Before you go into your team meetings at work today and slide into your group texts where folks will inevitably be talking about President Obama's last State of the Union address, catch up on what you need to know....
Last night, President Obama reflected on the past seven years in office and spoke on topics including climate change, gun control, immigration and income inequality. We've got the important (well, to us) things you need to know.
1. President Obama laid out facts, with numbers, showing once again that he absolutely improved the economy. But it pained Republicans to clap for him.
Obama was handed a pile of ish right as he took office, and now he's made a huge difference in the turnaround of the economy.
He spoke about the lowered unemployment rate (despite technology taking many human jobs), the uninsured rate drastically decreasing thanks to "Obamacare," the drastic decrease of troops in Iraq (something he promised during his first campaign), and the creation of over 14 million jobs.
Yet and still, Republicans say they "don't believe the numbers." However, we've seen no proof from that side saying otherwise. Their disillusionment may be why we didn't hear as loud of cheers and applause as we expected. Republicans seem to think if they keep saying "the economy is in complete and total disarray" over and over, the masses will eventually believe it and vote Republican the next election.
2. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan irked the internet.
If you were on Black Twitter or really any social media last night, you saw folks going IN on new Speaker Paul Ryan. While he was all smiles shaking the President's hand at the beginning, his face was on smug, RBF status majority of the time like he's just full of hurt tea.
He appeared annoyed by hearing the accomplishments of this Administration. But he will deal.
3. President Obama threw shade (and rightfully so) within the first 60 seconds of his speech.
"Tonight marks the eighth year I've come here to report on the State of the Union. And for this final one, I'm going to try to make it shorter. I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa."
After making light of the fact some of the folks in the room need to get back on the campaign trail instead of sitting there listening to the current President, the room broke out in a few hurt laughs. Obama responded by saying they could also talk to him on the way out...he could give them some pointers. BLOOP.
4. President Obama & VP Biden have the best POTUS - VPOTUS relationship ever. And they're on the road to cure cancer.
"Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer. Last month, he worked with this Congress to give scientists at the National Institutes of Health the strongest resources they've had in over a decade. Tonight, I'm announcing a new national effort to get it done. And because he's gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I'm putting Joe in charge of Mission Control. For the loved ones we've all lost, for the family we can still save, let's make America the country that cures cancer once and for all."
VP Biden recently lost his son Beau to cancer. Not only was President Obama right by his side as his rock during the hardest times, but he just appointed "Uncle Joe" as "mission control" over creating initiatives to finally cure cancer.
5. President Obama has everybody adding the phrase "peddling fiction" to their vocab.
"Anyone claiming that the economy is in decline is peddling fiction."
Enough said.
Check out the full text of President Obama's speech HERE, and watch it below in case you missed it.
There is no such thing as a perfect union, but the history-making former Senator from Illinois has brought us that much closer. Thank you, Mr. President.
Photos: Getty/White House
