The Hiller Instinct: State of the Union Predictions

Obama is taking heat on virtually every political front. Tonight, he must cool off the nation's anger, or risk watching his presidency go up in smoke...

"’We hold these truths to be self-evident,’ just words..." Barack Obama said in 2008.

We all know the president has a way with words.

But, tonight, words, just words will just not be enough.

The president must emotionally re-connect with voters, convince them he understands their anxiety, and put the government and the people on the same track.

And here's how to do it. Give me a "j"...give me an "o"...give me a "b"...give me an "s"...what does it spell? Jobs! What do Americans want? "Jobs" What must the president increase? "Jobs here!" Obama said.

For most of the president's first year in office, Washington has seemed stuck in an endless battle over health care. Thanks to Scott Brown, Obama no longer has all the Democrat votes he needs to pass it.

What now? Is healthcare reform dead or alive? Is the president sticking to it or sticking a fork in it?

In a way, President Obama's first term has been a bit like the movie "Groundhog Day"...

It seems like he always has a critical, make-or-break speech, and tonight, there's one more. But the president isn't going to get many more opportunities like tonight...and he knows it, and so do we.

I’m Andy Hiller, that’s my instinct.

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