Obama resorts to 'change' slogan to reclaim popularity

Washington, Jan. 28 (ANI): In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama tried to turn back the clock and took Americans to his campaign days by frankly telling them that "I never suggested that change would be easy."

"I campaigned on the promise of change - change we can believe in, the slogan went. And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren't sure that they still believe we can change - or at least, that I can deliver it. But remember this I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I could do it alone," Politico quoted Obama, as saying during his address to a joint session of Congress.

Obama sent a clear signal that he'll try to regain voters' confidence with a sharp focus on fixing the recession and creating jobs.

"Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010, and that is why I am calling for a new jobs bill tonight. People are out of work. They are hurting. They need our help. And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay," Obama roared.

While Obama devoted the bulk of his remarks to jobs, he insisted he wasn't giving up on health care reform and he urged Congress to press forward.

"Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people," the president said. "Let's get it done. Let's get it done," he asserted.

But beyond any specific policy or program, Obama took pains throughout the speech to show Americans that he understands the suffering caused by the economic slump and shares their anger at both Wall Street and Washington.

"If there's one thing that has unified Democrats and Republicans and everybody in between, it's that we all hated the bank bailout....I hated it. You hated it. It was about as popular as a root canal," Obama said.

In fact, at times, Obama seemed to press the reset button, hearkening back to some of his biggest applause lines from his 2008 campaign.

"Democracy in a nation of three hundred million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That's just how it is," he said. (ANI)