After the #SOTU

Pre-released transcripts and a cross-country tour left little room for surprise in Tuesday’s State of the Union address; however President Barack Obama caught America’s attention with his confident tone as he addressed a Republican-run Congress for the first time.

According to Twitter analytics, the most talked about moment on the social media site of the address was Obama's addition to his preplanned speech, in which he said, while calling for political unity, that he has "no more campaigns to run." This drew applause from some Republicans in the room, but Obama replied with a quick retort: "I know because I won both of them."

I predicted Wednesday the president was going to take a new approach to his annual speech. His three-day, three-state trip before the SOTU, which was being called union spoilers, was a chance for the president to gain support for his ideas before confronting an opposing body of Congress. The White House also released the speech to the public before the actual address, veering from tradition with only the press receiving an embargoed speech.

The president’s mic drop moment, as media is calling it, is a great example of Obama’s new attitude. Translated as confident or cocky, I don’t think the president much cares. He was telling Congress he isn’t sitting back waiting anymore. The people may have voted for them in the past election, but they also voted for him twice.

The third most talked about moment on Twitter, behind the end of the speech, was Obama’s proposal for free community college for Americans. I also predicted this Wednesday, as it was the most talked about point he made on his pre-speech trip across the country. The president said 40 percent of college students choose community college and allowing free access to higher education would strengthen our workforce and lessen the burden of student loan debt. It has yet to be said how this plan would be paid for.

Also as predicted, the president focused on the growing economy and bustling industries, announcing the Union is strong.

The president did not speak about his data breach policy, as I predicted he would, but he did reiterate his support of net neutrality, which will allow for smaller businesses to compete in the 21st Century.
What I also didn't predict, but was pleasantly surprised to hear, was the president's remarks on helping the middle class. He called for lower taxes for working families, passing a law to make sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work and raising minimum wage. He proposed high-quality childcare for working parents.

"It's time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or a woman's issue, and treat it like a national economic priority that is for all of us," Obama said.

The president continued by saying he will take new actions to help states adopt paid leave laws, ensuring every worker in America gets seven days of paid sick leave. It’s refreshing to here. As a young woman entering the workforce, I realized immediately how lucky I was my mother could take off work to take care of me. When I started my new job, I was shocked by how little sick days I was allotted as a new worker.

Finally, and most importantly, Obama called for unity. We’ve laid a foundation, he said, and we need to start working together.

State of the Union speeches are always exciting and filled with hope, but from here Americans wait to see what will happen with a new Congress and a president who seems ready to stand up for what he thinks is right.

A new approach: Predictions for the 2015 State of the Union address

Even after pressure from some Republicans to break with tradition and withhold a formal invitation, President Barack Obama will deliver his State of the Union address Jan. 20.

This will be the president’s first address to a Republican controlled Congress.

Prior to the address, Obama has been on a three-day, three-state presidential trip that, according to The New York Times, is intended to steal the political spotlight from the newly empowered Republicans on Capitol Hill during their first week in control of Congress and will offer Union “spoilers.”

At Obama’s first stop in Detroit, the president cited statistics that he said is evidence of an American comeback: the creation of jobs, better health care plans and a surge in American manufacturing. Obama said he wanted to continue to build on this momentum.

Perhaps his biggest announcement before the State of the Union address came Jan. 8 in Tennessee when he said he will propose a government program to make community college tuition-free for students. Advisers say this will be added to the president’s proposed budget and will be detailed in the upcoming address.

While expensive, this legislation would change the face of American education. By removing barriers to higher education, we have a more educated workforce that allows our country to compete with the rest of the world. Funding toward higher education continues to be cut, and just knowing the president realizes the importance of higher education is encouraging. 

Of course, the president will have to be more descriptive of his plan to pay for this in his State of the Union address. Will the cost outweigh the benefits, or will the benefits pay for themselves in time? A more educated workforce that leaves school with less student loans means a better economy. Student loan debt accounts for 37 percent of debt for adults ages 20-29, and that continues to rise, according to a USA Today article. This often crippling debt creates a stagnated economy. If students can attend college for much cheaper, as Obama’s proposes, this will make education accessible to more Americans.

At his final stop in Arizona, the president called for federal legislation intended to force American companies to be more forthcoming when credit card data and other consumer information are lost in online breaches, according to a New York Times article. The Personal Data Notification and Protection Act would demand single, national standard requiring companies to inform their customers within 30 days of discovering their data had been hacked.

This comes after multiple data breaches and hacks of companies like Target, Sony and Home Depot in the past year. 

Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address was a chance for him to explain his accomplishments, with him touching on the lower unemployment rates, the rebounding housing market and more at-home oil production, lowering reliance on foreign oil. This year’s address will be no different, as Obama needs to highlight his successes against the stronghold of a Republican Congress. 

“In coming months, let’s see where else we can make progress together,” Obama said last year, and it will be interesting to see what progress the presidents believes Washington has made.

The president made waves this year by going against Congress, most recently by signing an executive action in November shielding millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. The House passed legislation Wednesday to nullify that action.

Progress has not been made together, and Americans are taking notice. The past election which elected a Republican Congress had the lowest voter turn out since World War II. 

“To everyone who voted, I hear you,” Obama said after the November election. “To the two-thirds of you who chose not to participate in the process yesterday, I hear you too.”

The climate of American has changed since last year’s speech, but the president still needs to call for unity. However, Obama is no longer sitting back waiting for things to happen and I expect this speech will have a different tone from last year. His recent trip is proof that something different is coming.

Introduction

In the middle of Huntington, West Virginia, there is a river. Next to this river, there is a steel mill. And next to the steel mill, there is a school. In the middle of this school, there is a girl named Taylor Stuck, who is beginning her final semester at Marshall University.
As part of this final semester, I will be writing on this blog for my capstone course, JMC 414, Reporting Public Affairs. I will be reporting on Huntington city council and the Cabell Huntington Wayne Animal Shelter.
Follow me on Twitter @t_birdstuck.
In my spare time, I am a reporter at The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington. Follow my work account on Twitter @TaylorStuckHD.