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Ben Smith looks back to 2008's State of the Union and candidate Obama's response:
Each year, as we watch the State of the Union, we see half the chamber rise to applaud the President and half the chamber stay in their seats. We see half the country tune in to watch, but know that much of the country has stopped even listening. Imagine if next year was different. Imagine if next year, the entire nation had a president they could believe in. A president who rallied all Americans around a common purpose. That’s the kind of President we need in this country. And with your help in the coming days and weeks, that’s the kind of President I will be.Obama's writers made an interesting editorial choice here. The problem is wrapped in congressional imagery. But there's no promise that an Obama presidency would ensure a roomful of applause. Partisanship is in Congress, but bipartisanship, at least in this quote, is in the country. Which is seeming an altogether more achievable goal. According to Pollster.com, Obama's approval rating is around 62 percent, and his disapproval is at 30 percent. So about 70 percent of the country is willing to hear him out. That's not "all," but it's certainly most. And most is pretty good.
