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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    The State of the Union Speech: The Rhetoric and the Reality

    In a State of the Union speech every President speaks over the heads of the Joint Session of Congress to the American people. One of those moments came at the end of last night's address , with victims of gun violence in the audience.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    In a State of the Union speech every President speaks over the heads of the Joint Session of Congress to the American people. One of those moments came at the end of last night's address, with victims of gun violence in the audience. A "simple vote" won't be easy in a divided Congress — on gun control, climate change or a whole list of initiatives he said won't raise the deficit "a single dime." We hear divided reaction from an Obama supporter, a critic of "warmed over liberalism" and a progressive with doubts about "follow through."

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    The State of the Union Speech: The Rhetoric and the Reality
    1. 0:00Possible End to Christopher Dorner Manhunt
    2. 7:53The State of the Union Speech: The Rhetoric and the RealityYou’re reading this
    3. 42:44IOC's Wrestling Call Sparks Outrage
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Caitlin Shamberg

      KCRW

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • KCRW placeholder

      Glenn Thrush

      New York Times

    • KCRW placeholder

      David Leonhardt

      New York Times

    • KCRW placeholder

      Noam Scheiber

      New York Times

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    The State of the Union Speech: The Rhetoric and the Reality
    1. 0:00Possible End to Christopher Dorner Manhunt
    2. 7:53The State of the Union Speech: The Rhetoric and the RealityYou’re reading this
    3. 42:44IOC's Wrestling Call Sparks Outrage
    Back to To the Point