A couple weeks ago, The White House officially booked the date of the State of the Union with Speaker John Boehner. With one of the most watched speeches of the year now officially set, it's time for the President and his speech writers to start preparing what he is going to say. But before they begin writing, I've prepared a short wish list that will not only help lay out a strong agenda for the White House in 2014, but this list can also help drive Democrats to the polls in a non-Presidential election year.
So this State of the Union, in no particular order President Obama should:
Remind Americans That Congress Needs to Work Harder To Fight Income Inequality
Similar to the way Bill de Blasio won the NYC mayoral race by telling the story of A Tale of Two Cities, the President should make the case that despite our economy's rebound from the Great Recession, stagnating wages and giveaways to the top 1% of Americans is hurting not just the middle class, but all of America. And please, Quote Pope Francis. After all, many times it's the most religious GOP members that are the ones least likely to fight against income inequality (cough, Paul Ryan).
Pledge To Sign An Executive Order Raising The Pay of Federal Contract Employees
Take this opportunity to remind Americans that working a full time job at minimum wage means you are living in poverty. So he should (once again) ask Congress to raise the minimum wage, but even more than that, he should tell Americans that the next day he is going to sign an executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contract employees to $10.10 an hour. He should then say, "If you work a full time job for the greatest country in the world, you should not also have to live in poverty."
Come Out In Favor Of Medical Marijuana
Similar to the way the President eventually came around to supporting marriage equality, the President needs to take a measured (but still strong) stance in support of marijuana. Despite recreational marijuana becoming more and more popular on a daily basis, that might be too large of a pill for some Americans to follow at this time. But stories like the 6 year old girl that was saved from her multiple seizures by medical marijuana might sway even the most conservative of Americans to support it. If the President can make an impassioned case for why our sickest Americans should have access to something that can ease their pain and potentially save their lives, he can both rally Americans around an extremely popular idea and bring a large number of Democrats out to the polls on election day.
Once Again, Push For Universal Preschool
Yes, President Obama already proposed this last year, but just because the GOP didn't go for it doesn't mean that it isn't popular. President Obama must remind Americans that we are in a global economy and if we are to compete, we must begin instilling a quality education for our kids at a younger age. Kids that are educated younger not only are more developed mentally, but are more likely to stay out of jail later in life, which benefits us all. Finally, having kids in school during the day allows parents to go out and work without having to pay for daycare, which saves them money.
Remind Americans Of The Benefits Of Immigration Reform
There is still a slight chance that Immigration reform could happen in 2014, but regardless of if it happens this year or not, the President needs to remind Americans who has been pushing for it this whole time. Immigration reform is growing more and more popular in the polls. And while there will always be a minority of Americans that oppose it, those people are unlikely to vote for Obama whether he supports or opposes it. So he should forget those haters and push for it hard. Remind Americans that bringing illegal immigrants out of the shadows and bringing helping keep skilled foreign workers in the US isn't just good for them, but it's good for the economy.
Push For Infrastructure Investments
It's no big secret that our infrastructure sucks. Both the average American and Washington politicians know that we should fix our crumbling roads and bridges. So the president should not only remind Americans that he wants more investment in our infrastructure, but he should challenge Republicans on why they oppose it as an issue. Furthermore, even after the State of the Union, he should make it a campaign issue and travel to states (and more importantly Republican districts) at least once a month where the infrastructure is crumbling. Give a speech in front of a recently condemned bridge. Have a rally in front of a pothole-ridden highway. Make the case that he and Democrats want to repair bridges and the Republicans only want to play politics. That's how you win over Democrats, Independents, and even some Republicans. But more importantly, that's how you can win back the House of Representatives.
That is my short but sweet wish list. Feel free to comment on it or add to the list in the comments section below!