On Tuesday night, US President Barack Obama delivered his eagerly anticipated State of the Union Address. This year‘s address was delivered against the backdrop of strong political polarization and a profound uncertainty on the part of the American people, especially with regard to the nation’s economy.
Democrat Obama, who is now facing a Republican majority in the House of Representatives, evoked national unity and emphasized common American values that outlast all differences and make the United States an exceptional nation. The audience in Congress also offered a sign of conciliation: For the first time in history, Democratic and Republican representatives, who usually strictly adhere to a seating order according to political affiliation, had mingled – thus demonstrating bipartisanship and the willingness to cooperate.
As it was expected, the address mainly focused on the economy. Obama declared that the economy is slowly picking up speed and he repeatedly reassured the American people that better times were ahead. The present generation, he said, is going through its own “Sputnik moment”: Just as in the 1950s, the US has fallen behind internationally in many respects and now has to focus its efforts on education, research and infrastructure in order to create jobs, generate growth and stay competitive. On the controversial issue of the national deficit, he presented himself as the “man in the middle”. While he maintained, in accordance with Republican demands, that severe spending cuts were unavoidable, he emphasized that these cuts must not endanger the economic revival. Obama addressed foreign policy issues only very briefly.
The State of the Union Address largely fulfilled the expectations of the past days. In an optimistic and conciliatory – sometimes humoristic – tone, Obama tried to prepare the nation for the challenges that, as he emphasized, can only be overcome together, and he promised to cooperate constructively with political partners as well as opponents. However, it is very likely that – beyond the ceremonial spirit accompanying any State of the Union Address – the conflicts between Democrats and Republicans will continue and may even deepen. Obama, however, faces this prospect from a strengthened political position: The passing of important legislation at the end of last year, his moving and unifying words on the occasion of the Tucson shooting two weeks ago as well as the beginning economic recovery have increased his job approval rates.
Annika Elena Poppe is a research associate in PRIF’s research department "Governance and Societal Peace". In her research she focuses on US foreign policy and US history.
Most recent publication: Whither to, Obama? U.S. Democracy Promotion after the Cold War, PRIF Report No. 96, Frankfurt/M. 2010