SOTU Live Tonight - Beginning 2100EST

Impact

The economy, Washington's political lockdown and foreign policy are going to be dominating the agenda tonight.

The Daily Beast suggests that Obama is going to paint the GOP as the stick in the mud on budget reform and their obstinacy being the factor that leads to the fiscal downfall of America. The March 1st deadline on $1,2 trillion in cuts is less than 3 weeks away and the opportunity presents itself tonight for Obama to paint the GOP into a corner and make his administration look the hero. Hopefully, however, he shows greater political maturity and goes for presenting the budget as a national issue, not just a partisan hot potato.

Two core domestic issues: gun control and immigration. Too many people are dying as a result of gun violence, and that may worsen as the economy gets worse, veterans are discharged as a consequence of budget cuts and social service programs suffer further under the fiscal pressure. As for the millions of illegal immigrants, a path to legalization might be the best way to stave off the social and political pressure, helping turn these people into legitimate members of society rather than short-term political currency for the strong of the day.