If you felt the speech of Obama was a recapitulation of his
earlier address, while watching this one, it wasn’t just you. Many of the
policies Obama promoted were ones that appeared in last year’s address. It was
only the determination to move with or without Congress that was new.
Obama’s speech at State of the Union shared the results of
his term,
- The lowest unemployment rate in over five years
- A rebounding housing market
- Manufacturing sector adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s.
- More oil produced in house than imported
- Fiscal deficits reduced to half
- Importantly, for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that America is the world’s number one place to invest and not China
Fabricating a plan for this year, Obama called on
legislators to join him in expanding early-childhood education. He reprised a
call to raise the minimum wage to $10.10, asked Congress to help close the pay
gap between men and women, reform the corporate tax rate by lowering rates and
closing loopholes. The proposal to protect environment was also laid on the floor.
These proposals were part of Obama’s new push on inequality, and he framed them
as ways to guarantee “opportunity for all”. The president also once again made
the case for his healthcare law. He offered no excuses for its fiasco but
praised its benefits.
Obama’s positive tone was really impressive especially while
discussing about the diplomatic route to solve the Nuclear weapons issue with
Iran and setup peace in Middle East. He discussed about the US role in the
world, not because of the mighty powers but being a responsible country driving
toward excellence. Obama discussed about the symbol of American dream power and
shared the example of “son of bar keeper who is now the speaker of house”. He
appealed to US citizens to follow their dreams and fulfill their aspirations
while raising the country to development.
It’s a long way from a peace making speech for the Democrats
and Republicans. In the face of entrenched, structural gridlock in Washington
and an election year, he’ll need good luck and skillful employment of executive
orders to put his agenda into action this year.
