Obama's State of the Union 2013

The State of the Union address is one of few political events on TV I watch and it is not because of the speech. For some strange reasons, I love watching members of Congress clapping or gasping at every word that comes from the president. Hey. at least they are doing something rather than being a do-nothing congress. On a serious note, this is what I expect President Barack Obama will outline in his speech:

1) Gun control. Liberals who want the president to challenge the Second Amendment will surely be disappointed. Obama always talks a good game but does not have the back bone to do something bold. I expect the president will talk at length about recent gun incidents like the Sandy Hook shooting, Gabrielle Giffords and Chicago’s high homicide rates. But don’t expect a lot of specifics or policies from him. This may be good news to pro-gun folks.

2) Immigration. This will definitely be something President Obama will spotlight at the address. As both parties seem to agree that a path to legalization is needed as part of immigration reforms, there is no political risk for the president to come out boldly in support of the measure. Expect lots of specifics from Obama on this issue.

3) Economy. President Obama will likely be resorting to his old rhetoric, talking about how the economy is steadily but slowly making progress. He will attempt to put the blame of the budget impasse on the Republicans and label them as obstructionists. Basically, the president will recycle his campaign speech from 2012.