State of the Union Address 2013: What Should Obama Say in His Speech to Congress?
On Tuesday night, President Obama will take to the podium in the chamber of the House of Representatives to address Congress, Supreme Court Justices, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, invited guests, and us, the American public.
In years past, the State of the Union address has been an opportunity for the president to lay out policy priorities and set the tone. Listen for what's mentioned and what's not, and watch for which lines get applause and from whom. It's a big political dance.
Obama's 2013 speech is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST and there is no lack of buzz about what it will, or won't, contain. Expect a focus on the economy, education, infrastructure, and clean energy, wrapped in soaring rhetoric. It will offer a sharp juxtaposition with the Republican and Tea Party rebuttals that are slated for directly after.
The dance doesn't stop in the House. The official Republican rebuttal will be given by Marco Rubio and will likely describe Obama as a big government liberal with the wrong policy prescriptions. Rand Paul will be delivering the Tea Party response, described as a complement to Rubio's, from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Weigh in below: What should Obama say in his State of the Union address tonight? More specifically, what does Obama need to include in his speech and do to represent the interests of millennials?
We'll select the most Mic'd comments and feature them in a State of the Union special feature story immediately before the speech.