Obama 2013 State of the Union: LIVE Updates

Impact

Here it is, friends: that most wonderful time of the political year, the State of the Union Address. Tuesday night, President Obama will speak to the full Congress, a cadre of customarily unenthused Supreme Court Justices, and of course millions of viewers across the world. So, aside from audience shout-outs from the president, accompanied by frequent flashes of the Vice President's pearly whites, and a positively dyspeptic Speaker of the House, what can we expect from Tuesday night's speech?

I have a few guesses. Being as this is the president's first broad national address since Inauguration, expect him to touch on the following issues:

1. The economy, including fiscal cliff/tax/debt issues. This speech could be the opening step in the next round of negotiations.

2. Gun control. These days, the president is frequently bringing words to the gun fight.

3. Immigration. This issue may even be the biggest legacy of Obama's second term.

4. Drones. With the endless droning controversy of the past week, expect the president to launch some verbal missiles on this topic.

5. Environment/climate change. With the Administrator of the EPA, Secretary of Energy, and Secretary of Interior all changing, environmentalists are worried that progress will stall like it did in Obama's first term.

So, ye readers, stay tuned – I'll be bringing my very best analysis and snark to the table, where (in?)appropriate, and trying not to pull a Speaker Boehner by crying at the soaring message of our strong country.