Obama’s Speech Lacks Vision for the Country

This past Tuesday U.S. President Barack Obama gave his fifth State of the Union address, in which he was expected to outline his administration’s plan for 2014. However, his words were not able to delineate a vision for the future of the country; he spoke, more than anything else, about issues that did not materialize in 2013.

“It was a weak State of the Union, there was no real agenda. When Obama talked it felt like it was a good speech to use in his campaign (not as president). In fact, it will only help his opponents,” thinks Dennis Anderson, professor of management and information technology at St. Francis College in New York.*

In the analyst’s opinion, when Obama did not push his agenda through his speech, he gave an opportunity to Republicans to critique it and affirm that the president is moving away from the interests of the American people.

Clearly, it was not a conciliatory speech; he warned that he would use his executive powers to decree measures the country needs, such as an increase in the minimum wage for federal workers from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, and called on corporations to join in the increase to avoid greater social inequality in the nation.

“Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by — let alone get ahead. And too many still aren’t working at all.”

Paradoxically, Obama is mired in his worst job approval ratings, similar to those endured by former President George W. Bush. Forty percent approve of the way he is doing his job and 55 percent do not, according to the most recent poll by the Washington Post and ABC.

A Washington Post editorial contends that Obama did not confront Congress enough. According to the newspaper, “the most significant [proposal], a $10.10 per hour minimum wage for all workers on federal contracts, affects a sliver of the U.S. workforce and applies only to future contracts. The rest were either familiar (more “manufacturing institutes”), hollow (a summit on working families), promising but vague (a new starter savings account) or harmless (yet another review of federal training programs).”

Issues Played Down

In 2013, the president was emphatic about his intention to regulate gun use, due to the social pressure that ensued after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which left 26 people murdered, 20 of them children. Back then, the issue was mentioned seven times. Two days ago, it was only mentioned once.

He also urged Congress to achieve immigration reform and close the prison at Guantanamo, a key theme of his presidential campaign in 2008.

*Editor’s Note: This quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.