Sounding more like the candidate of hope and change, U.S. President Barack Obama looked past members of Congress and delivered his final State of the Union message straight to the American people. “I want to focus on the future,” the president opened his speech to a packed chamber in the House of Representatives. He added, “America has been through big changes before wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights. Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears.” With the first contest of the 2016 campaign a mere three weeks away in Iowa, Obama repeatedly addressed the harsh tone of the political debate.