Tonight is the annual State of the Union address, one of the President's constitutionally enumerated powers. Watch the State of the Union and adress the following questions:
1. What was the general tone of President Obama's address? Why do you think he took this approach? Idenitfy the specific excerpt from the Constitution that gives him this power.
2. Much of President Obama's agenda in his last two years will likely not be passed, as the Republicans are now in control of both houses of Congress. Do you think this influenced his choice of words or the agenda he was trying to promote? Why or why not? Cite specific examples from his speech that support your answer.
3. Identify one or more statements that President Obama made in the SotU that you most agree with. Explain why you agree. Be specific in both the ID and the explanation.
4. Identify one or more statements that President Obama made in the SotU
that you most disagree with. Explain why you disagree. Be specific in both
the ID and the explanation.
5. What do you think is the most pressing issue in America today? Why do you think it is so important? Is
it something that President Obama talked about in his SotU? If so, what did he have to say? Do you agree? Why?
49 comments:
1. Mr. Obama’s tone was hopeful, confident, and proud. He probably did this to give the American population reassurance and to reaffirm his position as president, and went back with his initial campaign revolving around hope. He then switches to a more serious tone when he talks about certain pressing issues such as terrorism and climate change.
2. As previously stated, the facts that he states are to reassure the US of a growing economy and creating feelings of hope for the future. He uses an example by pointing out a specific citizen’s situation to represent the majority of the US population. He’s specifically addressing his speech towards the population of the United States, so he uses simplistic language that’s easy to understand and colloquialisms.
3. I agree with his points on child care. He showcases that the USA doesn't have guaranteed
Bill that proposes every person 7 days of paid sick-leave. He also proposes equality of pay between men and women, and cutting down on anti-Antisemitism, stereotypes of Muslims and discrimination against the LGBT community. He also proposes the raising of the minimum wage. These are all valid propositions that can directly and positively influence the lives of the working class and can work to reduce poverty rates by making wages in closer range to the cost of living and promote the equality of all peoples without discrimination of defining neutral qualities that deal no harm to anyone. I also agree with reformation of the criminal justice system and putting less people in jails needlessly.
4. I disagree most with his promises of free trade agreements with other nations. This disregards tariffs and encourages businesses to create more jobs in foreign countries rather than in the United States, simply because they are cheaper. This can increase unemployment and potentially stunt growth.
5. I think that the most pressing issue is the Citizen’s United decision by the Supreme Court, because it allows wealthy individuals and huge corporations to ‘donate’ large sums of money towards politicians in order to run. This can cause a landslide in the difference each candidate can make solely on the amount of corporate influence they can gather, which doesn't exactly fit the spirit of the election. I personally was taught as a kid that every born citizen has the eligibility to run for office, but if certain candidates have literally millions of dollars to advertise and to campaign with, it makes things one-sided. Mr. Obama didn't go over this issue, mainly because it doesn't directly affect the whole of the American population, but it should be a very important issue because it directly affects the turnouts of elections and can create an imbalance of parties holding governmental positions.
1. Barack Obama's general tone through out the address seemed optimistic, proud, and reaffirming. I think he took this approach to try and appeal to those who may not agree with some of his past decisions in office. "Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution says that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. President Obama's choice of words definitely is influenced from the fact that the senate is ruled by republicans. For example he exclaims at one point, "And I commit to every Republican here tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work with you to make this country stronger." This of course is bipartisanship and shows the senate and Americans, that he is willing to cooperate with his enemy to ensure the advancement of the united states.
3. The statement, "And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this... If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest working people in America a raise." mainly because the majority of Americans suffer from not being able to make ends meet, after working so hard. I think raising wages will somewhat be a great improvement for many out there who need it.
4. To be honest, while wacthing the address there was nothing that I came to disagree with.
5. I believe that the most pressing issue in America is the ideas of "safety" and "security". No matter how much president Obama tries reaffirm the masses that we are protected from terrorism, we the people will continue to doubt it. The feeling of safety is pretty important, because if you don't feel safe, you won't have any trust for the person who claims to protect you.
1. Obama’s overall tone in the SotU Address, was very uplifting and insightful. Rather than focusing on all of the things that America still has to overcome, Obama kept his attention on the things that America has finally beaten. I believe that Obama took this approach, because considering he has given numerous SotU Addresses, he may feel that it is important to state all of the good things he has accomplished in the time of his presidency. Although most of his speech was of a very positive manner, he also discussed very important issues that need to be addressed in time to come. It states that in Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I actually don’t believe that Obama changed any of his speech in light of the Republicans. Obama brought up some very important ideas that he wants to get passed in the time to come, such as free community college. If it was true that he tried to alter his speech to attain to them, I don’t believe that he would have said, in repetition throughout the speech, “It’s the right thing to do.” He not only talked about lowing the cost of community college, but he also discussed increasing minimum wage. As a republican, some might say that this wouldn’t correspond with their feelings on making things fair.
3. I personally agree most with Obama when he states that things have to be done about Global warming. He’s right, we have had some of the warmest years ever recorded in this generation, and it is not something that should be dealt with lightly. We must be open minded with this generation, to take care of the next. I also agree with the fact that this is something that should not only be dealt with nationally, but internationally too. It takes everyone to keep up a healthy and clean earth.
4. I most disagree with his motion to increase minimum wage. Personally I do not believe that this will truly help the development of our country. Minimum wage jobs are for specifically skilled workers and people who are just starting out in life. I believe, that for the majority of America, we must all strive to become educated (go to college) and make something of ourselves to help the society that we live in, and thus make more money and not need minimum wage to be increased.
5. I think one of the most pressing issues today is tied between immigration and ISIS. I think that we must be very careful in the people that we let into our country, not because everyone is bad, but because there are bad people out there who want to hurt innocent people to make a statement for their country/race/religion. To protect ourselves, we must take a closer look at who we are allowing into the United States. ISIS is also very important considering things dealt with internationally. With the high amount of American journalists being killed over things that, for the most part, they had no connection with personally is absurd and needs to be dealt with immediately. Obama definitely brought these issues up in his SotU speech, and I disagree with his statement on giving immigrants amnesty in the United States, although I agree with his statement on ISIS.
1. President Obama's tone seems to be confident, and empowering, and very proud. I think the reason he took this approach was to honestly try to make the people that really didn't agree what he was doing to make it seem like he was doing what was best for the country the whole time. In the constitution, article II, section 3 says that "president shall from time to time give to the congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expident".
2. I feel like it is influenced the agenda he was trying to promote because he also wants the Republicans be on board of what he wants to do for the country, he exclaims that he was always thinking of "the people" which includes everybody including Republicans. "The difficult family should save about 750 dollars at the pump.
3. I agree with president Obama about the bill he wants to have for every working person in America to have paid sick-leave. Most work people in America go through a lot of struggles at home and may have a lot of medical issues that require them to stay home from work, this honestly is not beneficial to a struggling family if the person cant work because there is no money coming in if they don't work. Paid Sick-leave would be a great thing for the middle class/ working American because while they are sick at home they wont have to worry about not getting paid.
4.There is nothing I disagreed with in the speech, I felt like he hit all the main topics.
5.I think the biggest issue is women not getting paid as much as men for doing the same work. I think it is extremely important because there are woman that does the same type of work that men do, and my even work harder then the men at times but they don't get paid as much as the men do. Yes Obama did talk about it and he said he will also pass a bill about women and men getting paid the same wages, and I really agree 100%.
1.) President Obama seemed very optimistic and proud to address the issues that he found to be most pressing; however, most of what the President mentioned were bipartisan issues and will most likely be accepted by the vast majority of the American population. Obama did net enter the realm of things like Obamacare that might stimulate more conversation and controversy. I think that Obama took this approach in order to have the majority of the room applause for him while the entire country was watching him. The republican response had little to work with and I believe that this is a desired affect of Obama’s speech. Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution gives the president that power to give this address and it states, “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2.) I do not think that this has influenced his speech. He said that he will try and meet the republican’s thoughts and he also said “try and work with me where you do agree with me”. This was all contradicted when Obama released his opinions on solar energy and gay and lesbian rights, which he knows the republicans on an overwhelming basis, disagree with. I not only think that Obama knows that not much will be accomplished in the next 2 years of his presidency, but I also believe that he doesn’t intend to accomplish much or even try to. Obama will remain adamant in his policies, as he has always been, hence his refusal to repeal his failed policy of Obamacare, even though many members of his own cabinet have advised him to do so. When Obama says things like “I have no more campaigns to run, because I won both of them”, it signifies his immaturity as a leader and things of this nature should not be mentioned at such a historic and important event.
3.) I agree with President Obama when he advocates “turning solar energy in fuel for America”, because he is absolutely correct when it comes to environmental policies and his refusal to approve of the keystone pipeline. Obama has very good reasoning for promoting alternative sources of energy because it is obvious that Oil will only last for a maximum of another 50 years before the prices rise exponentially and it becomes unrealistic to utilize. Obama also recognizes the effects of fossil fuels on Global Warming, which in my opinion, are a very reasonable concern. I also agree with President Obama when he talks about gay marriage and says “we should not only do this because it’s the right thing to do, but because it will make us safer.” I think that Obama is correct in saying this because in my personal beliefs, everyone should have the right to get married in a “free nation” as long as it isn’t negatively affecting anyone else.
4.) There was nothing that Obama said that I strongly disagree with or disagree with on any basis; but I believe that this was the purpose of the way he constructed his speech, so that most Americans would agree with him. Like I have previously mentioned, Obama’s statements were not controversial aside from the energy and social changes he advocated, but I agree with those anyways.
5.) I think that our most pressing issue in the United States would be the new and modern culture. Our government has set a prime example with its $16.4 trillion deficit that spending beyond our means is perfectly acceptable. Our economy no longer depends on consumer spending, but on consumer debt. Credit card companies simply expect for consumer to go into debt and be willing to pay insane interest rates. Obama did not address this issue because he created the majority of the problem, so it would not have been politically sound of him to bring it up. Obama advocates the expansion of government and this is a conservative mindset/policy, so he would not agree with this. Before America can go off and solve the rest of the World’s problems, it needs to fix the issues of America’s youth and understanding of basic financial and moral values at home.
