Obama’s State of the Union address was an admission, a warning and a promise for the future where he said the packed Congress that the ‘defining issue of our time’ is how to keep the basic American promise alive - the promise he defined as - “if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement."

Setting the stage for what is expected to be one of the most divisive U.S. elections, Obama began his speech banking on his significant achievements to power the imagination of the congress on the commitment of the armed forces and said, “For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq and for the first time in two decades, Osama Bin Laden is not a threat to this country, - these achievements are a testimony of the courage, selflessness and teamwork of America’s armed forces.  The Taliban’s momentum has been broken and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home. At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations. Imagine what we could accomplish if we follow their example.”

The man voted to power for change in 2008, promised a fight to restore broad-based prosperity this time and envisaged a blueprint for a ‘fairer America.’ “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. 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,” the charismatic orator said amid thunderous applause.