoyed President Obama’s address and feel he did a great job.
President Obama’s State of the Union address sounded positive and inspiring; however, after analyzing the substance of the speech, there appears to be a lot of contradiction. He would say one thing when the facts or his actions don’t always support what he is saying.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in his speech, he called for nicer, more civil politics, but within the same speech he taunted the Republicans by reminding them he had won two presidential elections.
The president called to attention the need for equal wages for men and women, but he did not mention that there are unequal wages between men and women within the White House itself.
He called gay marriage a story of freedom and a civil right; however, he was opposed to gay marriage until the last election.
The president emphasized the excellent state of the economy, but the labor participation rate is at a thirty-six year low. Many of the people who are employed are in low-paying jobs. A large percentage of the population still believes the economy is not doing well despite the positive spin the president puts on it in his speech.
It could also be argued that there is contradiction in the things the president did not say in his speech. The president has spent a lot of time dealing with health care and immigration in the last six years, but these issues were hardly addressed. It is interesting that the president chose not to discuss these major aspects of his presidency.
The president can be very inspiring, but great speeches can only go so far. At some point there has to be action that is consistent with the words and doesn’t contradict them. Considering the makeup of the Republican-led Congress, the president’s proposals are unlikely to happen in the next two years. Rather than unrealistic dreams, it would be nice to hear a list of things that can actually be accomplished given the division of power in Washington.
I think the state of the union speech was projected in a positive view, President Obama i think did a great job on explaining what he improved and what he is trying to improve during his stay in the white house. One thing that he talked about that caught my eye is trying to make a two-year community college completely free. Although there were a few restrictions such as maintaining a certain gpa and graduating on time. My thought on that is, a lot of people can earn a college degree and get a better education, which can open up more jobs and opportunities.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama also talked about POTUS and helping the middle class. For example, when he talked about more jobs being created and a lower unemployment rate which really helps the middle and lower classes, it isn't technically helping everyone but they're a lot of people that need those things.
Also, i think the president did a great job on making the republicans wanna step in and help out. In my opinion, at times i felt like he was mainly targeting congress when talking about proposing to legislature to protect companies and consumers against cyber threats, for example encouraging companies to share cyber security info with the government while protecting privacy, as read in the video on whitehouse.gov.
Overall i definitely thought the speech was very informing, but there is a lot that still needs to be worked on. Giving that there are negatives i think there is also much positives to get out of this speech. There isn't much time before president Obama's terms are up, so i think he should make one more last change and go out with a bang.
Obama’s 2015 State of The Union address was truthfully one of his greatest in all of his 7 or so years of presidency so far. Cosmetically, he had witty and comedic responses, he addressed a variety of topics in which people from all ends of the spectrum take high interest in, and he allowed insight into the past, present, and future. However, examining his speech solely based on its content allows me to change my mind on how “great” it really was.
ReplyDeleteObama did a fabulous job of covering a large series of topics; however, his statements were very contradictory or even seemed to lack factual evidence. He claimed “our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis,” yet this is only true because a large sum of Americans are not even considered unemployed due to their lack of effort in searching for a job. He also claimed that “our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999,” and that “our business have created more than 11 million new jobs,” and although these statistics seem very impressive they also feel unreal. By saying this he has created a way to make himself reign as a supreme leader of the country. I noticed that the SOTU address this year focused a lot on how much we have already improved, rather than how much more we can. Yet, many of the statistics and evidence Obama presented is not really from much of his own doing. For instance he mentioned, “America is #1 in oil and gas, America is #1 in wind power, every 3 weeks we bring on line as much solar power as we did in 2008,” yet none of this can he take all or even most credit for.
Obama also seemed to focus a lot on hoping to strengthen congress putting all political differences aside, yet continued to play the blame game with the republicans. He blamed the republican party for all bad or wrong doing in the government, which contradicts him trying to build a positive relationship with them. He also became extremely quick witted with his remarks to the republican party’s sarcastic praise for him by saying “I would know, I won them both,” regarding both elections that he beat McCain and Romney. Obama also poked fun at the rich, since many people criticizing the controversy over raising minimum wage are of wealthier background or fortunes. He simply said “If you truly believe you can work full time and support a family on less than 15,000 dollars a year, you try it.”
