President Obama conveys confrontational message in State of the Union address

President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address to sketch stark comparison with Republicans on lofty national matters such as the real estate market and taxes, kicking off a wave of election year debates on the functions and performances of government that would likely intensify as the election date approaches.

The president harnessed his prime-time State of the Union speech to display himself as a defender and supporter for middle-class families.

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by,” Obama said, adding, “Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

Obama warned Congress that he intended to fight obstruction with action, painting a challenging portrait that sets in stark contrast with the pacifying set of actions taken by the preceding Democrat to hunt for a second term, Bill Clinton.

In the wake of Obama’s State of the Union address, the growing fight in Florida for the right to confront him has gotten to a more bloody level. The leading contenders, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, are fighting to defend their standings on various issues in order to get a chance to challenge the president.

With the signature proposal of his address, President Obama went immediately at the wealth subject: “a minimum tax for millionaires that formed part of his call for all Americans to pay their 'fair share.'" The proposal requires people with earnings of more than $1 million to shell out at least thirty percent in taxes. This would double the taxes that Mitt Romney paid in 2011.

"Obama knows he has 44% of the electorate" to start with, and in a country as divided as the U.S., "44% is a big number," said Peter Hart, the Democratic pollster. He's decided "I'm going to keep those people on board, and then we'll go after everyone else."

Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday served more as a set of guiding principles for how he, as a reelection contender, aims to get promising returns on his fitted advantages than as a leading contender for the coming year.