State of the Union 2014

"I agree with Republicans like Senator Rubio..." is a phrase that was in this year's address

A teacher helped a student, an entrepreneur added a job, an auto worker fine-tuned a car, a farmer exported some crops, a rural doctor gave a kid some asthma medicine, a man took the bus home, and Norman Rockwell served some apple pie.

I was going to do a live-feed type reaction column, but my mind drifted after a while, I must admit. I've never had that happen before during a State of the Union address before from either party.  Yes, they're scripted, but it still provides insight into where the White House is, what they hope for. It gives us lines to read between.

Pres. Obama started on a positive note, a patriotic note, and mentioned how the war in Afghanistan was finally coming to an end. (It's still one of the most violent places on Earth, but at least we're leaving.)

The part of the SOTU that stuck out to me was this one, early on:

"Some require congressional action, and I'm eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand still, and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do."

What he's saying is that if Congress doesn't do what he wants, he'll just do it anyway via executive order. After that he lists a series of goals, and maybe I'm cynical, but I just take a "we'll see" approach to whatever he promises. I remember feeling similarly listening to Bush's 2005 SOTU address. We're going to go to the moon again? Really?