President Obama will speak to the nation with the annual State of the Union address Tuesday night. Columbia citizens voiced their expectations for the address, commenting on Obama’s previous term and what expectations they had for the next four years. Some were hopeful, while others were more disgruntled.
Columbia resident Les Masters says he expects President Obama to address job creation.
“I feel like they’re avoiding real issues, the real issue being the economy. Instead of the economy, they’re shoving this health care law down our throats. You know, there’s really been no job creation. Umm, I expect everybody to hear exactly what they want to hear. That, this is going to get better, that’s going to get better. But when it comes time to actually do that, I don’t see it happening,” Masters said.
Tyler Krueger says he’s preoccupied with the past four years and what he’s unhappy about.
“Well, coming from an extremely left perspective, I’m pretty dissatisfied with Obama. There were a couple of things that were important to me when he was first elected that he didn’t follow through on. Namely ending the wars, namely shutting down Guantanamo Bay, namely leaving marijuana legislation up to the states. And the thing is that Obama’s a capitalist. There’s no difference in my mind, between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party now cause they’re all hyper capitalist and they only speak in the language of money. And unfortunately, the population of the United States gets left behind in that discussion,” Krueger said.
Rob Thompson, an insurance agent, says he’s concerned with Obama’s domestic policies.
“I’m totally dissatisfied with the Obama Administration, especially with Obama Care. We’re going to really see the results of that in the next four years. Probably not until he’s out of office is it truly going to come, the full effect’s going to come around. But I think we’re already seeing with insurance rates going up, which he told us it would go down, the deficit going up, which he told us it would go down. So really anything that he says in the State of the Union address, I think you’re going to have to take with a grain of salt and look at the past four years and the lies he’s already told us,” Thompson said.
Melissa Frier says she’s also apprehensive about domestic policies, particularly civil rights.
“Just civil rights, in general, I think that we’re living in a day and age where people like to think that things are very even and equal in our world, and they’re not. They’re not. Prejudice and discrimination have gone underground,” Frier said.
Alan Wilkening says he’s completely against what’s happened in the past four years and he doesn’t even plan on tuning into the address tonight.
“Getting the economy going, which he isn’t going to do anyways so it’s immaterial, I don’t expect him to say anything I want to hear. So I don’t really want to watch it. You know, whatever he wants is probably a good idea of what not to do. Yea, can’t be much more straight forward than that on that one,” Wilkening said.
Michelle Richmond, a University of Missouri nursing student, says there’s plenty to talk about tonight but she’s mainly interested in what will affect her future.
“To me, well I know the gun control is the big one right now, but to me it’s going to be the new healthcare. I’m in nursing school right now. I know a lot of people are saying that the last four years, not much got done, but I know that healthcare’s going to be the big thing and so I’m hoping things will change,” Richmond said.