Obama’s State of the Union address adds to growing 2016 debate

Entering his fourth and final quarter, President Barack Obama delivered his sixth State of the Union address Tuesday, where he focused heavily on increasing opportunities for the middle class. His proposals included universal, free community college, guaranteed paid sick leave and more tax hikes on the wealthy, which would make middle-class status more accessible to every American. During his time in office, Obama has been dogged by criticism over the economy, with Republicans and even some centrist Democrats suggesting his policies were ineffective. His speech included many ideas targeted at middle-class Americans who have not benefited from the economic growth, including: his proposal to offer seven days of paid sick leave for workers who don’t get it now, providing affordable childcare for workers, and his plan to offer two years of free college education. Those plans are unlikely to get any traction in Congress, but Obama’s opening salvo in a coming debate over tax reform and domestic politics will surely impact both his last two years in office and the 2016 campaign. With the economy slowly regaining strength, Republican candidates will no longer be able to dismiss all of his ideas as emanating from a job-killing administration.