thebigp

Obama faces choice in final State of the Union address--7EH.,
President Obama is faced with the choice of focusing on the past or the future in his final State of the Union address on Tuesday night. Obama wants to underline the accomplishments of his presidency while tying a bow on his legacy, but is also tasked with setting the table for a Democrat to succeed him in the Oval Office. Obama and his aides have cast his approach to the final State of the Union as “nontraditional.”They suggest that he will likely tick off the few remaining items on his legislative agenda, such as the T***s-Pacific Partnership and criminal justice reform, but be more focused on defining the narrative of his presidency. That means defending some of his signature accomplishments — including the Affordable Care Act, the stimulus and his Wall Street reform law — that have come under attack by Republicans. If he can successfully do both, Obama can help the Democrat nominated to succeed him all while using one of his final primetime television addresses to send a message about his presidency.“If he uses the State of the Union to bring that together and offer a powerful illustration of his record, it’s not a case for Obama, it’s a case for why Democrats should stay in power.”
The president plans to amplify that message, traveling to Nebraska and Louisiana (both red states) after his speech to tout Obamacare and the economic recovery. Donna Hoffman, head of the University of Northern Iowa’s political science department who studies State of the Union addresses, says she expects Obama to focus heavily on his healthcare law, which Republicans have pledged to repeal if they retake the White House.
“I think there will be ample opportunity for the president over the course of this year to deliver a political speech,” Earnest said. “But that’s not what Tuesday is about."
source-jordan fabian, the hill, julian zelizer, donna hoffman,