State of the Union 2012

Last night President Obama delivered his 3rd State of the Union (SOTU) address to the nation. Many eyes were on the president as the country has now experienced a few highs (unemployment rate at a 4 year low of 8.5%) and a few stumbles (homeowners are yet feeling the crushing blow of historic market downturn). With the GOP in full election mode and the tide of political rhetoric becoming nastier at each venue, how would the president soothe the nation while offering a sobering yet hopeful glimpse into the state of our union?
Before the president began, I logged into my twitter account- @PoliticlSvvyPhD (shameless plug) and gauged the reaction of many. Excitement was evident and a few expressed their desire for the president to ‘campaign style’ his critics, namely the GOP presidential contenders.

My initial thoughts as the president began his speech was his ability to not further divide or nod for a reelection, but a need to ensure Americans that his core beliefs-those that identified us all as Americans, had not wavered. His unapologetic stance towards clean energy to ensure a better tomorrow received riveting praise from many in Congress, as well as many social networking sites. His commitment to businesses that prosper within this nation and loyalty to American workers also resonated. At a time when jobs have become more difficult to secure, the president spoke on the need to invest in companies willing to insource, an idea that should prove popular to all. The need to reform tax cuts so that the wealthiest of Americans (incomes above $250,000 which accounts for less than 10% of all Americans) pay their fair share.

The State of the Union speech will be criticized (as there was a Republican response less than 5 minutes after, following that a Tea Party one) but as the president said:

One of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took
with them on the mission to get bin Laden. On it are each of their
names. Some may be Democrats. Some may be Republicans. But that
doesn’t matter. Just like it didn’t matter that day in the Situation
Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates – a man who was George Bush’s
defense secretary; and Hillary Clinton, a woman who ran against me for president.
All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about
politics. No one thought about themselves. One of the young men
involved in the raid later told me that he didn’t deserve credit for
the mission. It only succeeded, he said, because every single member
of that unit did their job – the pilot who landed the helicopter that
spun out of control; the translator who kept others from entering the
compound; the troops who separated the women and children from the
fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs. More than that, the
mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each
other – because you can’t charge up those stairs, into darkness and
danger, unless you know that there’s someone behind you, watching your
back.

I am yet hoping, hoping for a return to civility and common sense. I know that the upcoming election must be fought hard and will be fought long, but I know that our country is only as strong as its citizens. The State of our Union is solid but we must continue to understand the commitment and hard work that allows it to be so.