A First State of the Union Address
Before taking this course I had never watched a State of the Union Address, after watching recordings of the address several times over the course of the class, I became aware of certain political motives and agendas not previously known to me. Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address inspirational and appealed to me as someone striving to reach the middleclass. Obama declared "Fifty-one years ago, John F. Kennedy declared to this Chamber that "the Constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress… “But despite this Obama noted that it is now his generation's task to "reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth — a rising, thriving middle class.” Obama presented a package of proposals that would outline his blueprint for the remainder of the presidency. The speech was dominated by domestic issues such as debt & deficit reduction, the economy and the necessity to empower and invigorate the middle class, he touched on gun control, the minimum wage, early education and immigration; of which some would require legislation and others an executive order. …“Every day,” he said, “we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: How do we attract more jobs to our shores? How do we equip our people with the skills to get those jobs? And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living” One solution he offered that appealed to me was providing incentives for the companies who bring the jobs back from overseas. “Our economy is adding jobs, but too many people still can’t find full-time employment. Corporate profits have rocketed to all-time highs, but for more than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged." I feel it has become customary in some industries cut raises altogether for positions that pay a flat rate, which is fueled unemployment. Arizona’s strict employment laws restrict employees right to a decent wage which has not kept up with the cost of living and inflated gas prices.
Another position that was appealing was "It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country, the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead," who doesn’t want to get head, however his plan failed to address what working hard and meeting a person’s responsibilities was exactly. The president said. "It is our unfinished task to make sure that this government works on behalf of the many, and not just the few. “Obama said that deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. "A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs -- that must be the North Star that guides our efforts." Obama's State of the Union address included a call to "set party interests aside, and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise investments in our future." "And let's do it without the brinksmanship that stresses consumers and scares off