State of the Union address is so far an Obama campaign stump speech.

Impact

In his first major section of the State of the Union address, Pres. Obama laid out nothing new.  He has once again called on the same kind of balanced approach to deficit reduction, trumpeting the provisions of the Simpson-Bowles plan and Obamacare, while blasting Congress for not passing his jobs act.  This is no sweeping feel-good speech - the President's tone is much like his stump speech from this fall.  Understandably, the Republican delegation seems less than enthusiastic.

If the President really wants to achieve his bipartisan, compromising goals, he should try to do it in a way that doesn't make Rep. Eric Cantor, the Republican majority leader, look quite so dumbfounded while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) seems quite pleased.