Oklahoma Lawmakers Discuss State of the Union Address

By Charles Bassett, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- All eyes will be on Washington as President Obama prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address. It's been a challenging first year for the president and his address could define how he plans to move the country forward.

There are many things the president has to tackle; health care, the economy and jobs are among them. But, his biggest challenge might be convincing the American people he is the leader to fix these problems.

One year after taking office, President Obama is struggling to put his stamp on some of the promises he made on the campaign trail.

"He needs to talk about health care and how they're going to refashion that," said Dr. Richard Johnson, Oklahoma City University political science professor. "He needs to talk about jobs. The American public is scared and needs to be reassured."

Johnson said the president needs to show flexibility and that he's willing to work with Republicans.

"If he's smart, if he takes a page from Bill Clinton, he would move back towards to center," Johnson said.

The president has to address the trillion dollar deficit, the double digit unemployment rate and health care, a huge campaign promise he's failed to pass so far.

"He cannot continue for another year in the direction that he and the speaker and the majority leader went in the last year," Rep. Frank Lucas (R) Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Republican lawmakers agree the president needs do a better job of reaching across the aisle to ensure their voices are heard on any legislation moving forward.

"That's why Massachusetts was so important," said Lucas. "Sending a signal to the speaker, the majority leader in the Senate and the White House, don't do this to us."

Representative Dan Boren, Oklahoma's only Democratic lawmaker, was unavailable for comment about the State of the Union address.