25-Jan-2012 - What's Your Response to Obama's Third State of the Union Address?

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The president of the United States gives an annual speech to Congress called the State of the Union address. President Obama’s third such speech is Tuesday night, and he will deliver it as his re-election campaign, and the Republican presidential nominating contest, are under way. What would you like the president to say? What do you think of his remarks, and of the Republican rebuttal? (Please note that we will update this post with specifics and Times coverage during and after the speech – and we encourage you to post multiple comments.) Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution stipulates that the president shall "from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." This language forms the basis for the annual State of the Union address.As Jackie Calmes reports, for his election-year State of the Union address, his third, President Obama is expected to focus largely on the economy:President Obama will use his election-year State of the Union address on Tuesday to argue that it is government's role to promote a prosperous and equitable society, drawing a stark contrast between the parties in a time of deep economic uncertainty.In a video preview e-mailed to millions of supporters on Saturday, as South Carolina Republicans went to the polls to help pick an alternative to him, Mr. Obama promised a populist "blueprint for an American economy that's built to last," with the government assisting the private sector and individuals to ensure "an America where everybody gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everybody plays by the same set of rules."Mr. Obama has honed that message cheap NFL jerseys for months as he has attacked Republicans in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail, contrasting it with what he has described as Republicans' "go it alone" free-market views.Last week at fund-raisers in New York, he told supporters that his push for a government hand had a precedent dating to the construction of canals and interstate highways, and the creation of land-grant colleges and the G.I. Bill. He said that Republicans had moved so far to the right that 2012 will be a "hugely consequential election."Notably, Mr. Obama will again propose changes to the tax code so the wealthy pay more, Authentic nfl jerseys despite Republicans' consistent opposition. Americans overwhelmingly support the idea, polls show, and the White House hopes that it gains traction with voters, given last week's acknowledgment by the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney that he pays taxes at a lower rate than many middle-class Americans because most of his income comes from investments.With most Americans registering disapproval of the president's economic record after three years, it is all the more imperative for Mr. Obama to define the election not as a referendum on him but as a choice between his vision and that of his eventual Republican rival.Students: Tell us your thoughts about Mr. Obama’s third State of the Union address. What would you like him to say? What would you like the official Republican response, coming from Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, to focus on? Then come back during or after the speech to weigh in on both the president’s address and the governor’s rebuttal (we’ll update this post throughout the night).Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.NOTE: We ask that adults respect the intent of the Student Opinion question and refrain from posting here. There are other places on NYTimes.com for adults to post about the State of the Union address, like The Caucus, while this is the only place that explicitly invites the voices of young people. Please note our commenting guidelines.

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