Editorial: State of the Union brings necessary optimism

After President Barack Obama declared he’d keep his State of the Union address short, he made sure the time was well spent.

His speech highlighted two things that have been missing from American politics for far too long: hope and bipartisanship. In his 59-minute speech, the president harkened back to his 2008 campaign posters in one of the shortest addresses during his two terms.

Looking forward with a clear theme of hope, Obama turned his focus past politics and on to a message meant to rally everyone who heard him.

In a presidency that has been muddled by disagreement and partisanship, the optimism of last night’s address must not disappear once the media and campaign cycles kick back into action. If Obama’s seventh State of the Union address is indicative of his final year of leadership, we will surely see a closer representation of the America he envisioned during his campaigns.

After thanking Speaker of the House Paul Ryan for negotiating last year’s budget fight and expressing hope that Congress can move ahead with criminal justice reform, the president’s speech focused on the potential of a nation that works together.

“The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth. Period. It’s not even close,” Obama said, calling talk of economic decline “political hot air.”

Citing the largest job growth since the 1990s and an unemployment rate that has dropped by half, the president made the case that he will leave behind a better economy than the one he found on his first day in office. A decreased dependence on foreign petroleum and improved access to health care filled out the list of President Obama’s accomplishments.

While the speech might have lacked in powerful directives and specific policy proposals, it was nonetheless an example of the bridge he wants to build between Democrats and Republicans.

Following recent headlines, though, Obama’s rather light address is not an indication that he plans to end his presidency softly. With an executive order issuing tighter restrictions on gun sales, Iran fulfilling a key part of its July deal with the United States and a bustling economy, Obama didn’t need to spend his address convincing the American people of the weight of his accomplishments.

Instead, the president spoke about issues that affect Americans, regardless of political affiliation. A new initiative to cure cancer and a commitment to improve the lives of veterans produced cheers from a Congress that has spent the past seven years stagnant.

These are issues that all Americans can and should support. While we cannot ignore those things that divide us, we have a duty to spend as much effort on those things that bring us together. Following the president’s positive rhetoric should be a goal for both lawmakers and the public.

There is room for compromise, even on issues that pit ends of the political spectrum against one another.

“We just might surprise the cynics again,” the president said in the early moments of his address.

And after Tuesday night, such surprises seem plausible. Even when it comes to gun control, it seems possible to protect Americans without stripping away their Second Amendment rights. Even on the issue of immigration, it seems possible to help struggling families without sacrificing our security. And even on necessity of health care, it seems possible to settle on and fund a system that helps everyone and leaves no one behind.

If optimism was the goal, hope is what the president achieved. And maybe, if we can hold on to the president’s words, we can surprise the cynics among us.