Krestina Merko 1B
1. I think President Obama's tone throughout the whole speech was confident, proud and, towards the end a bit cocky with his last words he said at the end of the speech. Most of the speech the Presidents tone showed confidence and like he has was proud of how far the country has come as whole and how far we have gotten to where we are today. President Obama also shows a more serious and focused tone when he talks about the problems that are still lurking such as terrorism.
2. Some of the things President Obama said and his tone and they way he presented the State of the Union is in fact indeed heavily influenced by the state of the matter that republicans now do have rule over the house. Obama wants to be able to work with eh republicans and get things done even though it wont be easy due to the republicans sticking to what they believe in and not agreeing with Obama. Obama said in his speech that he is committed to working with republicans and is even considering taking in their ideas into trying to make the United States a better country.
3. Some of the points that Obama made pertaining to the LGBT community and raising minimum wage are the points I agree with most because. I think that raising minimum wage will help improve the economy because if people are making slightly more they can live more comfortable and there will be more likely less people in the poverty class. People would have more money and young adults can support themselves since they have college to pay for as well. Another point president Obama makes is towards the LGBT community in which he supports the LGBT community which I totally support as well. I don't think that the people that are apart of the LGBT community shouldn't be discriminated against because they choose to love the same sex. same sex shouldn't be illegal, same sex shouldn't isolate anybody from the ones who aren't apart of the LGBT community. we are all human beings and we love who love and, that shouldn't affect if we get hired, or how much we make or if we are allowed at a certain place or if we are limited to certain things. Another thing I agree with that Obama talked about was making 2 years of community college free. I think that would really help out people. it would be good for college students so that they don't have to worry or have to struggle in paying for college so it gives sort of a sigh of relief to those who really need it. and maybe itll encourage more people to go to college and get somewhat of an education because the more people that get an education the better for America and us moving forward.
4. I didn't really disagree with anything Obama said because I think Obama really has done more good then bad. I really think that he is trying as best as he can to help move this country forward and he has done a lot of things to get us where we are now because we are finally out of a recession that we didn't think we would be out of for quite some time till Obama came in. Not every President is perfect. Obama has accomplished a lot and just because he is our first black president they will do or say anything to bash him.
5. I think we need to focus on getting things straightened here. we have a long way to go till we can be where we want to be. itll take time. the most pressing issue I think is our deficit, minimum wage, immigration, and terrorism, Obama was able to knock out about half of that in his speech. we need safety, we need to keep the immigrants that are already here, here. and we need to figure out how we are going to slow down are spending so we can stop increasing the deficit so fast.
1.) President Obama’s tone was very calm, confident, and optimistic. He took this approach to let Americans know that based what’s written on his agenda, he’s confident that his plans for this year will be efficient and in full effect. In article 2 section 3 of the U.S. Constitution gives him the power and authority to conduct this speech.
2.) In my perspective, I think that President Obama did influence his speech by his choice of words. He pinpoints a lot of things that will make an impact on the American people. Also, he’s willing to collaborate with the republicans to produce a stronger country.
3.) I personally agree with free community college because this enables young people to seek out and receive a college degree for a better job career. This motivates them to become successful without having to worry about any financial student loan debt. I also agreed with the global climate plans because having China to lower their emission unit is outstanding for they are known to be the world’s most productive country.
4.) Truthfully, I didn’t disagree with any of his plans.
5.) The most pressuring issue in America today would have to be global climate because people in America are unknown to the large amounts of emissions and resouces that are being drained daily. The power plants are a big negative in our environment because they release air pollution that can potential cause great harm in the atmosphere and water. President Obama reference the emissions of the power plants and he stated his call of action to the situation. Yes I agree with his plans to reduce the emissions.
1. Barack Obama’s tone was optimistic and positive. The reason for this approach is most likely because he wants everyone, including people who are against him, to see his view on things as if they are good changes and should be continued. The excerpt from the Constitution is in Article II, Section 3, this states that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I think his word choice was partially influenced by the Republicans that are now sitting in seats of the government. He really wanted to get them on his side but didn’t want the people to give up on him. He says things that a Democrat would say such as “we would rebuild our economy on a new foundation.” The fact that he said we and not I signifies that Obama believes that the people should have some control over the government.
3. I agree with him when he said that the government should help American families feel secure and able to afford child care and college. I agree with him because it’s true that many families have stay at home moms because it’s cheaper but some families need to two parents working in order to survive. It should be an option for every parent and American citizen to go to college and not go broke doing it, they should be able to live comfortably and get a higher education at the same time.
4. I personally don’t disagree with Obama on anything because the main issues were addressed and his responses were within reason. Yes, there may be more that can be done but he can only do so much with what he has.
5. I believe the most pressing issue is the safety and security of families. There are many single parent families and it gets hard to live off of minimum wage. The main issue with being safe and secure is not having enough money to pay for these things. He tells anyone that doesn’t live on the minimum wage and doesn’t want to raise it to try and live on it themselves. I agree with this statement because they don’t understand what is like to live paycheck to paycheck and worrying about where their next meal is going to come from because all the money went towards the bills so the children have some place to sleep.
1.
President Obama’s tone was positive, enthusiastic, and encouraging. I believe he took this position because America is at the end of a great recession and our hopes are low. We as Americans needed to hear from our Commander-in-Chief that things are going well and that jobs are being restored, our economy is turning up, and our troops are coming home. Article II Section 3 of the Constitution states, “He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient…”
2.
I do think the fact that both the senate and house are red influenced both his diction and his agenda because he commented toward the beginning of the address, “We can’t slow down business or put our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal shutdowns.” Both of these things happened in 2014 and Republicans instigated both. He called for a “bipartisan infrastructure plan,” called on Congress to “show the world that we are united in this mission,” and thanked Congress for their “bipartisan support of [Ebola worker’s] efforts.” By using the word “bipartisan” often he encouraged the republicans to side with him for the betterment of the American people, as well as citing specific examples of their mistakes in the last year that would be counterproductive to progress.
3.
My favorite statement from the SotU is “A better politics is one where we appeal to each other’s basic decency instead of our basest fears.” He goes on to example things Democrats and Republicans do just to spite each other that are completely unproductive and create an impasse that helps no one. What good is a congress if they can’t agree on anything, and reverse policies with every changing party in the White House. The most important role a President has is to unite the American people.
4.
The statement I most disagree with is “As Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice -- so it makes no sense to spend three million dollars per prisoner to keep open a prison that the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit.” I think this is wrong because the terrorists who attempt to destroy our sacred democracy should be brought to justice, and where will they go if the Guantanamo Bay is closed? Will terrorists be allowed to influence the likes of murderers and felons in our federal prisons? Will that slow the terrorist recruitment? Exposing those who have already committed high crimes to those who want to tear apart our country? I think we could absolutely cut costs at GTMO and that $3 million per prisoner is absurd but we need some facility to hold them all, separated from each other, so that the American people can stay as safe as they deserve to be.
5.
The most pressing issue in America today is equality. Marriage equality, wage equality, ethnic and racial equality, all of it. The Bill of Rights secures so many freedoms, it seems impossible that people in the United States in 2015 are still being bigoted. President Obama did touch on Equality a few times, when he mentioned that 7/10 Americans live in a state with marriage equality and that it is high time for women to be paid the same as men for equal work. I agree because we are too advanced in other areas to still be squabbling about civil liberties. These things shouldn’t even be in question.
1. President Obama's tone was very confident almost to a cocky extent . I believe he decided to present his message in this manner in hopes of getting more support during the last few years of his term and to show that America has come a long way since he has been in office and Article 2 section 3 gives the president the power to make a state of the union speech.
2. Yes I do think the fact that congress is ran by republicans did effected his message because there were several times he stated that he was willing to compromise in trying to get his agenda accomplished which showed that he knows congress is most likely against him but he also said any policies that went against his agenda would be vetoed.
3.I most agreed with the 2 free years of college concept that Obama presented because I think that in allowing at least 2 free years takes away the excuse that higher education is to expensive and overall will make us a smarter society .
4. There really was nothing that I disagreed with during the state of the union
5. I think the most pressing issue in America today is the controversy between police and African Americans . I feel this is most important because for one I am African American and it directly effects me and yes Obama did touch on the issue but he did not really provide a solution or covered the issue really.
1. From the start of the speech, Obama acknowledges the fact that the country has seen difficult times, but eventually states that they are past that and provides good news that boosts morale and encourages and is welcomed by Americans. He keeps a positive outlook and is very optimistic, perhaps in hopes that the citizens of America will follow the same mindset. He emphasizes the power and strength of the Union. Article II, Section 3 allows him to make this address and says that he may "give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I think Obama definitely knew that there are some obstacles that may arise from having republicans in control of both houses, so he might have emphasized the idea of unity in working together and co-operation. This is seen when he states that "middle class economics and expanding opportunities works, as long as politics won't get in the way of it." Perhaps he was implying that he wanted them to work together for the greater good of the country, and not let their ideological differences get in the way of the practices that have already proved successful.
3. I definitely agree with what Obama said about Congress needing to "pass a law that makes sure women get paid the same as a man for doing the same work." Gender equality is one of the most important foundations of a successful society, and while we have been working towards this goal and have made clear progress, having wages set lower for women is both unfair and not right. Obama himself states that it's "2015." It's not the patriarchal society that the country was before.
4. Obama was right when he said that we are "one people" and that we benefit from working together, yet it is not safe to make that statement yet, since, as he previously mentioned, we are still discriminating against people and minorities. While this isn't necessarily a disagreement to his own ideology/statements, it's rather a disagreement to make that statement as of right now. It's really trivial though, since we are constantly working at making sure every person receives the equal chance that another person gets. Quite honestly, I agree and respect everything that he stated and put forth.
