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By LIZ SIDOTI, AP National Political Writer

      WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama reached back into the
past in a State of the Union address that was all about winning the
future.

      He meant victory for America. And, perhaps, himself, too.


      In style and substance, the president resurrected themes from
his groundbreaking 2008 campaign as he started making the case for
his next one.


      With the world watching, he cast himself anew as a
post-partisan, pragmatic, reasonable, solutions-oriented leader
focused on protecting the American dream and ensuring the country's
economic dominance. He spoke directly to the fears of Americans
everywhere that their country is in decline. And he issued a call
to greatness while sketching out a long-term vision for how the
nation can achieve it.


      "We do big things," Obama said, delivering an optimistic pitch
that spoke to the country's can-do spirit.


      Unlike candidate Obama of 2008, though, he's no clean slate
offering gauzy promises of change to Americans looking for a leader
to right the country.


      He's the president. With a two-year record that divides the
public. And a stubbornly high unemployment rate. A man who must
work with the reinforced ranks of Republicans in Congress. And
convince the polarized country - including skeptical independents
who wield huge power in presidential elections - that the change he
wrought is sound.


      Ultimately, he must convince the nation that he should get four
more years at the helm.


      Obama is clearly aware of his new reality, given the speech he
delivered. He spoke to what unites, instead of divides, Americans.


      There were few sharply ideological pitches. There was little
partisanship. And for all the talk about economic revival for years
to come, there wasn't much talk about how to address the country's
most immediate concern: reducing the 9.4 percent jobless rate and
stoking a sluggish recovery.


      This was much bigger than the here and now. Obama set much
loftier goals, such as rebuilding people's faith in government.


      "In Texas we prefer straight talk and promises kept over
grandiose pledges and zero results," chided GOP Sen. John Cornyn,
the head of the Senate Republicans' campaign committee.


      Such criticism aside, Tuesday night's address laid bare Obama's
desire to channel the above-it-all persona he honed as a candidate
to capture a broad coalition of voters who vaulted him to the White
House. He's spent the months since the November elections
overhauling his presidency as he adjusts to an era of divided
government in Washington and prepares to run for re-election.


      Polls show that the effort has paid dividends: His
job-performance rating stands at 53 percent in the most recent
Associated Press-GfK poll and at 51 percent among independents.
Still, just 30 percent of independents score his presidency above
average or better, down from a year ago. And they divide about
evenly on whether he deserves to be re-elected.

      It's little wonder, then, that Obama, from the start of his
address, struck an above-the-fray posture and called for bipartisan
solutions to the nation's ills as he referenced the shooting in
Arizona, the tragedy that has helped unite the country.


      "Amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our public
debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we
come from, each of us is part of something greater - something more
consequential than party or political preference," he said. "We
are part of the American family."


      At nearly every turn that followed, the president called for
Republicans and Democrats to work together to tackle "challenges
decades in the making." Like fixing the immigration system. Making
80 percent of the country's electricity come from clean energy
sources by 2035. Simplifying the tax system. And strengthening
Social Security.


      He also repeatedly extended a hand to the GOP, entertaining
their ideas on issues like medical malpractice reform to rein in
frivolous lawsuits. But he didn't budge on his refusal to
permanently lower taxes on the top 2 percent of U.S. earners,
showing that his effort to compromise has limits.


      None of it sat well with Obama's liberal base. The president is
gambling that the left eventually will fall in line behind him.
It's a safe bet: He faces no serious primary challenger and still
is hugely popular among his core backers, despite grumbling.


      Obama's posture offered a sharp contrast to the past two years,
in which he leveraged huge Democratic majorities in Congress to
pass sweeping legislation with virtually no Republican support. The
GOP, for its part, stood in near lockstep against Obama throughout.


      But Republicans were the ones who benefited in November, when
voters decided they'd had enough of Democrats controlling all the
levers of power in Washington.


      Obama was quick to remind Republicans that they, too, will be
held accountable for the successes or failures of the next two
years.


      Despite uneasiness about the scope of government spending at a
time of budget-busting deficits, Obama called for huge investments
to spur innovation, education and infrastructure. They met
immediate resistance from Republicans, who cast him as a
tax-and-spend liberal even before he delivered the speech. House
Republicans went on record to return most domestic agencies to 2008
budget levels.


      "This is our Sputnik moment," said an undeterred Obama. "The
future is ours to win but to get there we cannot stand still."


      Previewing his likely re-election pitch and addressing top
concerns of Americans, he made the case that the country is on the
right course but that more must be done by both sides to make the
nation competitive. He signaled a willingness to bend but not break
on his health care plan that Republicans want to repeal. He called
for the country to confront its decade-long deficit spending spree.
And he ordered a review of government regulations and agencies.


      "At stake right now is not who wins the next election," Obama
insisted.


      Even as he started making the case that he should be the one.


      Liz Sidoti has covered national politics for The Associated
Press since 2003.

Gallery

President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address

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Republican response to State of the Union speech

Republicans back at work cutting spending

Obama's 'Union': 'Move together or not at all'

Text of President Obama's State of the Union speech

Politics and Government News

President Barack Obama reached back into the
past in a State of the Union address that was all about winning the
future.

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