On Tuesday, January 28, 2014, the President will address Congress and the nation in the State of the Union address. Once considered a charismatic speaker with an uncanny ability to capture an audience, the President, like previous second-term presidents, will have a tough time convincing Americans that his second term will be better than his first.
Americans, under the leadership of President Obama, are currently facing high unemployment numbers, a large national debt, low job-creation rates, and a floundering new healthcare law. Americans now seem more disenchanted with government than in years past. A recent Time article speculates that, in response to this intense, pervasive dissatisfaction, the President will be left “selling raft of executive orders as he looks to cement his legacy.” This approach would, in essence, slam the door on any efforts to gain bipartisan cooperation and approval. One can hope that this speech will not further divide Congress and our nation but rather will fuel optimism that we can successfully tackle the tough issues impeding our nation’s growth, particularly our country’s growing debt.
