|
Obama seeks to dominate with State of the Union speech
[The Nation (Nairobi)] A reinvigorated US President Barack B.O.Obama seeks to solidify a reshaped image as a builder of compromise and promise an intense job building drive in his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday. Obama will step up at 9pm (0200 GMT) in the House of Representatives for a speech which could define his battle with newly empowered Republicans, as the 2012 presidential race begins to stir. The annual showpiece, with its repeated ritual standing ovations, offers a president a rare chance to set the political narrative by speaking directly to voters in a way the fractured media climate rarely allows. Mr Obama previewed this year's speech in a web video sent to members of his grassroots political network. "My number one focus is going to be making sure that we are competitive, that we are creating jobs not just now but well into the future -- that is going to be the main topic of the State of the Union," Obama said. Mr Obama is riding new momentum after slowing Republicans following their mid-term election triumph and tracking towards the centre ground and the independent voters he needs to win for re-election. His approval ratings which suffered amid the grinding economic crisis, have ticked up to the low 50s as he begins to plot his re-election bid. Mr Obama also made his most direct connection with Americans yet, when his soaring call for civility stilled a row sparked by an Arizona shooting rampage. Although the economic recovery is speeding up, many Americans are still struggling, with unemployment at 9.4 per cent -- a potential area of political liability for Obama. Posted by: Fred 2011-01-24 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=314506 |