5. The most pressing issue is without a doubt climate change and global warming, since it threatens the future of not just our country but the entire world and its population. Obama did mention it towards the end of his address and I agree with his stating that "our own activities are changing the climate." He notes the huge impacts that it may cause, including migrations, droughts, heat waves, etc. He also explains that carbon emissions have been reduced in China and that this had a domino effect, leading even more countries to follow suit. I fully agree with his goals on changing energy production as it will safeguard the future of our own planet.
1. President Obama seems very reassuring and positive as he consoles the audience with the achievements America has already beaten and overcome. He also reassures us that the problems we will face, we'll overcome. Obama discussed the economic problem that America has faced throughout the years. He adds on saying how America has survived through the hard times as well as being a tight knit family.
He took this approach in order to give hope to Americans to Americans since we are still recovering from the Great Recession and from the men that lost their lives serving America in the past wars. "He shall from time to time give give to the Congress..." is Article II section 3 from the constitution is what gives him this power.
2. With the Republicans now controlling Congress, I think Obama was influenced to promote unity in his speech. He promotes this idea because looking in the past, the Republicans have attempted to repeal Obamacare, government shutdown, cutting social security, and other ideas that doesn't seem too helpful. However; Obama doesn't patronize the Republican's mistake, but rather attempts to be humble while he discusses unity. An example would be where Obama states "... I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission..." Obama talks about terrorism which haunts many nations. Even though the two parties have different ideas, terrorism allows them to concentrate on recovering the people from the trauma. Obama says this in order to recognize how unity between the two is more helpful to the people.
3. I agree with community college being free. "... to lower the cost of community college - to zero..." Education is what gives our generation and future generations foundations to change the world to something better. But education ca be limited after high school due to expensive fees of college. Although community college cheaper, the price can be overwhelming, especially to those who struggle with money. People who seek a higher education strive to have a better job, a better life, or to pursue a wanted career. But with huge debts that come after graduating, it stops people from obtaining the education they want. Education allows us to interpret things, build our ideas, and have different points of views. Allowing community colleges to be free can give people who struggle an opportunity to have better lives, which in the long run will benefit America technology wise, economically, and other issues that America faces today.
4. I disagree with Obama when he states "And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage..." Raising minimum wage may sound like a good idea, but in the long-run, it will cause many problems. Raising income can cause business owners to raise price on goods and services. It can also result into firing employees since consumers buy less due to an increase in the product. It can also have a negative condition on the workers. When there is an increase in income, there will be an increase in marginal tax rate on the worker. Usually employees who have a low minimum wage jobs are people who just need a paycheck in order to support families or young people just looking to get paid. Having to increase the minimum wage will result into workers dealing with higher taxes (i.e. social security) which will reduce their income.
5. The most pressing issue in America would be equality. Obama even states that women still obtain a lower paycheck (77 cents to a man's dollar). Obama also states that gay marriage is also a problem. "I've seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our country, a civil right now legal in states that seven in ten Americans call home..." I think this is important because equality is what will make American unified. I also agree with Obama because inequality, is the obstacle from unification.
1. The general tone of President Obama seemed to be assertive, proud, and hopeful throughout the State of the Union Address, especially in the things that have been accomplished, such as the creation of new jobs, and the combat mission in Afghanistan. The President took this approach to show how the Economy has benefitted. Article II, Section 3 states that the President "he shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures..."
2.It does seem as if President Obama was influenced by the Republicans rule of the House of Congress. Because he states what the agenda's that have been approved in the past that has helped others and he states for future reference "my budget will address each of those issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back in their pockets each year".
3. One of the statements that I agreed the most from President Obama is "new plan to lower the cost of the community college", because this allows more people to get an higher education, and eventually get an opportunity at working the job of their dreams, and making their aspirations come true.
4. While watching the address, there wasn't anything that made me disagree.
5. The most pressing issue in America today seems to be money, and the middle-class. The reason I think its so important, is because people aren't able to afford daily materials needed for survival, they aren't able to afford to pay bills, or splurge anytime without having to worry about something else. When the President explained the story of Rebekah and Ben and how they had to reconstruct their entire lives to get by, made me realize that majority of Americans are living in the same situation and shouldn't have to.
1. The general tone of President Obama’s address is optimistic, hopeful and proud because he wants to reassure American public about the positive changes in US economy and society, emphasizing the improvement after he took office. The excerpt that gives him the power is from Article II, Section 3 which says that "president shall from time to time give to the congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient".
2. I think this definitely influenced his word choice which emphasize on the cooperation between the two parties and the use of “let us” also included both parties, which he uses to address the need to work together to improve the future of US. An example will be “Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let's set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline; let's pass a bipartisan ... infrastructure plan that could create more than 30 times as many jobs per year and make this country stronger for decades to come. Let's do it. Let's get it done.”
3. I agree with his idea about protecting domestic workers and further strengthen American economy by increasing its role playing in the International trade, especially with China. I like his statement that “21st century businesses will rely on American science and technology, research and development” which is true because in order to decrease unemployment and increase production, advancement in technology is important.
4. I disagree with his emphasis on the “That's why I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college to zero” to make sure every American to have equal opportunity to education. While this is a good plan, but I think he should also address those students who attend private and public colleges that are much more expensive. The top private colleges are where US gain their future skilled labor force and leaders from. But a lot of these students are unable to attend due to the high cost and limited financial aid. Therefore, he should definitely address these students who are the future of US.
5. I think the most pressing issue is terrorism and American security. President did emphasizeon this issue and make the statement that he will continue hunting down terrorists and protect American safety. This important because when it comes to the strength and unity of a nation, safety definitely comes before economic development and diplomacy and I liked how the president emphasized on this issue in the State of the Union Address.
1.President Obama's tone in his State Of The Union address was very optimistic and proud. President Obama took this approach to give Americans a mindset that the age of the recession is over and to reassure the people that the Union is Strong. Mr. Obama also took this approach to justify the problems that lie ahead and how he plans to fix them before the end of his presidency. Article II, section 3 says that the president "shall from time to time give to the congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient".
2.President Obama's choice of words were obviously influenced by the Republicans now being in control of both houses of congress. President Obama made it clear that he will deal with the GOP Congress by making it difficult for them to block his agenda, being that he only has a short amount of time left in his presidency. He says that he will work with republicans and come to terms on certain arguments.
3. I agree with President Obama's statement on free community college. He says "Tennessee, a state with republican leader ship, and Chicago, a city with democratic leadership, are showing that free community college is possible". President Obama's approach on community college is to make the first two years tuition free for students. Making the first two years of community college free would inspire many high school graduates that fear the high cost of college, to go to community college without worrying about the expenses.
4. In Presidents Obama State Of The Union address i didn't really disagree with anything he said. The way President Obama set up his speech was to show America that he has ended the recession and that its time to move on to other pressing issues like child care and lifting the embargo in Cuba . I see no problem on how President Obama plans on dealing with the pressing issues the United States face.
5. Clearly the most pressing issue in America today is equality. This includes racial equality, marriage equality, and men & women wage equality. Ever since the united states was established in 1776, equality and freedom were the meaning of the United States. Now 239 years later citizens of america still are not being treated equal. In President Obama's State Of The Union address, he says that if a women can do the same job as a men, then she should be paid the same and that many Americans live in states where marriage equality is legal. I agree with what President Obama said on the topic of equality in America. Equality in America is important because Americans shouldn't be treated different because of their skin color or preference of the person they like.
1.President Obama’s tone throughout the address was very optimistic, confident, and hopeful. I think he took this approach to reaffirm his position his position as president and to try to appeal to those who may not have agreed with his presidency in the past. He does this by talking about all the accomplishments he’s done recently. In Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution it states that “The president shall from time to time to give to the congress information of the State Of The Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2.President Obama’s choice of words explicitly is not influenced from the fact that both houses of congress is controlled by Republicans. An example of this is when the president states “They were kind of quiet”, Obama jokes noting Republicans had not applauded for his policy proposals. This is because Republicans have not warmed to Obama’s proposals to finance free community college or raise taxes on wealthy individuals and they are not pleased by his veto threats. An example of his veto threats would be when he threatened to veto Republicans efforts to overturn his signature healthcare law, executive action loosening rules for undocumented immigrants, and efforts to force the White house to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline. So in this case it’s obvious on how well Obama feels on working with his enemies and to help advance America.
3.One statement that President Obama has advocated during his State of The Union Address that I would reinforce is the one about raising minimum wage and lowering taxes. I agree with this because raising minimum wage will help the economy by having less people in poverty and more people living in a more comfortable and healthy life. Also the youth of this generation need money to support themselves for living on their own in college life. And the other good point is lowering taxes, this leads to more affordable needs that people need to buy and it helps reduce the risk of the country into being in a recession.
4.I honestly did not disagree with any of President Obama’s points. All of his points are things that might shape America into being a good country. But in this case that’s exactly how President Obama constructed his speech in the first place. But overall, he is doing everything he can to help get America where it needs to be.
5.The most pressing issue in America today is safety and security. Especially today there’s a lot of terrorism going on and without the safety from the people that protect us we wouldn't live our lives like normal people would and we wouldn't trust anyone either. The President did emphasize on this issue and make the statement clear that he will continue hunting down terrorists and protect American safety. And I really liked how he emphasized that from the very beginning of his speech because it is that important to the strength and unity of this nation.
1.) Obama presumed a confident and positive tone as he is confident in the agenda he is presenting. He hopes to assure the American people and gain their trust as president. He wants people to believe in his policies and see the benefits. The constitution states, “He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient” in section three of article II.
2.) He talks about the amount of new jobs, the people who are now insured, and becoming less dependent on foreign oil to instill hopefulness in his listeners. He wants the American populations and especially republicans to trust his agenda. He wanted to get Republicans on board as they have a huge influence holding both houses of congress. Because of this, he says that instead of focusing on a checklist of proposals, he wants to focus on values at stake. He asks if we will turn against each other or “will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has always propelled America forward?” He states that his policies are working and will continue to work as long as “politics don’t get in the way.”
