Last week, after this State of the Union speech, Obama went to the House Republican’s retreat. The video of his talk and the Q&A shows not only how divisive the split between the parties is but also the attempt Obama is making to bridge the divide. I’m not naive to believe this attempt by Obama will bridge the gap, although it is great to see him taking the steps and making an attempt.
Part of the reason for this speech could also been that now he has lost the 60 vote majority, he needs the Republicans. This is him accepting that reality and trying to win some of them over. I definitely see that as a reason for his speech.
His 20 minute speech to the House Republicans:
Here is the 1 hour Q&A: