By Victoria Greenleaf

With all of the hype bubbling up around the upcoming Presidential election, rumors and whispers surrounded the State of the Union Address by President Obama on January 24. What would he say? What issues would be addressed? And would it really matter?
The State of the Union Address mentioned a few things including, but not limited to, the end of the War in Iraq, the current economic crisis gripping our Nation, and the aim for current American Marketing. President Obama was met with both praise and criticism, and the State of the Union Address was of obvious importance to the President, as it also highlighted his campaign for re-election.
Beginning his speech with the acclamatory decision he made concerning the end of the war was a smart move by Obama, as his prospects have been enhanced by both this recent development and the killing of terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden in 2011. Faced with a dispiriting decline in ratings, the President artfully played up these accomplishments at both the beginning and end of his speech, giving the American public positive reminders to dwell on before casting their vote.
The recent unveiling of Mitt Romney’s tax returns also played a large role in the delivery of the President’s speech as he addressed the current distribution of wealth issue. Obama prompted Americans to pay fair amounts, and he revealed a proposed minimum tax for millionaires. Coincidentally, the proposal of thirty percent would double the taxes Romney was revealed to have paid in his tax returns. Talk about a double-take.
The most interesting part of Obama’s speech, at least in my mind, was the addressed issue of high tuition debt among college students. In his address he stated, “At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July.” This proposal both excited and disparaged me. There is no guaranteeing anything with the way the Nation is at this point, but there is still no reason to give up hope.
My opinion on politics has always been very relaxed. I go for the candidate that brings the most to the table, regardless of their party. The issues that President Obama mentioned in his State of the Union Address were, in my opinion, justifiable concerns that prove relevant to any and all voters. However, I feel like he made the promise of reform and justification without any form of basis, and he did not mention the fact that the other powers-that-be (like Congress) could potentially impede the changes this Nation so desperately needs.
Sure, the President can promise change—those in the position have done so many times in the past—but how often are those changes actually carried out? Not often enough to make a much-needed impact. Thousands of voters feel a certain disconnection between people and politics in recent times, and for good reason. With the economy the way it is, and the suffering of the debt-ridden and jobless, many people are desperately clinging to the hope that the new Presidential election can help them fix these problems, and for the sake of the future, I hope so too.