3.) I agreed with Obama when he said (talking to CEOs of America) , “If you want somebody who’s gonna get the job done and done right, hire a veteran.” The men who serve our country should have job security. They protect our country and should not come back and be unable to support their families.
4.) I disagree with the statement, “And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this... If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest working people in America a raise." Minimum wage is for people just starting out. It is an unskilled job. Working minimum wage is necessary for some when they are laid off or when things happen but it is not the destination job. That is why people go to college- to get a higher education to work in skilled jobs. And if companies have to pay minimum wage employees higher amounts, it is likely that they will not be able to afford to have many employees and those who should be benefiting, will be laid off.
5.) I think one of the most pressing issues is American safety. Terrorism and ISIS threatens American security. It is important for us to have security and to feel safe in our country. Obama touched on this and made a statement saying we can’t, “ let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century possesses.” He says that he will continue to, “hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks.” I agree that this needs to be done. We need to take action.
1.) President Obama appeared confident and proud. He chose to focus on all the things America has overcome, instead of focusing on the negative. I think he took this approach because he wants American to feel like we are making progress and that we will continue to improve. In Article 22, Section 3 of the Constitution, it says that as the president, Obama “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2.) I think President Obama chose his words carefully so it would seem like he and the other two houses of Congress are working together and are not opposing fronts. He said, “and I commit to every Republican here tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work with you to make this country stronger.” If there were two Democrats in the power positions of the Congress houses, that would not need to be said, but because there are, he needed to inform Americans that they actually are working. Obama also said, “and that's what all of us — Republicans and Democrats alike — were sent here to do (make a meaningful difference in the lives of families).” He refers to the opposing parties as an us, meaning they are one and have the same purpose. By saying that they have the same purpose, he is showing that they are unified and are working toward the same goal.
3.) I really liked his statement of “sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college — to zero.” I like it because it applies to me. College is expensive, especially when the student pays for it on their own. Making community college free would lower that cost immensely. When expanding on this concept, he says, “And I want to work with this Congress, to make sure Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments, so that student debt doesn't derail anyone's dreams.” I agree with that because at this point, student debt is almost unavoidable and debt really shouldn’t cause someone to not achieve their dreams and hopes of their future.
4.) I disagree with his statement concerning minimum wage. He said, “nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages.” Living off of minimum wage is really not possible, especially with a family, but people with a family should not be working minimum wage jobs. Having a family doesn’t just happen overnight. If someone is going to hold the responsibility of having a family, then they need to take on the responsibility of gaining an education, earning a job that pays enough to support their family, and being a responsible adult. Minimum wage jobs should be reserved for teenagers and college students that can’t work any other jobs.
5.) I think the most pressing issue in America is debt, whether it be a person’s individual debt or America’s debt of roughly $18,000,000,000,000 and is growing every second. I think this is important because America and Americans have so much of it. The last time America was not in debt was in 1835 when Andrew Jackson was president and even that did not last long. He briefly mentions student debt when addressing his plan of making community college free, which I agreed with in question 3.
1. President Obama's overall tone during his address was definitely hopeful and optimistic, his goal was to open his speech with the assurance that America is progressing together as a nation. Obama recited statistics that were more than comforting for a population that was under the impression that our economy was collapsing. He mentioned the change that has occurred over the course of his presidency and made it clear that he was willing to make more improvements in our search for a stronger energy source and how we can progress our economy to further heights. However, his tone shifted to one of more critical and in a way more assertive to the issues our nations faces with regards to terrorism and its prevalence in the news.
2. The Republican party has been infamously known as a political entity that aids the rich in their economic endeavors, unfairly or fairly is certainly subjective. However, Obama's goal to aid the middle class instead of strictly those below the poverty line demonstrates to the Republican party that he is more than willing to compromise certain aspects of his agenda. Obama is known for his progressive policies but is certainly one that is trying to plead with the party and is more willing to compensate certain elements of his agenda. His choice in words were not one that I believe was meant to start up controversy.
3. I agree with Obama's interest in re-establishing economic interests with Cuba. I am half Cuban and would like the opportunity to visit the family that I have there. Although I differ greatly from the communist ideology that still resonates with Cuba I believe that their exposure to America will allow their culture to thrive and will make a greater impact on their suffering economy. Obama plans to allow individuals to travel to Cuba and to expand the imports and exports to and from Cuba. This to me is something that would be beneficial for both parties and will unite the Caribbean under a democratic rule. Obama was very clear with stating the fact that the embargo is no longer useful to this era and should be eradicated, as it only limits economic opportunities.
4. I disagree with Obama's trust in local armies to defend themselves against terrorist organizations like ISIS, to me it seems futile and a waste of money. Although I believe that fighting a war against terrorism is certainly one that is not easily won, I believe that America and Western nations have no choice but to engage the enemy in this situation. Perhaps, instead of a large number of American troops, special forces units or mercenary groups would be more apt to continue the war on terrorism on the ground. Perhaps, more aerial attacks are necessary as a military strategy. I disagree that Obama has made real progress in fighting the pollutant ideology of ISIS and has not actually held accountability for their progression into the world arena.
5. In my personal opinion, the most pressing issue in America today is global terrorism and it's actual influence on the west. It is more than the fact that they are spreading their pollutant ideology and how it has degenerated an entire region of people into one that seems to be stuck in history, but the fact that the west has adopted it as a cultural difference. Terrorist groups have already divided Islam once again into a radical sect that is determined to suppress their people, misinterpreting a faith into something it wasn't intended to be. The Islamic State and ISIS are two political and religious entities that deserve to be disavowed from the world stage and should be eliminated entirely. I believe that our government must be more involved not only in defeating terrorist threats, but equally with addressing the social problems and oppression the people face under the Islamic State.
1.President Obama’s tone was both hopeful and positive because he provided specific improvements in America throughout the address. He also talked about what areas America is best in. I think he took a positive approach to show America he believes that we have improved as a country and that we will continue to improve since he has even more new ideas. Article ll of the Constitution, The Executive Branch, (section three) states “He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient”
2. Since Republicans are in control of both houses of Congress, I think President Obama made his choice of words more specific. He included many examples of why his ideas should be considered. Most Republicans may not agree with some of his ideas because his ideas include using money from taxes. For example, Obama wants to make community college free and most Republicans wouldn’t completely agree with that idea. President Obama explained many reasons why it was a great idea. He explained how America became better when we made high school free and he explained how we need to upgrade our education. President Obama stated “I want to spread that idea all over America.” He then added that the Republican state, Tennessee, has showed free community college is possible. Obama was trying to reach out to republicans with that statement.
3. I most agree with Obama’s statements “As a new generation of veterans come home, we owe them every opportunity to live the American dream to help defend.” And, “we are making it easier for vets to translate their training and experience into civilian jobs.” I agree with him because after sacrificing their life for our freedom, Veterans deserve to be able to get decent civilian jobs without a lot of problems. Especially since there would be no jobs available without the freedom that veterans provide.
4. I disagree with Obama’s statement, “the right to vote is being denied to too many.” Voting is open to both women and men of any race and religion. Voting is open to every adult citizen of America.
5. I think the most pressing issue in America today is America’s debt. I think America’s debt is a very important issue because we spend more money than we make. As our debt increases, we owe more money so the current generation clearly is not paying off our debt. As a result, future generations may have to pay off our current debt and that is not fair since they had no part in our debt. Debt is also a huge issue because republicans and democrats cannot agree on a way to pay off our debt. Obama did address collecting tax in his SotU, which could help pay off our debt, however I do not agree because our debt is only growing.
1. President Obama's tone seems to be confident and reflective in many senses. He took this approach to not only show the people of the United States that he has made improvements with many of his policies, but to project to the people that he is sure in what he is doing and that they can not only trust the actions he is proposing but they can believe in what he is saying. It states that in Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I do think that this influences his choice of words in many ways. He has to take a more conservative approach when addressing many of the controversial topics between the two parties because he does not want to lean more towards the democratic side of handling the issue when he in fact needs of the approval of such the opposite. That's why throughout the speech he tries to state on every topic how its the "right thing to do" and that "its what we need" instead of trying to say why the democrats should do it. Just like when he addresses the story about the wife and husband and their economic struggle he ends it with "its the right thing to do" instead of shoving democratic policies on how to fix it he uses a more blended approach.
3. I agree with his points about gender equality when it comes to wages. When he says "That’s why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work." I think this is something that needs to be actually addressed and to actually have action because with all this talk about how the middle class is the priority and how they are the ones that will boom the economy back to where it needs to be and they are the ones that define our nation, it means nothing if we cant even guarantee the same wage on a job just because two people are different sexes. The nation and especially the middle class will not unite if there is not equality. You cannot get the economy going when half of the middle class is being paid differently just based on their gender. fairness is sovereignty.
4. I disagree most with the notion to make community college free. i disagree with this because i think this action will get abused very quickly. Before we know it people will take advantage of this free education and much like how you see in most high schools, kids will not only waste the teachers time and the taxpayers who will be the ones to make that college education free, but they will waste their own time. Right now with college you have kids that actually want to be there. By it costing money it ensures that when they do pay to go there that in one way or form they do want to strive and do want to be there otherwise they wouldn't pay to do so. Community college should not be free.
5. I think one of the most pressing issues whether we like it or not is still race. People even to this day are still blaming certain outcomes of the economy and decisions made that directly correlate to them based on their race. Just like the chaos in Ferguson, yes it was something the people do not want to hear about and yes it looks like something that can taken from different standpoints, but to judge actions based off race and to say someone is innocent or guilty or bad or good just because the tone of their skin is just ignorant. people need to stop using race as a point in an argument and start using it as something of equality. Mr. Obama did briefly bring up the Trials and race, but all in all it was mainly about safety and how even though the race card was pulled at the end of the day people just want safety and i do agree with that. Whether we be black, white, asian, hispanic or middle eastern people just want to be safe.
1.)I believe that President Obama's general tone was optimistic and confident. The president chose to take this approach because he wants this mentality to reflect on the citizens of the US as progress had been made and will continue to be made with this positive outlook and determination. Although he maintains this tone for a substantial amount of time, the President’s tone does waver as he begins to take about more serious matters. Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution states that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” which gives him the power to take this approach.