Obama mentioned that our combat mission in Afghanistan is over for the first time since 9/11. As well as made the point that we are more free from foreign oil than we have been in 30 years. We could’ve changed that long before with the amount available in Alaska, while still preserving the beauty and nature that resides there as well. He also addressed the issue of ISIS; however, for the first time since 2001 Al Qaeda had failed to be mentioned at all. He reassured everyone from all hardships by saying “Know this: the shadow of crisis has passed and the state of the union is strong,” but has it really passed?
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky released a speech of himself criticizing a large sum of the SOTU address. He begins by saying “All is not well in America. America is adrift. Something is clearly wrong. America needs many things, but what America desperately needs is new leadership.” That in itself is enough for people to begin their panicking. He also criticizes Obama’s leadership for our country as well by claiming “the president tonight, and for the past six years, has had the wrong diagnosis for what ails our country.”
I believe this was, cosmetically, one of Obama’s best speeches which also did a beautiful job in demonstrating what seems to be great progression that our country has made. I honestly don’t think Rand Paul’s opinion of fresh blood is so bad, we all need change after so long. But maybe Rand Paul pushed it a little too far.
The State of the Union Address given on January 20th 2015 was one of best State of the Union Addresses I have seen. The use of comedy and Obama’s witty personality allowed for his message to get across to all Americans. The first response that spoke to me was when he said “You try living with $15,000 a year.” 15,000 annually in this day and age can barley buy a car. So I believe his decision to higher minimum wage can help many Americans livelihood.
ReplyDeleteThe next part of his speech that I believed was very moving; was his thought of wanting to make two-year community college free. I also agree with Obama that making community college free would allow for more people to get a higher education. Having a higher education will allow people to make more money in their jobs.
The president in his speech talked about a rag to riches story. It was very touching that this family was able to move up in the world through a better economy and going to community college. Then he proceeded to talk about how they were trying to achieve the “American Dream.” However not everyone’s has the same “American Dream.”
Apart of his speech that was hypocritical was when he talked about women being paid less than men in the work force, but he failed to mention federal records show that it happens in the white house too. If it happens in the white house no wonder it happens in the work force.
In conclusion, I feel he gave a very powerful speech that will move many people. His points were very valid although some statistic seemed to good to be true. I feel as though from watching his speech he really wants to improve before he leaves office.
To me, Obama’s State of the Union Address of 2015 appeared no different than other ones he has conducted over the past few years. Overall, I feel that his message had a positive impact, as it did. But after a second look, there also seemed to be an underlying current of tension between the President and Congress. It was as if there was a battle to deem who was right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe primary theme of Obama’s message was “middle-class economics”. I’m pleased to see him educating the nation and showing that the inequality gap is at its highest point. The president urged a new tax platform that would help decrease the burden that middle-class Americans face. He also wanted more unemployment benefits for those who need it, and showed that unemployment has been the lowest since his presidency. What I did enjoy was his authority on the topic. Although contradicting, the president asked Congress for cohesion in formulating legislation that would turnaround the growing economic gap. And if not, then Obama would use his presidential power for Executive Action. But I believe remarks like this did create tension, because it’s like a rebelling teenager saying, “If you don’t give me what I want, I’ll do it anyway.”
As Kristen said, Obama’s POTUS stance helped reaffirm his impact and reliance as a president. By letting the people know how much the government has accomplished, such as the decrease in unemployment, troops in Afghanistan, etc. Obama showed that the government can be trusted to do good. It was something that people needed to hear. However, his jabs to congress for being the reason of a standstill (in topics such as the economy and most especially IMMIGRATION) will have an impact later on. By Obama putting blame on congressional disapproval for many topics that hadn’t turned into legislation, it makes him seem less of a man for not owning up to any mistakes that he has made. I guess that’s why the republican side of the room didn’t clap often: another jab as well.
Some questions arise though. Obama says he will do his best to help turn around our government through “practical means” but what do these means entail? What are the solutions? He never clearly gave a set of possible ways he could help. There needs to be more substance in his stance. Also, with Obama wanting to take out the remaining troops in Afghanistan, but authorize the use of military force against ISIS, what will happen to those troops? Will they be sent home or deployed elsewhere?
We’ll just have to see what happens.
