George W. Bush's Final State of the Union Address

In president George W. Bush's seventh and final State of the Union address, a theme of looking ahead and bipartisanism dominated the bulk of the speech. The President hit hard on themes of the economy, Iraq, the balance between morality and science, immigration, and foreign policy. But the President exhibited a forward-looking, progressive theme-- not only to the next administration, but to the decades and century ahead--that should come to define the final year of his presidency.

The President began with substantial discussion on the tax stimulus plan, a short-term solution which he hopes will work to keep the economy from slipping into recession. Considering that the economy and creation of jobs has become the main focus of the presidential race both on the Republican and Democratic sides, Bush had to place special emphasis on the economy amid widespread worries that have come as a result of rising unemployment and the housing crisis. The American dream, simply put, is the dream of money; advancement not only for the wealthiest of citizens but for all classes of society. Bush did well to express his confidence that the American people can get back on track financially, thereby keeping the American dream alive in all classes of society. His emphasis on getting the American people back on track financially worked well in proving that he understands the most pressing concerns of the people, and putting cold hard cash into the pockets of all Americans would do wonders for his ailing approval rating.

Knowing his future will be judged largely on the success of the war in Iraq, the President was all but obligated to dedicate a great amount of time speaking about the war. Iraq will undoubtedly be seen in the decades to come, for better or worse, as Bush's legacy. Whether or not the decision to invade the nation was a wise one, only the future will tell. But the topic of Iraq was Bush's most passionate topic of the evening. He did his best to sell Iraq in his speech, praising the recent troop surge and urging Americans to stay on and complete the mission of giving peace and prosperity to the nation's citizens.