2.)I believe that the President’s choice of words were influenced by this because he mentions the Congress several times within the address and specifically says, “In two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that are practical, not partisan. And in months ahead, ill crisscross the country making a case for those ideas.” Meaning that his ideas may have been thought to be impractical in the past and so in order to justify his ideas, he describes his ideas non partisan.
3.)A statement that I most agree with is, “Maintaining the conditions for growth and competitiveness. This is where America needs to go. I believe it’s where the American people want to go. It will make our economy stronger a year from now, fifteen years from now…” I agree with this statement most because it is the overall importance of the US. We must maintain and continue to grow in order to be a successful country and successful individuals within the country and success is something that we all strive for.
4.)One statement that I disagree with is, “I know how tempting cynicism may be. But I still think the cynics are wrong.” I disagree with this statement because often times, people are motivated by self interest and cynicism may be the gateway to new and more improved ideas that could potentially lead to a greater country as a whole.
5.)One pressing issue in America today is the importance of finding new discoveries. I believe that this is important because in discovering new things, this can further help the advancement of the US when compared to other countries. President Obama did touch on this topic when he said,” I want to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that unleash new jobs converting sunlight to fuel…” and so on. I agree with this because he is hoping to discoveries that will also help us to become more efficient and not just in other way when compared to others.
1. The tone president Obama had was proud and confident to give the American people what they want to hear. This gives the public hope that positive change in general is coming. The excerpt from the Constitution that gives the President this power is from Article 2 section 3: ““shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I think it did influence his word choice a little. He used the word “we” several times and words like “unite” as well. He also pointed out that America is a country that is able to “bridge divides,” referring to the two political parties America has. I do not think it affected his agenda since he said he agenda is the same as the day he got into office, but he does keep pointing out that he wants to work with everyone who agrees with him and people who do not agree with him (Republicans).
3. The part I agreed the most about was his input on college. He proposed to make community college free for everybody. This not only helps people pursue a higher education but it helps improve the economy since people with more knowledge is able to create new technology to promote economic growth, increasing the GDP and decreasing unemployment. If the government helps the people, the people in turn help the country, creating a positive cycle.
4. I do not disagree with any particular part. He worded his address this way so that everyone would understand and benefit from it. Nothing in the address is too controversial since it benefits everybody.
5. I believe the most pressing issue right now is the issue of climate change. Climate change not only affects the current generation, but it affects the future generations and the whole human population. By proposing decreasing carbon emissions even more and for China to commit to reducing its emissions, it is a good step forward to helping the future. Also, since the U.S is a global superpower, it also has the duty to help other nations, and the biggest issue affecting other nations right now is global climate change. Slowly each year, the global temperatures are rising, and if nothing is done to slow it down, the planet as we know it, may soon cease to exist.
1. President Obamas overall tone was uplifting and encouraging. He took this approach by letting Americans know that we have seen bad times and to reassure them that we have been through worse and to continue to have hope. He reminds everyone of the things we have overcome and beaten and proposes that everyone stay calm. Article II, Section 3 states that "he shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures.."
2. I believe that the republicans being in control of both houses of congress did not influence what he said. During the speech he addressed issues that he wanted to be fixed in the future. all throughout the his speech he stated "Its the right thing to do" to tell everyone that hes not doing this for some benefit and fame, but rather because its what will strengthen our country. This is his opinion and if it goes against the republicans ideologies, so be it. He redressed some of the issues that he brought up the first year he was in office, so this shows that he is sticking to what he has always believed.
3. I agree with President Obama when he talks about education and free community college. College is only becoming more and more expensive and even though there is financial aid and scholarships, its not enough and there isn't enough of it. Education should happen to shape the youth and create more well informed people, it should not be about the money. with free community college more people will pursue a higher education and this would lead to a smarter society and this would have a positive snowballing effect. The youth is the future.
4. I have to disagree with his statement about raising minimum wage. minimum wage jobs are not meant to be made a career of. raising the minimum wage will only encourage more people to not pursue a higher education and this could lead to a higher rate of highschool and college dropouts. minimum wage is minimum becasue it requires a minimal amount of education and skill.
5. i believe that the biggest issue is our national debt. We are just continuing to waste money on useless things and society needs to be educated on it more to help prevent the debt from continuing to get worse. As debt gets worse, taxes go up, and as taxes continue to raise, people tend to spend less. So we need to resolve the issue of debt as quickly as we possibly can, so future generations are left better off.
1) I think that the general tone of president Obama’s address was generally didactic, reassuring, and stern. I think he took this approach to overall reassure the American people. There are many problems afflicting the U.S. currently and Obama is often criticized with not doing enough to address the issues. Obama uses the stern, reassuring tone to relay his successes throughout the years to remind the public that he’s made prominent and efficient progress. Also I think that there are a lot of people worried about the effectiveness of the law making process in the government since the republicans won the majority of seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives and it’s unlikely that they’d agree to pass President Obama’s propositions. I think he wants to reassure the American people that this standoff won’t deter his efforts in trying to produce new policies to help the American public. The excerpt that allows him this power in the constitution lies in article 2, section 3, this states that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient...”
2) I think that president Obama definitely worded his speech the way he did because of the republican’s hold on both of the houses. I think that he knows undoubtedly that it’ll be a task trying to get his agenda passed but he kept referencing themes about unity. He stated in one instance that “we are a strong tight knit family who has made it through some very hard times” he then went on to say “we don’t just want everyone to share a success, we want everyone to contribute to success”. I believe that his emphasis on togetherness was to not pit himself against the republicans but to invite them to help him along so that’d he’d have a better chance of success at passing his policies.
3) “That's what middle-class economics is -- the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. We don't just want everyone to share in America's success -- we want everyone to contribute to our success.” I agreed most with this statement because I believe in equality and justice and that it is an intricate part of the success of middle class economics. I also believe that equality and justice aren’t often executed as perfectly as it is depicted to be. So I agree with president Obama that if we’re all going to reap the same benefits then we should all sow the same seed so that everyone benefits as they should.
4) ”In today's economy, when having both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need affordable, high-quality childcare more than ever. It's not a nice-to-have -- it's a must-have.” Maybe because I don’t have a child yet I don’t quite understand how much of an issue childcare is, but from my standpoint I think this is the thing I disagreed most with. Yes, it’d be nice to have lower childcare but it’d be nice to have the prices of other necessities lowered too, but the fact of the matter is is that prices of goods and services cannot just be lowered at whim. The people caring for children still need money too and it wouldn’t be fair to lower their wages. Also childcare isn’t just that pressing of an issue. There are diplomatic problems that need to be tended to, there is a national debt far from being paid off, there are pending terrorists etc. I just don’t believe that childcare should have been a significant point to convey in the State of The Union Address; I think it was quite irrelevant.
5) The most pressing issue in America to me is the subject of civil right. This is extremely important to me because I believe that every life big or small, white or black is equal in value and should be treated as such. Lately I’ve been seeing an awful lot of news about the harsh encounters that the black community has been having with police. The events of Ferguson, MO as well as the case of Eric Garner in New York and many other places strike a chord in my heart and is very hard to watch, so justice for these people that have suffered so much is a really important issue to me. Obama very briefly gave a spiel on the topic; he was quoted as saying “Surely we can agree it's a good thing that for the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate have come down together, and use that as a starting point for Democrats and Republicans, community leaders and law enforcement, to reform America's criminal justice system so that it protects and serves us all.” I believe the need to reform the justice system as well so I agree in that aspect however I would’ve liked for him to expand on this said “reformation”. I’d have liked to hear a couple ideas about how we could specifically reform the justice system; yes, something needs to be done, but what?
1. Overall, President Obama’s tone in this address was optimistic and reassuring. I think he took this approach because, despite the fact that some Americans do not agree with his sentiments or positions on things, he felt that it was important to convey to the people that the nation is great and will continue to be great. His stance may not have justified each and everything action he’s made in his presidency, but it did give a sense of pride and hope to the American people. Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution states that the president ““shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I believe this heavily influenced President Obama’s choice of words and the agenda he was trying to promote. Throughout much of his presidency, there has been a major clash between the democrats and republicans in law making, the democrats typically pushing a bill that is then denied due to the heavy influence of republicans in Congress. Just by the fact that President Obama stated, “And I commit to every Republican here tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work with you to make this country stronger.", shows that there is obviously conflict between the two parties that is important enough to address.
3.
a.) “We need to lower the cost of community college – to zero.”
I agree with this statement because I believe that the United States is greatly lacking in the education department. It is ridiculous to see how much the cost of higher education has gone up and it disgusts me to find that the brightest people choose to not attend higher education because of tuition and housing costs. Being a citizen of an E.U. member state, I can get a small apartment and go to school in any E.U. member state for a lower cost than attending university here in Florida.
b.) “I’ve seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our country, a civil right now legal in states that seven in ten Americans call home.”
I agree with this sentiment because people who happen to choose a different lifestyle than others should not be punished for doing so. It’s been seen in this country that “separate but equal” laws are completely wrong, but I feel like that’s what this country is now doing with gays and lesbians. However, it is great that many states have finally legalized it.
4.
a.) “It’s not a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have. It’s time we stop treating child care as a side issue, or a women’s issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us.”
I disagree with this simple because I don’t think it should be necessary that so many people send their children to child-care. Although it is important to have an option when no friends or family are available, I feel that the real problem behind this issue is that Americans work so much. From looking at the statistics, Americans have less days off, less sick days available to them, and are often forced to work hours that would be ridiculous to people of other countries. Moms should be allowed paid time off from work if they have a child, simply for the betterment of the child’s first years of life. I don’t like that it seems to be normal here in the Unites States to leave your children with strangers all day, 5 days a week. If citizens want to say that we value family, then this needs to change.
