Predicted topics covered in state of the union address: We knew

Motivation and inspirational phrases dazzled economical themes that shaped the focus of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday.

Obama said “we are citizens,” “why settle when you know you can have the best?,” “they deserve a vote,” “by next year our war in Afghanistan will be over,” “let’s tie minimum wage to the cost of living,” “let’s get it done” and so on.

Obama energized the nation with words of promise and hope. Hope for an improvement, a change.

Though, this is nothing new. He has said all of this before. In all four of his other State of the Union addresses.

The need to reduce the country’s $16.5 trillion deficit has been discussed before. His arguments of creating new jobs and improving education only help his goal of reducing the deficit.

Of course, we could all see the deficit topic coming.

One New York Times reporter wrote on Jan. 21 that Obama was going to argue “that it is government’s role to promote a prosperous and equitable society, drawing a stark contrast between the parties in a time of deep economic uncertainty.”

The reporter made the statement in response to a video that was e-mailed on Jan. 19 to supporters. In the video, Obama said he had “blueprint for an American economy that’s built to last.”

The reporter knew the topic coming. It was unavoidable. That large sum is not going to magically decrease in four year, eight years, or even 30 years.

So, Obama proposed a plan and he reassured the nation by “We can fix this.”

“Most of us agree that a plan to reduce the deficit must be part of our agenda,” Obama said. “But let’s be clear: deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan.”

Cutting taxes, increase taxes on the wealthy, raising the minimum wage, health care and so on, Obama laid out the map on how government should obtain the goal of decreasing the deficit. He mapped out the “plan.”

As he continued on with economical themes, Obama addressed some issues and topics that have unfolded as a result of events in our nation.

After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., the politics for the need of gun control were raised. Obama proposed background checks, laws for illegal resale of guns to criminals and taking away weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines to deal with the new debate of gun violence, which has not been addressed before.

In Las Vegas two weeks ago, Obama spoke on Jan. 29 to bipartisan group of senators who proposed to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws. In Obama’s first term, he lacked support of his immigration reform and one New York Times reporter said that it would be “at the top of his agenda” this time next time around.

“Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants,” Obama said in his State of the Union address.

We could see these topics coming. We knew the deficit would steer the momentum of the speech, we knew Obama would address gun control, mostly what he has said before, We knew he would say we need to do this and that to make a change. We knew. I knew.

Obama only caught me off guard twice when he addressed the Union about ending the war in Afghanistan within the next year and improving voting.

Many might say why is that? Obama has spoken about ending the war before and has pulled out several troops, but it is a process. Telling the nation it is going to happen is different from doing. Only next year will determine if the government follows through.

Voting seemed to come out of left field since it doesn’t level up with issues such as the deficit and gun control. Obama argued the need for the “people” to make a vote. Probably due to the simple fact that government has hard times making decisions and it is a government of the people. They should decide what laws should be past and how the nation should control them or their goods.

The State of the Union address wrapped with “Thank You, God bless you, and God bless these United States of America.” Words Obama has signed his speeches time and time again. And time will only determine whether the ideas and goals he presented will be carried out in our nation.