The sixth State of the Union address given by President Obama was an interesting one. There were little mistakes and loopholes here and there. However, he handled it very well and was excellent at, in essence, showcasing the successes of his presidency and the Democratic Party in general. I particularly liked how the president targeted the Republican Party and his republican audience. There were times in which he made republicans want to aid him and help his policies go into effect, like when talking about the protection of corporations and companies from cyber threats by sharing more electronic information with the federal government for safety(also suggesting the safety of the common people as well). However, he also attacked the Republican Party in what was, without a doubt, the number one talking point of the whole speech. He cleverly saved himself from most ridicule by giving it a touch of humor as well which, going back I to recent history, few presidents would've been able to execute with proper timing. He managed to touch on most of the issues that he stood on. He stated his desire to equalize wages for men and women. He mentioned that enable to have a "truly free America", equality must also be brought to homosexual and transgender citizens. He also brought up his intent to degrade and eventually destroy ISIS. This was a tricky subject, but I believe he handled it very well. In the past, the American public has not been that fond of conflicts ensuing overseas for the sake of taking down a dictator or terrorist head. However, research showed that taking down ISIS is the number one priority on the mind of the American people, and President Obama used that in his speech in full knowledge. For 25 years, presidents have made speeches about taking down terrorists or "evil figures", but Obama used his success as a president and great word choice to essentially back up America's bedrock principle of not negotiating with terrorist organizations and bringing them down. In summation, this State of the Union address was a success for Obama. He maintained, if not improved, his good status as a president and a person. He reassured the public and his own government that he intends fulfill the agenda. He used the "started from the bottom" success story to describe the United States to metaphorically instill a sense of hope and pride into his audience. He exclaimed the successes of his time in office, like successfully pulling troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and creating and sustaining new jobs and placing employment at a new high. The President, all in all, did an excellent job of speaking to the American public and rallying the support of his people.
ReplyDeleteThe State of the Union is always comprised of lofty rhetoric and bold claims and proposals that never really have a chance to become laws. However, if you look under all the fluff that is placed though out the speech you can find some interesting points. President Obama in my opinion is a fantastic speaker, just the way he reads his speeches cause me to stop a listen even if it goes in one ear and out the other. For this speech however I sat down and paid attention to the President. The past couple months have been the best since Obama took office. Gas prices are lower then most people have seen in awhile and the president says that less people are unemployed however, that statement can be misleading. Obama is able to say that less people are unemployed because less people are still looking for jobs and have just called it quits. Obama likes to point out that under his watch oil prices have dropped considerably, however, it doesn’t really relate to him or his plans. Oil companies have been more efficient and are able to pump more oil daily causing an increased supply of oil meaning that oil prices have dropped under $2 in most parts of the country.Obama spoke about the idea of raising the taxes on capital gains which I believe is a good idea. Capital gains are earning from the sales of investments and stocks. For most people very little income comes from capital gains however, in the top one percent over 30% of their income comes from capital gains. I believe we need to tax the wealthy more. Overall I thought his speech was a bunch of fluff and a lot of promises which doesn’t surprise me because all presidents load their State of the Union with extra info that doesn’t mean much. Obama did have some good points and I hope to see him and congress work together to get some of his better plans going.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of and throughout this address, President Obama reviewed, like usual, the progress that America has made as a whole over his presidency—ranging from lowering oil costs, higher graduation rates, and so on. However, something that I thought was a bit unusual, yet still beneficially interesting, was that the President of the United States decided to make this address not only about the past six years, but the past fifteen years as well. Throughout this address and especially in the beginning of it, President Obama made our improvements clear, but the downfalls we still share as a nation even clearer. Another thing that I thought was interesting was that, aside for a 10-second supplemental slide on whitehouse.gov’s video (in which discussed the negative effects of the government shutdown in 2013 and the threat of default by the Republicans in 2011), the POTUS never took digs at the Republican Party. If he had, I would have less hope in his message; however, this address definitely seemed like more of a cry for togetherness and compromise than anything else, and I agree with everything he discussed. While he did hint at his successes over the past six years, I agree that the President definitely made this speech about the American people, and the places that he, as well as many citizens across the country, want to go—never before have I personally seen a State of the Union address be more focused on the benefit of the lower and middle classes, and so distracted from the benefit of the upper class. The POTUS isn’t focusing on the good side of what life in America is like in this speech; he is focusing on grabbing the bull by the horns. Yes, the reforms that the president would like to make will take time, negotiation, and effort, but President Obama recognizes that, and I think that he genuinely hopes to follow through in order to help heal America from the inside out.
