The leaks before the President’s 2014 State of the Union Speech (SOTU) threatened that Mr. Obama would take “pen and phone” to bypass Congress; instead the president gave a softer speech than was expected. The harsh partisan undertones were softened by well-polled language and tried-and-true rhetorical techniques. Income inequality was addressed in terms of providing “opportunity.” Environmental issues were presented, typically, as something we do “for children” — to give them a “safer, more stable world.” Immigration reform was couched in terms of “fulfilling dreams” and “creating jobs for everyone.” Even so, there was no softening the inevitable polarization caused by a blame-shifting President who demonizes his opponents.
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