Obama's State of the Union address: President acknowledges voters' concerns

President Obama hit what will be one of the political themes that his administration has pushed to explain voters’ concerns: frustration and anger.

Nowhere did that anger bubble up more than in Massachusetts, where the GOP captured what was once a solid Democratic seat and shifted the political process. The White House has argued that Obama rode that same wave of anger that goes back to the Bush years. But the biggest burr is how Wall Street has prospered with taxpayer help.

“For these Americans and so many others, change has not come fast enough. Some are frustrated; some are angry. They don’t understand why it seems like bad behavior on Wall Street is rewarded but hard work on Main Street isn’t; or why Washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems,” the president said. 

“They are tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness. They know we can’t afford it. Not now.” 

But as Obama often does, he added a note of hope to the trials most people face.

“You know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity. 

“It is because of this spirit -- this great decency and great strength -- that I have never been more hopeful about America’s future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it’s time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength.”

-- Michael Muskal
 Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal

Keep track of the state of politics with Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item -- or follow us on Facebook.

Photo: Screen capture of White House live steram