State of the Union

“When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalised, or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer”, Mr Obama said. “It diminishes us in the eyes of the world”.

No doubt, Obama now feels the tremendous obstacles he has faced in tackling the challenge of achieving his ambitious policy goals. “It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong”, he said.

He mocked the contention that fighters on “on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages” represented an existential threat to America. “That’s why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people”, Obama said.

The remarks were a repudiation of criticism of his strategy against Islamic State, which Republicans have called insufficient. “And most unbelievably, President Obama claimed that other nations wouldn’t dare to attack us or our allies mere hours after Iran seized 10 American sailors and two USA naval boats”.

Obama did not address the issue in his speech. Americans can also expect a comprehensive plan from the White House on the steps it intends to take in order to close Guantanamo down, where the remaining prisoners will be sent, and how much that effort will cost. When he first addressed Congress as president in 2009, he mentioned terms such as “government”, “tax” and “budget” 59 times.

But republican Nikki Haley says Obama has fallen short on many of his promises.

“During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices”. But he urged them not to fall prey to the periodic temptation that has emerged throughout history to alienate minorities and resist social change.

The Republican party fielded one of its rising stars, South Carolina’s Indian-American Governor Nikki Haley, who is widely speculated as a possible vice presidential nominee, in its official televised response to the President’s address.

He emphasized areas where compromise was possible with Republicans in Congress including criminal justice reform, trade and poverty reduction.

Finally, the President called on Congress to lift the 55-year trade embargo on Cuba in order to definitively signal to the Castros that Washington is in fact serious about turning a page in its diplomatic relationship with the island nation.

The president has invited a refugee from war-torn Syria to attend the speech, a symbolic counter to Republicans proposing to block Syrians seeking asylum in the U.S. But the selection is also a reminder of Obama’s inability to end the bloodshed in Syria, where the almost five-year civil war has spurred a refugee crisis and created a vacuum for terrorism.

Obama gave such arguments short shrift.

“Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer”.