(Image Source: Washington Post)

 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching multi-source video political news analysis from Newsy.

President Obama took to the podium Tuesday night, delivering a message to the nation’s Congressional leaders. The subject of the president’s third State of the Union address was simple: Restoring the American economy.

“We can do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before.”

The president didn’t waste time getting straight to the point. Just a few paragraphs into the speech, he emphasized the importance of economic equality for all Americans.

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot.”

But was the speech too much about politics? The New York Times’ Andrew Rosenthal says, without a doubt the president was speaking to more than just the nation’s Congressional leaders. He was reaching out to voters.

“If anyone had any lingering doubts about whether President Obama is ready to fight for his job, the State of the Union Address tonight should have dispelled them... Mr. Obama was in full-throated campaign mode by the second page of his prepared text.”

Mr. Obama also focused his attention on the federal deficit, saying the two trillion dollars in cuts and savings previously agreed to simply isn’t enough to solve the nation’s debt crisis. As for a solution, he took aim at America’s wealthy -- calling for those who make more than $1 million a year to pay 30 percent in taxes and forego deductions.

“Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else?”

The Washington Post suggests while the president’s message might have been deeply partisan, it resonated with a certain voting bloc the president needs in November.

“Obama struck the populist chords that his Republican presidential rivals have criticized as ‘class warfare.’ But he has seen his approval ratings rise on the strength of that message, particularly among the independent voters who helped elect him in 2008 but had grown disappointed by his leadership in office.”

Other issues the president touched on during the address: clean energy, Wall Street reform, and investment in education. Indiana governor Mitch Daniels gave the GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address.
In direct opposition to the president, Daniels offered suggestions for job creation that he believes would lead to economic recovery.

“That means a dramatically simpler tax system of fewer loopholes and lower rates. It means maximizing on the new domestic energy technologies that are the best break our economy has gotten in years.”

In keeping with last year’s tradition, a Tea Party response followed Daniel’s GOP rebuttal. Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain delivered that statement.