5. I think the most pressing issue in America today is the incredibly large debt that our nation and our citizens hold. No other country has as much personal or national debt, yet Americans grow up almost believing that it’s not a big deal. Again, the United States is singled out, in a negative manor, from all of the other countries in the world. The national debt is growing every second. The President only briefly mentions the debt in his speech while discussing college fees. Many sources that reflect and comment on the president’s State of the Union Address note that the president “skipped over” the issue of debt in the country, which I find a little strange.
1) Throughout President Obama's State of The Union address, his tone was very confident, empowering, and reassuring. During his speech he acknowledged many of his successes, like decreases unemployment, ending two wars, and proving health care for millions who didn't have it before. The president took this approach to reassure Americans on the economies improvement, and to persuade Republican's to continue using current plans and policies for further improvement. In article 2, section 3 of The Constitution it states," The President shall from time to time give to the congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."
2) I think Republicans being in control of both Houses of Congress absolutely influenced president Obama's choice of words. He has to persuade them to continue using current policies specifically when addressing raising minimum wage and lowering the cost of community college. he said, "Try and work with me." when addressing the Republicans with hopes that they would take these issues into consideration.
3)I most agree with president Obama's statement on raising minimum wage, his argument for raising the current minimum wage is fair and feasible. He states that living with a $15,000 income, trying to provide for one's self and possibly providing for children, is unrealistic.
4)His speech focused on his successes and future improvements. With such a positive delivery there wasn't anything personally with which I disagreed.
5) I believe a very pressing issue in America today is feminism. President Obama addressed women still not being equally paid to men, in the same work field, he stated it was time for that to change. I very much agree, it's 2015 and something so simple such as difference in gender, shouldn't determine your income. It should be based on quality of work, experience, and years of service.
1. President Obama's tone was extremely confident. He was very keen on pointing
out the successes of his administration but he in no way sounded like he was
trying to defend it. I think he most likely took this approach to his speech
because of the constant criticism he has taken from the American people. He
pointed out to the people what he had been triumphant in doing. Article II,
Section 3 of the US Constitution requires the president to give at least one
speed to the nation every year.
2. The president's speech gave me the impression that he was in the last couple
of months of his term because of the way he was talking about his
accomplishments instead of about the things he hopes to do in the future. I
think in some ways he may have hinted that he knows he will not be able to get
anything accomplished while the Republicans hold the majority. When he talks
about "government not screwing things up" I believe he is really trying to say
that he hopes the Republicans don't force a freeze on the government.
3. I most agree with the president's claims about the government's "socialistic"
components like public schools, medicare. The "middle-class economics" as he put
it. I agree because those are the things that make America so special. The
backbone of the economy is not based on the business giants, it is based on the
middle-class workers and business owners.
4. I disagree with his statements about veteran benefits. I do not believe
that the democratic presidency, which is not nearly as supportive of the Armed
Forces as the Republics, is doing everything they can for veterans. It seemed
very forced that President Obama commented on how hard he was trying to help
veterans.
5. I think the most pressing issue in America is the huge disparity between the
desires of the Democrats and Republics. Our government will never accomplish
anything 'real' when the two parties are simply trying to beat each other or, in
better words, stop each other from accomplishing their goals. The president
briefly spoke to both parties about agreeing on things more like they used to.
Essentially, he said that the parties used to work much better than they do now.
I agree with him. I think that whether the republicans or democrats hold the
majority or the presidency our government should be able to get laws passed and
bills signed and get things done.
1.) The general tone of the State of the Union address was very optimistic, forward-thinking, and confident. President Obama seemed very enthusiastic about his next two years in office, and seemed to truly want to change the nation. I believe he had this approach because our nation is prospering right now. We have come out of 2008's Great Recession, stronger, wiser, and in better shape than before. "Our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999." Article II Section 3 states that "He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the state of the union..." this allows Obama to address Congress and the American people of the current issues and developments affecting our nation.
2.) I do believe that the Republican majority in both houses of Congress influenced his choice of words and agenda he was promoting. For example when mentioning a possible future legislation on immigration reform Obama stated that "it will earn my veto." This was directed primarily towards the Republican majority who have been wanting to pass Immigration reform for some time now. Later in the speech when talking about raising the minimum wage, President Obama said that Congressmen should try to raise a family on 15,000 dollars a year, or support raising wages.
3.) One statement made by the President that I agreed with was the movement to offer two free years of community college to every citizen of the nation. I agree with this effort because although it might cost a substantial amount of money to fund, the payoff will be exponentially greater. If we educate the workforce we will be able to have higher paying jobs stay states-side, and our Gross GDP will increase in the long run. Another statement made by President Obama was passing a "bipartisan infrastructure plan that could create more than thirty times as many jobs per year" than the proposed Keystone Pipeline. This will benefit the nation, and create thousands of jobs both in the short and long run.
4.) I agreed with most of what Obama said, however I didn't think it was very professional to throw the "I've already won both elections at the Republican majority." I also didn't think it was professional for the majority of the Congressmen to be so restless and rude when the President was speaking.
5.) I believe that the most pressing issue in America today is racial violence. I believe that in many areas of the nation prejudice and racism is still alive and well. As demonstrated in Ferguson and New York over the past months the tension is extremely high. The President didn't say a lot about this in the State of the Union.
1.President Obama's speech was positive. He may have a positive tone because he wants the American people to believe everything is going good under his leadership and is paving the way for the next election even though he is not running. He is given the power from act 2 section 3,"from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient".
2.I feel as though this was propaganda because he was trying to gather more support and make it seem as though he did a better job than he did,"Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs","We can use that money to help more families pay for childcare and send their kids to college". He also wanted it to be free for kids to get their AA free which would in turn make school education depreciate and where would the money for this come from?
3."our activities are changing the climate, and if we don’t act forcefully, we’ll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration and conflict and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it". I feel that he is correct because we as humans need to be more aware of how we are impacting the environment.
4." it makes no sense to spend $3 million per prisoner to keep open a prison that the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit". If we let the prisoners free then they will be like recruited by tourist groups.
5.I believe that the biggest problem as of right now is the national debt. This is a major problem because we are not doing enough to prevent the debt from growing and we keep spending.
1. The general tone of President Obama's address was fairly serious, with the exception of some humorous and whimsical moments. He was also sounded very proud of his accomplishments as President, as well as very hopeful for progress in the years to come. He took this approach because he does not need to put on a front to impress the people since he does not have any more campaigns to run, but he is rather attempting to do things that will benefit the people and their interests. In Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution it states "He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."
2. I believe that this divide influenced his choice of words. For example, he repeatedly used the phrase “bipartisan effort,” suggesting that both Republicans and Democrats need to work together to accomplish more things pertaining to the agenda. With the differences in opinion from opposing parties, not much will get passed and President Obama recognizes this. He wants to work together with Republicans to pass things that will progress America and its people.
3. I most agree with President Obama’s statement that the quality of community college needs to be raised and that 2 years of community college will be made free. This will benefit 9 million people and save them $3,800 per year, which is a substantial amount to those who are in the lower and middle class and are looking to expand their opportunities. This change will allow more people access to higher education, which will grant them higher paying jobs and a brighter future. This will benefit the nation as a whole since more people will be educated, creating more advancements in technology, medicine, and beyond.
4. I most disagree with President Obama’s statement proposing to commit $340 million in economic assistance and a $1 billion loan guarantee to Ukraine. While we are allies, that is a great amount of money expended towards foreign efforts. We need to put more of that money towards efforts at home in the United States. I do believe it is still necessary to assist Ukraine, but I do not believe to that financial extent.
5. The most pressing issue in America today is expanding jobs, raising the minimum wage, and continuing to lower the poverty level. This is crucial to the nation as a whole because we depend on our workers and they depend on their jobs and income as well. In order to accomplish more, the people need to feel financially, mentally, and physically secure and the expansion of jobs allows them to do so. We as a great nation allow people to live the “American Dream” through the extensive opportunities available and these opportunities need some updating to be able to continue to deliver. President Obama did address this in the SOTU and said that the minimum wage will be raised, more jobs will be created, and there will be new jobs created of higher pay as well. I agree with this because this most directly affects the people and the lives that they carry out. Many of the things people do and what they believe in depends on the life that they live, and this can be positively changed with advancements in job availabilities.
1) Smooth, calm, confident, and assertive
President Obama took this approach because he wanted to get his points across in a manner that would grab the country's attention. He wanted America to receive the progress and the issues that we have to help us move along and become even better than we are and have more progress in the future. Article 2 Section 3: "he shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommended to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient"
2)I think this definitely influenced his choice of words including the agenda he was trying to promote because it showed that he wants more changes for the better to occur in our country even though we've had some progress, he knows that there can be much more in the future to come.
3)"That's why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work. Really. It's 2015. It's time."
I agree with this because a woman can do the same as a man in the workforce and it happens every day. Women fight for this country just as hard as men do every single day in each war that we are placed in, and they deserve the same status and rights as the male population.
"We have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills"
I agree with this because I feel as though if the people of our society have the chance to improve in the places that need improvement, then we can continue to have success and progress.
4)"Abortions are nearing all-time lows"
I disagreed because I personally feel as though women should have the right to choose if they want to abort their child or not; it's something that should not be looked down upon because every woman is not the same and it's their body and life at the end of the day.
5)I believe that education for students is the most pressing issue for America. This issue is so important because the students of today are the country's next Presidents, CEOs, Managers, Teachers, Researchers, etc. President Obama discussed this in his State of the Union speech stating, "But in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to do more". I truly agree because we need to continue to make progress in our researches and having knowledge will help our country have more success and be able to creat new inventions and cures for the many diseases and sicknesses that have not been found.
