President Obama’s ‘divide-and-conquer’ strategy

President Barack Obama delivered an upbeat State of the Union speech to say the economy is showing clear signs of improvement. But Obama said a complete recovery is an “unfinished task.” He called on Congress to fund job creation and to hike the minimum wage.

Obama also challenged congressional leaders to allow votes on gun control proposals developed in the wake of the Connecticut school massacre. Lawmakers invited survivors and relatives of gun violence to attend the speech, including wounded former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

For more analysis of the address, KCRW’s Steve Chiotakis spoke with Samuel Popkin, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, and sometime campaign adviser. His most recent book is “The Candidate: What It Takes to Win – and Hold – the White House.”

Watch the full address here: