Tag Archives: State of the Union

Watch “2016 State of the Union Address: Enhanced” on YouTube

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On January 12, 2016, President Barack Obama delivered his eighth and final State of Union address. In my opinion, it was one of Obama’s best crafted speeches for the State of the Union. It has certainly been a long arduous road for our first black President, but I couldn’t be more proud of Mr. Obama’s accomplishments. His poise in the face of such racism and hatred is remarkable. This speech was reminiscent of candidate Obama in its style and tone. The President, once again, touched on themes of hope. He urged Americans not to listen to voices of division and ignorance that seek to pit Americans one against the other. It was appropriate that he concluded the speech with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King. Cheers to you Mr. Obama! You continue to inspire many Americans and people around the world.

The State of the Union, Stronger

SOTUTogether, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger.

I am frequently inspired by President Obama, and tonight was no exception. I thought Mr. Obama’s State of Union speech was very good overall. It was well-delivered and touched on the policy issues that are at the forefront some of our country’s most vigorous debates — gun control, immigration reform and sequestration to name a few. The speech was chock full of policy and struck a tone that demonstrates that Mr. Obama is leading in his second term with a greater resolve.

The surprise for many in the speech was the President’s proposal to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour, and his announcement to bring 34,000 American troops home from Afghanistan this year. Great news after 10 years of war. The President also brought several visionary, forward thinking ideas to the speech, but what I found most interesting about the speech was Mr. Obama’s vision for America’s economic future through innovation. As well, Mr. Obama’s vision for education in America from preschool to post-secondary remains a consistent theme in many of his speeches. The Washington Post highlights five takeaways from the State of the Union speech, and the Los Angeles Times provides a breakdown by topic.

For me, what separates Mr. Obama from so many other leaders in American politics today is his focus, perseverance and willingness to be a pioneer and trendsetter in the face of great obstinacy and resistance from the GOP. His Presidency is progressing toward being truly transformational for the future of the United States. Forward.