President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union address, his sixth since he took office in 2009 and the first time he has done so before a Republican-controlled Congress. Speculation before the speech centered on how the president would respond after the November mid-term elections shifted control in the senate to a 54-46 majority in favor of the Republicans and increased their control by 13 in the House. Speaking  before 11 fewer Democrat senators and 69 fewer Democrat representatives than he did in his first State of the Union, the president struck a tone that seemed at once defiant and, at least nominally, reconciliatory.

Although an annual oral address to Congress and the American public is not specified in the Constitution’s mandate that the president, “… shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration [sic] such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient,” presidents since Woodrow Wilson have seized the opportunity to both extol their accomplishments and set out their vision to the American public.

The advent of radio, television and live online streaming have made the speech more of a spectacle than when George Washington presented the first such “report” in 1790, and presidents, as well as senators and representatives are not blind to the fact that they are under scrutiny  during the speech. The media counts the number of times the speech is interrupted by applause and notes, possibly with relish, the more human moments, such as when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg appeared to take a “church nap” during the president’s speech.

President Obama was expected to counter claims that, with the election of the new, Republican Congress, he is a “lame duck,” his presidency rendered irrelevant, and his theme of “turning the page” gave the night more of a political sensibility than a sober assessment of the actual state of the union.

Although most of the key hot buttons received at least a brief mention with references to a “broken” immigration system, tax loopholes that favor the rich, climate change, rising oceans, and closing Gitmo because it is “not who we are,” the president introduced little in the way of new proposals.

The president’s foreign policy portion of the speech carefully avoided reference to Al-Queda; the terrorist group was not named in a State of the Union address by the sitting president for the first time since 2002. Obama did not name the extremist group or directly address recent terrorist attacks in Europe, Canada, Australia and at home, rising antisemitism in Europe and religious persecution in the Middle East. As has been his ongoing policy, Obama sought to distinguish “the vast majority” of Muslims from terror groups.

The State of the Union address provides sitting presidents the opportunity to seize the chance to introduce new domestic legislation, such as Lyndon’s Johnson’s 1964 declaration of war on poverty. President Obama used the night to suggest free tuition for community college, paid sick and maternity leave, and greater executive authority for trade promotion. He argued for “universal child care,” calling it an “economic necessity” for many families.

Obama’s speech had a campaign feel and he deliberately shied away from going through a “laundry list” of legislation, or setting an itemized agenda. He was, however specific in identifying four instances where he would veto any bill sent to him by the Congress.  The president promised vetoes on changes to “Obamacare,” his signature health care law, limitations on his executive actions on immigration, changes to the “Dodd-Frank” Wall Street reform act, and the imposition of additional sanctions against Iran or requirement of Congressional approval of any deal with Iran.

The speech lasted just over an hour, interrupted 76 times, although often only from members of his party, with the new majority joining in on “can’t miss” references to honoring veterans and a NASA astronaut going on a year-long mission to Mars. One possibly unscripted moment occurred after the president noted he had no further campaigns in his future, prompting applause and laughter from the Republican members. With the timing of a stand-up comedian, the president shot back, “I know because I won both of ’em.” Although the quip was received with general laughter from the floor and the gallery, it was also an unfortunate reference to his widely reported comment after his first election in 2008 as he told his opponent, Senator John McCain, “Elections have consequences and I won.”