Juan Pablo Rivera Garza
Blogs Editor
Tuesday evening, the President delivered the fourth State of the Union address of his Presidency. This speech stands out considerably compared to his previous addresses to Congress for a number of reasons. It is important to note that this speech helps set the stage for the remainder of his second term, and could affect his ability to work constructively with House Republicans. All of these factors placed an enormous amount of pressure on the President to perform, here’s how he did:
Old-Fashioned Liberalism
In a continuation of the themes brought out during his Second Inaugural, the President further declared his support of traditional liberal causes. During his speech, the President
mentioned his support for cap an trade legislation (in response to recent climate disasters), defended entitlements and called for an increase in the minimum wage. His speech also included a full-throated defense of his gun-control proposals. At times it seemed that the President was channeling a spirit of American liberalism not seen since the 1972 Presidential campaign of George McGovern.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jqWrotmhEo
Campaigner-in-Chief
Not only did the President inject a new spurt of liberalism into his administration, he also brought forth a new persona previously only seen on the
campaign trail. The President’s speech was aggressive and spirited, a big change from his previous State of the Unions which centered more on bipartisanship and cooperation. This new “my way or the highway” type attitude the President demonstrated in last Tuesday’s speech marks a new way of doing things in the President’s administration, which includes, relying more heavily on outside pressure to get laws passed and converting his November campaign into a mega-grass roots organization.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSs_VvBSQuU
An Opportunity For Republican Resurgence
As tradition dictates, the opposition party usually responds to the sitting President’s State of the Union address by choosing a prominent member of their party to explain their positions. This honor is usually reserved for up and comers, so as to aid them in gaining a national profile. This year, potential 2016 Presidential contender Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was tapped to
deliver the official Republican response. Senator Rubio’s style and brand of conservatism poses a danger to Democrats, and his willingness to work on Immigration reform should also cause further worry. His personal story helped elevate his State of the Union response to a potentially defining moment.
The President’s speech could be a defining moment in his Presidency, and may be considered the moment he moved his focus towards a more liberal agenda. This State of the Union also has relevance because of its introduction of Marco Rubio to the National stage, and his performance could either make or break his 2016 chances.
Keep up to date with @Gov and all of the of the Blogs on nchscourant.com