1. President Obama displayed a tone of authoritative pride and confidence, showing how proud he is to be an American and that there is hope for the advancement of the United States. Obama took this approach in order to reassure the public that not only the financial crisis all Americans were so sure of is not true, but that we are a strong, united nation. He spoke about the changes he enacted as president and the further improvements he wished to see happen. Later in his speech, he detailed how our country may face terrorism, but he maintained a can-do attitude. In the Constitution Article II, Section 3 states that Obama “shall from time to time give to the congress information of the State Of The Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I absolutely think this affected his speech although he still maintained a respectful tone. Compared to previous years, Obama’s speech was aimed at looking towards the future and reminiscing about how strong America is despite our setbacks. His cocky attitude is quiet apparent when he says, “At every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too ambitious….a stock market that has doubled, and health care inflation at its lowest rate in fifty years.” I believe he spoke about what truly mattered to him. This SotU was his chance to wrap up his presidency and like he normally does in any speech, he spoke of “middle-class economics” and the need for better care for the working man by using money from wealthy “Wall-street” companies to endorse the advancement of healthcare, childcare, etc.
3. I appreciated how Obama addressed an issue close to many young Americans – the cost of college. He said, “That's why I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college – to zero.” If Obama could make this plan actually take effect, then the rate of college graduates would increase tenfold. I am a relatively well-off citizen and I worry about the future loans I will need in order to graduate school. If my burdens are this heavy, then I can only imagine that someone with little financial assistance must feel helpless. Obama also said, “It's why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims – the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace.” For him to not only mention the issue, but to add a comment that could put him in a tight spot with a large percentage of Americans, shows me that he respects all walks of life and believes every person deserves the freedoms American offers.
4. I disagree when Obama says, “it makes no sense to spend three million dollars per prisoner to keep open a prison that the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit.” If there were not prisons available to hold the criminals who terrorize our country, then we could not be free to let our children play in the yard or let our daughters go to the grocery store alone. Security is key to the survival of justice and freedom. If people were good and innocent, then they would be revealed in the court system, with a few exceptions. I understand changing the prison system and mandating more physical labor, not abuse, which could generate income for the jails to be self-sustaining. However, completely removing a large portion of the prison funding, will only lead to injustice and chaos.
5. I wholeheartedly believe that today’s most pressing issue is equality of human beings. Every person deserves the right to choose, whether that be their life partner or if they are treated equally to man or woman. Obama states, “I want future generations to know that we are a people who see our differences as a great gift, that we are a people who value the dignity and worth of every citizen.” In sum, he envisions a nation of equality between people who see each other only as human. I agree that everyone should have the opportunity to make their own choices and not have laws or society tell them they cannot do something. Obama has the right idea thinking that we must work to treat each other with dignity and fairness.
1. President Obama was very optimistic and confident during his speech. Like always, in my opinion, he allows Americans to be very hopeful about the future and maintains his agenda on how he’s going to continue to change different aspects for the better. The specific excerpt that gives him this power is Article 2, Section 2 stating that “He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of Union…”
2. I don’t think President Obama tries to change any of his choice of words or agenda to accommodate the Republicans. However, I do believe that he is trying to get them to realize that in order for them to get things done, they have to work together. He specially stated “…I will seek to work with you to make this country stronger.”
3. The statement that I most agree with that President Obama said is that women should get paid the same as men in the workforce. I agree with this because it’s only fair, point blank. Companies get the same benefits from both women and men working. If everything is equal, they should be getting paid the same amount of money.
4. The statement that I disagree with that President Obama said is that people should get higher paying jobs even if they didn’t get the higher education. I disagree with this because I believe people should get rewarded for the amount of effort they’ve put into school. It would not be fair for someone who has a lower amount of education to get a higher paying job as someone who has a higher education simply because the person with the higher education put in more time and effort and knew that in order to succeed, they need to stay on track with their education. I would not be okay with going to school for multiple years, just to find out that someone who’s been to school for way less years than I have, will receive a better paying job.
5. The most pressing issue in America today is ISIS and the threat of terrorism across the world. This is important because it affects safety and well-being of all Americans. President Obama did address this by asking Congress for an authorization of the use of military force to withstand the fight against Isis. I agree with this because it seems to be the only way we can solve this issue.
1. President Obama maintained a very confident, reassured and positive tone throughout his speech. The first major points of his speech were the “improving economy over the last 2 months”, “the economy growing at its fastest pace since 1999”, “the middle-class economics works” and “ten million uninsured Americans gained the security of health coverage”. President Obama sought to initially highlight the positive legislative progressions that occurred over the last twelve months. I believe that is was important for him to begin with on a affirmative, favorable note with the sustained economy, education and health care in order to encourage Americans to have a positive mindset. According to the Constitution’s Article II, Section III, “He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient”.
2. Currently, both houses of Congress (House of Representatives and the Senate) are represented mostly by Republicans. President Obama was extremely careful in his word choice in order to appease the GOP representatives. He emphasized unity and solidarity by repeating the term “bipartisan” four times during his speech concerning “infrastructure plans” and the economy. Over the last few years, Republicans have clashed with the President and other Democrats over Social Security spending, tax proposals and the universal health care system (“Obamacare”). The President refrained from harping on their differences in opinions, but focused on coming together to fight “terrorist groups such as ISIS”.
This highlighted the idea that despite the two groups having contrasting domestic and world views, they can combine efforts to combat a common issue.
3. One of the most significant statements that President Obama made during his speech was “women need to get paid the same as men for doing the same work”. As the days, months and years pass, the United States needs to take measures that promote equality between men and women. It starts in the workplace. I believe that the President was compassionate when advocating for equal pay of women in terms of wages and salaries, especially considering the plight of women to earn simple rights such as suffrage.
4. President Obama said that he wants to raise taxes on the top 1% of American society. According to Forbes.com, the top 1% makes $380,000 and above. This six-figure number is for a single household. There are a few job possibilities to attain this level of income, for example: both parents could be general dentists, a father could be an executive at a Fortune 500 company or a mother could be a software engineer at Google. I disagree that taxes should increase for the top 1% because a family that has a combined income in the mid-six figures probably does not consider themselves wealthy. $380,000 is a sustainable amount of money to live off of and a family could also afford luxuries such as vacations, nice cars and nice homes. However, I believe that if taxes are raised on the individuals that may reside in the lower bracket of that 1%, they may see damaging effects to their financial stability, as they are not necessarily “wealthy” but simply upper-middle class. They may not be able to afford a higher percentage of their disposable income allocated to taxes because that money may need to go towards their children’s education or investments.
5. The most pressing issue in the United States today is civil rights and impartiality within our social and political realms. Michael Brown and Eric Garner highlight the growing tensions between African-American men and the police. The aforementioned black men lost their lives as a result of racial strains that continue to plague our bigoted society fifty-one years after the groundbreaking Civil Rights Act of 1964. Secondly, according to President Obama’s speech, overall women are still salaried less than men, even if they are doing the same exact work. It is important that women and men are paid the same amount because gender simply represents a classification, not what an individual is capable of. President Obama did briefly touch on gender equality as one of his topics, as pay discrimination has become increasingly important as more women enter high-paying, demanding fields such as engineering and medicine. I do agree with the President that equality in terms of race and gender is significant in our society because the writers of the Constitution guaranteed equal opportunity to all.
1.The general tone of Presidents Obama was very positive, and optimistic. I think he took this approach to better show to Americans that these plans will work and they will create changes in our lives for the better.
2.I do not think this influenced his choice of words. I feel the President Obama promoted ideas and plans he felt that would better America for the best even if the Republicans didn't agree with him. He mentioned during his speech that it was okay that they didn't agree with him but to try and work with him where they do agree with him.
3. One of the statements I agree with most, made by President Obama was his statement about jobs in America. He started off saying we want them here in America which is true we also need them. Having an increase of jobs will better off our country to make it stronger like President Obama said “ for decades to come “ which is what we need .
4.I do agree with lowering community cost, but I also feel that this action could bring upon problems as well. In his speech he mentioned that he wanted two years of college to become as free as and universal as high school today. He mentioned he wanted to lower the cost of community college to zero I feel that today we take the cost of high school being free for granted, so we do not try as hard. Having to pay for college motivates many people to try as much harder because they are paying for their classes. Looking at it in that perspective making the cost go to zero could affect us in a negative way.
5.I feel like the most pressing issue in America today is our lack of jobs. I think this is important in helping our economy strive and better than it is today. Yes this is an issue President Obama talked about in his state of the union by saying that he wants to pass a partisan infrastructure plan to create thirty times as many jobs per year. I do agree with him, creating more jobs can only better us, it is also something we need in order to improve our economy.
1.) The tone was one of satisfaction and seriousness. Through this approach, he was able to formally address the necessary matters, allowing Americans to be assured of his duties and responsibilities. In Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution it states, "He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient;” which gives the president this power.
2.) I think this influenced the agenda that he was promoting since he stated that he would converse with the republicans to discuss matters, which would better America. Enable to create a better future for the nation, he brings his attention to the situations, which need to be addressed. For instance, he mentioned that democrats and republicans have differing opinions regarding abortion. However, the two parties have acknowledged that both teen pregnancies and abortion rates have decreased. Both the republicans and democrats converse with one another to make rational and suitable decisions to better America.
3.) I most agree with the President’s point that there should be a law passed that makes sure “women get paid the same as men for doing the same work” if they are equally capable. Women have been degraded in society in the past, such as being unable to vote and hold jobs. Society’s progress in guaranteeing them this freedom should be continued, allowing them to receive the same pay as men. Women are as equally capable of performing and learning as men are and deserve to be treated justly. I also agree that 2 years of community college should be free. It was stated that “71% of students who earning a bachelor’s degree graduate with debt averaging $29,400. If it were free, 9 million people would save $3,800 a year.” This is a significant amount and would increase the education of those attending college.
4.) I disagree with President Obama’s matter of taxing. The top .1% of citizens pay 81% of the taxes, the rest of the top .1% pay 18% of the taxes, which leaves the rest of the top 5% paying 1%. This demonstrates the concept that the top 5% of the population pays for closing Reagan’s trust fund loophole. Obama believes that those who have a higher income should be taxed higher. Those with higher incomes work hard for their money and a larger portion of it is taken through taxes to fund for those who need more money. Consequently, the people with lower incomes may rely entirely on the taxation of the top 5% and be less inclined to get a higher paying job. In my opinion, this is unjust for those who earn more and work hard to make a living only to have it taken away. There should be a flat tax rate where everyone is taxed on the amount in which they spend. Therefore, those who purchase large luxury items and those who purchase smaller items will fairly be paying their share of the taxes on which they buy.
