A State of Cooperation

True to expectations, President Barack Obama stressed bipartisan cooperation and economic recovery in his second State of the Union address Tuesday.

Obama began his speech to Congress and the country with acknowledgement of the Tucson, Ariz. shooting and a call for parties to work together.

“Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater – something more consequential than party or political preference,” he said.

He avoided politicizing the issue. Rather than taking it as an opportunity to advocate for gun control, he left it as a point for Congress to rally around. Any attempt to use the shooting to further any political viewpoint would have created a greater strain between parties and forced the spotlight away from the tragedy itself.

The president also spent considerable time on an issue at the forefront of many Americans’ minds: the economy. Obama recognized continuing concerns by calling for a government “that lives within its means” and said he would take a tough stance on spending in order to reduce the national debt.

“If a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it,” Obama said. He also proposed a five-year freeze in non-security discretionary spending by the government.

Specific measures for economic revitalization were a smart inclusion by

Obama. The economic strain on many Americans remains far from over, and giving them

tangible remedies to look for and rely on will demonstrate he actually has solutions in mind for the current economic woes.

He was optimistic about he called a growing economy, but he acknowledged further revitalization would be necessary to maintain the state’s standing as a world superpower.

“This is our generation’s Sputnik moment,” Obama said, referring to

a surge in American innovation and growth triggered when the Soviet Union beat the US into space. He highlighted a plan for technological investment to bolster the nation’s economy. He said his upcoming budget would include spending on biomedical research and clean energy technology.

However, one statement from the president seems to be an overzealous statement. “For all the naysayers predicting our decline,” Obama said, “America still has the largest, most prosperous economy in the world.”

While it may be a true statement, the Americans who struggle to find jobs and pay their bills following the economic collapse may feel obliged to disagree.

Showing that it is never too early to think about re-election, Obama highlighted his successes of the past year. One of the biggest – and most controversial – achievements was the passage of the health care bill he said was “reform that finally prevents the health insurance industry from exploiting patients.” It’s a bill House Republicans are fighting to overturn, but it’s also a bill that can provide with its passage evidence that Obama is a president capable of keeping a promise to the American people.

Obama did attempt to appease Republican critics by acknowledging that the bill had flaws. He again called for Republicans and Democrats to work together to find compromise on controversial parts of the bill and asked Congress not to “walk away from reform.”

Obama was smart to acknowledge imperfections in his administration. He called some of its setbacks deserved. By doing so, Obama decreased backing for the recent “us vs. them” mentality between the two major parties, as he noted his own weaknesses.

Another promise met by Obama – and highlighted in his speech ­– was the repeal of the military policy Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

“No American will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love,” Obama said in an emotional appeal. The bill had its critics, but emphasizing the human element is likely to help garner wider approval of the repeal.

Obama also addressed the US military presence in the Middle East, saying that it would soon be coming to a close. He said the war in Iraq would end this year, and troops would begin withdrawing from Afghanistan in July.

Withdrawal from the Middle East would likely boost his approval ratings. According to Gallup, about 73 percent of Americans in 2010 viewed engagement in Iraq unfavorably.

However, Americans may not believe this promise. Obama failed to deliver on a similar promise he made in his presidential campaign and reiterated in February 2009, when he said most troops would be out of Iraq by August 2010.

Obama’s speech was by no means perfect. On some issues, he avoided delving into specific plans of action, instead favoring platitudes and rhetoric. While pleasing on the surface, a lack of a roadmap for reaching certain outlined goals may lead citizens to lack faith in the president’s abilities to achieve them.

Yet such platitudes are commonplace in politics, and the true measure of the speech will come as the next year unfolds, when Americans will get to see if overall, the promises from their president are worth trusting.