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POTUS delivers powerful message in this year’s SOTU

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Tuesday, President Barack Obama delivered his sixth State of the Union address to Congress. It’s estimated more than 30 million people watched as Obama highlighted key aspects of previous years and outlined some of his future plans.

Obama has always been a confident man, but Tuesday, he was even more confident in his approach than I’ve seen him in a long time. Perhaps it is because he is in the final leg of his last term and he doesn’t feel it necessary to walk “the political line” as carefully as years past, particularly during his first term. Or perhaps, this was his strategy all along. To do what he had to do leading up to his final term in office so he could really implement the change he wants during his last two years as president.

Either way, I like the Obama I’m seeing these days. I like the way he’s thinking outside the box. I like the way he is strong, calculated and assertive under pressure. I especially like the way he is advocating for the middle class and the underserved, as those populations are often forgotten.

During his speech, Obama spoke passionately about the middle class.

“Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort,” the president asked. “The verdict is clear. Middle-class economics works. Expanding opportunity works. And these policies will continue to work, as long as politics don’t get in the way.”

He is correct: middle-class economies build stronger communities because that demographic is constantly reinvesting in the areas where they live and work. This philosophy is one that some of the world’s most successful business executives such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg and Mellody Hobson have supported for many years. It’s also a concept proven by other countries such as Sweden and Denmark that offer free health care and higher education options.

The president was clear about his desire to offer free admission to community colleges. This strategy could have a multitude of long-term benefits for the United States. Let’s consider three:

1. Making community college free could reduce crime. There are many intelligent people who are doing bad things in an effort to earn money. Making college obtainable for individuals who otherwise couldn’t afford it, will reduce crime and improve productivity of our citizens.

2. It will result in a higher-educated population that will work jobs where they can earn higher wages, thus making the economy stronger.

3. With the current rising costs of tuition, some foresee a decline in enrollment. Making college free for students helps staff and administration maintain jobs that may have otherwise been cut because of declining admission. Making college not only affordable, but free is sure-fire way to expand opportunities and create better futures.

I also appreciated Obama’s stance on child care.

“It’s time we stop treating child care as a side issue, or as a women’s issue and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us,” said Obama.

There are millions of parents who struggle every day because they cannot afford quality child care. And many of these individuals aren’t lazy sloths who want the government to take care of them. Many are people who work full-time jobs that don’t pay them well enough for ends to meet, yet they are not poor enough for government assistance. It’s an unfair reality for millions of Americans so making child care more affordable, levels the playing field for all parents.

I am excited to see what is in store for Obama’s final two years in office. If they proceed from his stated intentions in this year’s State of the Union; America is headed in the right direction.

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