5.) The most pressing issue is the concept that Obama mentioned how republicans aided nuclear funds for another country. This could put America in danger and build uncertain trust among citizens. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, many Americans felt in danger and at risk. Therefore, aiding another country militarily is an issue and concern for many Americans. Focus should be on building a better future for America. Attention brought towards building up any other nation’s weaponry is risky, frightening and dangerous for the wellbeing of American citizens. Obama addresses how “we stand united with people around the world who have been targeted by terrorists from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris. We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks.” I entirely agree with the President. It is important to protect all citizens and to take no risks, which could potentially put us in danger. Through preparation and the building up of America, it will allow us to be prepared for any possible attacks. The United States is a unified country and all measures must be taken to protect the safety and comfort of our citizens.
1. President Obama’s tone was very assertive, confident, and determined. This shows his authoritative charisma as he speaks in front of the audience and seems self-assured with the progress made in his term. I think he took this approach in order to portray himself as a leader, acknowledging the improvements that have occurred during his term based on statistics given, who is trying to do the best for this country. In the constitution in Article II Section 3, it states, “He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient…” requiring the president to report to Congress.
2. I think this only influenced his choice of words a little bit, but overall it did not. One part where it may have taken some effect in his words is the part where he states “Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this” on the subject of infrastructure, which may imply some tension between the two parties and try to encourage the houses to agree or compromise with that agenda.
3. In one statement, Obama claimed of taking further action to stop terrorists groups such as ISIS. I agree with this because I those groups pose a huge threat not only to our country, but to the rest of the world as well. I also believe that we cannot do this alone, but will need other allies to stop the terrorism.
4. One proclamation Obama made that I do not agree with was making community college free, but only because that applies to certain applicants and excludes those in need to pay for other public colleges, such as state universities. Instead, the money it would take to make community colleges free should be given out as grants so that it can be suited for all students and they can use the money to any credited college of their choosing.
5. I think the most pressing issue in America is the economy, but specifically employment. This is important because by focusing on how to increase it, more people who are in need of it and are in the labor participation group can acquire one. Obama mentioned how in the last five years, 11 million jobs have been created, compared to how when he took office, 750,000 jobs were lost per month. He also gave an example of how Rebekah and her family were struggling and her husband previously lost his job but they have made it through with employment. I agree with the importance of Obama’s anecdote because it showed that together, we can surpass the obstacles of employment; by doing so, it will increase the nation’s gross domestic product from the rise in production, which will lead to a more efficient economy.
1. President Obama's general tone was confident, empowering and optimistic about the future. He touches on the struggles the country has faced regarding in this century regarding terrorism, war, and the recession. He then shines light on great improvements in the economy, job growth, and more. I think he took this approach to uplift America and assure the people of his effectiveness as president. Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, states the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I believe this did influence his choice of words. After announcing all of the advancements that arose from his presidency, he made reference to those who doubted his policies, who said that they would "crush jobs and explode deficits". This is clearly directed towards Republicans. He does this to show how their judgments wrong and to assure Americans that his policies actually work and his agenda is not "misguided" or "too ambitious".
3. I agree most with his proposition that community college should be free. This will give so many people better, more accessible opportunities and increase the skilled workforce. Student debt cripples countless Americans and not having to live with that burden would be beneficial for everyone.
4. Honestly, there was nothing that I disagreed with. I am in favor of all of his propositions but the money necessary for carrying these out will likely be a significant issue.
5. I think the most pressing issue is equality. We need to decrease the wage gap and strengthen the middle class. Gay marriage should be legalized and women should be guaranteed equal pay as men for the same work. These are civil liberties that people are entitled to and should not require further debate. President Obama did touch on wage, marriage, and gender equality, saying that the people justice to be served in regard to these issues. Before any other progress is accomplished, people deserve to have their most basic needs met.
1. The general tone of the President's SotU was positive, promising, and progressive. He took this approach to portray the platform that he spoke of as the future of America and to lend the Democratic Party a cohesive message for the next few years. Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution gives the president power to address Congress. It says that he “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. Though he is in the lame duck part of his presidency, his speech was a strong shift to widely supported policies. Tax cuts, childcare, minimum wage, infrastructure spending, climate change, and human dignity were all topics that both sides agree upon. Divisive issues, such as immigration, were barely mentioned. This, along with talk of legislative action and promises to sign or veto certain bills, forces the Republican controlled Congress to produce a multitude of bills to portray themselves as a party of action rather than inaction.
3. I agree that community college should be free; despite its cost, that would be a strong investment in higher education. I agree that paid sick leave should be federally mandated, because it would be a shift to a work environment that focuses less on cubicle oriented non-creative jobs, and more on giving workers a purpose to work for and letting them use their skills and creativity to achieve that purpose.
4. I disagree with the notion that the US has a large role in the ground operations against ISIL, and the fact that America is supporting a "moderate opposition" in the region. I further disagree with the use of acronyms rather than words, and the fact that Islam is not mentioned once throughout the speech. It distances a topic that needs further discussion and planning.
5. The most pressing issue is the enlightenment of voters and striving to hold oneself to a higher code than what the world may present. Though this may be dismissed as idealistic naïveté, it provides a goal and direction from which compromises can be made. Obama touched upon this in his last remarks about being "a United States of America".
1. In the SOTU address I feel that President Obama's tone was very confident and optimistic. I believe that President Obama took this approach in his speech so that he could convince those that did not agree with him. In Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution it states that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I believe that ultimately President Obama is trying to do what is best for our country because in his speech he states that he is willing to work with the Republicans and even take their ideas into consideration. Therefore I believe that president Obama was very influential in his speech.
3. One of the biggest ideas that I agreed with in his speech was his proposal of having two free years of community college. I agree with this proposal because it allows students to get a higher eduction. Many kids would love to continue there education after highschool but simply can't afford it and this now gives them the opportunity to do so.
4. I personally didn't really disagree with anything in President Obama's SOTU address. I believe that President Obama has done a significant amount of good for our country , more good than bad. While no president is perfect I truly believe that President Obama has worked tremendously hard at moving America forward and has done a lot for us.
5. I think that one of the most pressing issues is minimum wage. Personally President Obama's statement that he made when he talked about having someone who doesnt want to raise minimum wage try to live off of it themselves really hit home. I agree with his statement because it is so easy for someone to take a stance and say that minimum wage shouldnt be raised but has never had to literally live from paycheck to paycheck and doesn't know what it feels like to walk in an individuals shoes that has to live from paycheck to paycheck on minimum wage and work several jobs not knowing if they will be able to make this months rent.
1. In the SOTU address I feel that President Obama's tone was very confident and optimistic. I believe that President Obama took this approach in his speech so that he could convince those that did not agree with him. In Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution it states that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I believe that ultimately President Obama is trying to do what is best for our country because in his speech he states that he is willing to work with the Republicans and even take their ideas into consideration. Therefore I believe that president Obama was very influential in his speech.
3. One of the biggest ideas that I agreed with in his speech was his proposal of having two free years of community college. I agree with this proposal because it allows students to get a higher eduction. Many kids would love to continue there education after highschool but simply can't afford it and this now gives them the opportunity to do so.
4. I personally didn't really disagree with anything in President Obama's SOTU address. I believe that President Obama has done a significant amount of good for our country , more good than bad. While no president is perfect I truly believe that President Obama has worked tremendously hard at moving America forward and has done a lot for us.
5. I think that one of the most pressing issues is minimum wage. Personally President Obama's statement that he made when he talked about having someone who doesnt want to raise minimum wage try to live off of it themselves really hit home. I agree with his statement because it is so easy for someone to take a stance and say that minimum wage shouldnt be raised but has never had to literally live from paycheck to paycheck and doesn't know what it feels like to walk in an individuals shoes that has to live from paycheck to paycheck on minimum wage and work several jobs not knowing if they will be able to make this months rent.
1. Obama’s tone was very hopeful and empowering. I feel like he took this approach in order to remind the country of the obstacle and trials that it has overcome, and in turn, make us feel like a stronger nation altogether. This approach, I think, was also an effort to cast a shadow on the many other issues that are still evident, and thus distract people and keep the tone positive. Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution states that the President “ shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
2. I definitely think that this influenced his agenda. It is evident that the Republicans are a huge barrier between Obama and the passing of his legislation. So it only makes sense that he chooses to address them in his speech. For example, Obama states that “these policies will continue to work as long as politics don’t get in the way” and later addresses the past “government shutdowns and fiscal showdowns.” I feel Obama is calling out Republicans here and trying to steer the audience to blaming any possible failures of his legislation on them, and brings up things like the government shutdown to foster resentment toward the Republicans.
3. I agree with Obama when he said that the government need not do harm but restore the link between hard work and opportunity. I agree with this because I know that Obama has done a lot in trying to make college affordable for incoming students, and I personally appreciate that. I know a lot of intelligent, hard-working students who will have a difficult time paying for college because they can’t afford it. I also agree with his statement about Congress needing to pass a law that ensures men and women are paid equal for the same work. I agree with this because I myself am a women, and I would resent working as hard, if not more, as someone and them getting more pay than I solely based on gender.
4. I do not agree with raising minimum wage. Obama said that families are relying on minimum wage to make ends meet. I believe there are many safety nets in place, like welfare, that can help this. Minimum wages are in place for entry level jobs, not skilled ones. Unskilled workers, those who have not created a track record, who have not learned skills in college and paid for it, or who have not advanced over time, should not be paid the same as those who have, especially if only such a small percent of workers would actually benefit from the increase of minimum wage.
5. I think inequality is the most pressing issue in America today. I think it is so important because it exist in all areas, including gender and race. I think this is so important because the core values that our nation was founded was that “all men are created equal”, and yet hundreds of years later we are still having issues on this. Obama did touch these subjects a bit, for example he addressed the issues with men being paid more than women, and as I stated earlier I completely agree with his stance on this issue.
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