ReplyDeleteAs Obama was speaking to a Republican-controlled Congress for the first time since he took office, he not only opened his speech with a powerful and positive outlook, but he reflected on the accomplishments since he has been in office. Though and throughout his speech he emboldened millions of Americans and showed us how the country’s future must be re-written repeatedly. As Nancy Pelosi put it, Obama's speech was a "powerful vision of opportunity and prosperity" for American families, and highlighted his plans to help the millions in the middle class.
ReplyDeleteIn order I’ll be responding to the three main topics which were addressed by President Obama
First being new taxes on the wealthy. “At this moment — with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production – we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on earth,” Obama said. The same week the White House pledged to close tax loopholes on large inheritances, raise capital gains tax on the richest earners from 23.8% to 28% and introduce new fees on US financial firms with assets which account to around $50 billion. With these proposed changes, the Republicans refuted his statements by dismissing this is simply "class warfare,” Obama’s words hold true to me. In my opinion, it is impossible to tax half of the national income to finance an ambitious program of social entitlements without asking EVERYONE to make a substantial contribution to our economy. If you look at it, and if we go on further by doing what Obama has said, these progressive taxes on the rich will help by keep the inequality in check.
The next big topic he spoke about was progress on the ISIS fight. He addressed the audience by saying "I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL." These words by Obama desperately needed to be said at this time. By saying the prior at the State of the Union, he showed America the profound ambivalence about the military campaign that he's launched against ISIS, which, as it happens, goes by the name "Inherent Resolve." mentioned in the speech. Additionally, he vowed to "destroy" ISIS, but only if doing so does not require the ground troops, which I a 100% agree and back him on mainly because the situation needs a congressional sanction more than anything. This shows the nation that the world including the billions of Americans are united in this mission together and show our main support.
The last topic which stood out to me was his words on the climate change battle. We can safely say that it is probably one of the greatest threats to our growing future. He mainly ended his speech with this topic because he truly believes that he sees this as a “legacy issue” for his administration as one of the responders put it. President Obama will likely discuss America’s renewed global environmental leadership and his use of executive power to regulate greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and the landmark agreement with China to reduce greenhouse gases. In my opinion this was effectively executed but is also possibly the biggest and one of the hardest problems to tackle in my opinion, and by doing so effectively, he can leave office with a big bang.
Subtle but deadly, stern yet comedic, President Obama was able to combine all these attributes in his state of the Union address last Tuesday. It was made relate able because of the Rebecca and Ben Erler story. Seven years ago they were in love and a child coming on the way. He worked in construction and she waited tables, but when the house market collapsed, Ben had to work multiple jobs and she took out student loans and went back to community college. They bought their first house and had a second son. “Their story is our story” in the sense that the times were hard but we were able to strive and prosper. Then he told what he told Americans he has indeed done what he promised. The troops are back home, and the economy has improved. Then he continued on to say that time needs to be spent on the middle class, which makes sense because it is one the bigger demographics. His main focus was on the economy with unemployment down to 5.6 percent, and several hundred thousand jobs a month, and with growth accelerating, Obama has reached a political breakthrough. The president has got little credit to no credit for restoring an economy that was dropping 700,000 jobs a month when he took office. In my opinion, the speech was clever in so many ways. He listed his accomplishments in his terms and what he wants to still improve. Also he laid the ground for the upcoming democratic candidate by stating some of the agendas that the democratic would like to see being done. All in all, it was a great speech!
ReplyDeletePresident Obama's State of the Union Address touched on the topics of middle-class tax cuts, a greater economy, ISIS, and other priority topics. His speech was not aimed at political centrism. Obama was simply influenced by a rising public and improving economy to present ideas to the public with a socialist approach to ensure that he would not leave the presidency quietly.
ReplyDeleteIn his speech, he talked about the thought of making two-year community college free. Although this would be beneficial to many students, I'm not sure I completely agree with his idea because of the fact that there would be a rise in taxes being put on people in society in order to achieve this goal. But I do believe that it would strongly benefit those who want to broaden and expand their knowledge but simply cant afford to do so completely. Higher education would in fact increase the salary rates in jobs across America.
All in all, I feel he gave a very moving and motivational speech that will spark many people in believing there is still hope. A lot of what was said seemed to be based on the ideas of socialism in that what he was proposing sounded to good to be true. In my opinion, he felt he needed to prove himself and offer we the people some improvements and adjustments before he leaves the presidency.