Obama's goal: Get agenda moving, people believing

By By The Associated Press

Story Created: Jan 27, 2010 at 8:00 AM EDT

Story Updated: Jan 27, 2010 at 8:23 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address will be heavy on jobs, health care and a revived "yes we can" attitude.

Foreign affairs and terrorist threats will get plenty of attention, too.

But tonight's speech will be measured largely by how well he reconnects with the public.

Facing a divided Congress and a dissatisfied nation, Obama is expected to retool his message more than his mission in an effort to get the economy, voter confidence and his own presidency on firmer ground.

The address has enormous stakes for Obama, who rode a tide of voter frustration into office and now is feeling it himself.

A new Gallup Poll finds that Obama is the most politically polarizing president in recent history. Eighty-eight percent of Democrats surveyed approve of his job performance, while just 23 percent of Republicans do.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

What's On