The Road He Travelled: How Will Obama Sign off in Final State of Union?

On Tuesday night the US president is set to deliver his final State of the Union address; and while the White House website promises that he will “lay out the ways that the American people can once again come together in pursuit of a country worthy of generations to come,” let’s take a look at what the experts suggest he will say.

Many experts agree that this year's address will be non-traditional as the president will be talking more about himself and appealing more to the American people watching him on TV rather than to his in-person audience and Congress. As there is no point in laying out any items to the Congress given that he simply does not have any time to complete them.

The speech is expected to be less policy-heavy and more big-picture, outlining what Obama sees as his lasting achievements.

"You'll hear him talk about every American having a shot in this changing economy. You'll hear him talk about using all the elements of our national power to protect and grow the influence of this country," White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said in an interview with CNN.

"And importantly, you'll hear the president talk about making sure that every American has a chance to influence this democracy. Not the select few, not the millionaires and the billionaires, but every American."

White House website suggests, among others, there will be topics on the country’s economic progress, climate change, the country’s engagement in the world, health care reform, social policy,

And here is what President Obama said about his upcoming speech in a preview video trailer released last week:

"Since I took office seven years ago in the midst of crisis, I don’t think I have ever been more optimistic about a year ahead than I am right now.

In what free moments I can take right now, I am working on my State of the Union address. It is my last one. And as I am writing, I keep thinking about the road that we’ve travelled together these past seven years: the people I’ve met, the stories that you’ve shared, the remarkable things you’ve done to make change happen, to recover from crisis and set this country on a better, stronger course for tomorrow. That is what makes America great – our capacity to change for the better.

Our ability to come together as one American family and pull ourselves closer to the America we believe in.

It is hard to see sometimes in the day-to-day noise of Washington, but it is who we are. And it is what I want to focus on in this State of the Union address: not just the remarkable progress we've made, not just what I want to get done in the year ahead, but what we all need to do together in the years to come — the big things that will guarantee an even stronger, better, more prosperous America for our kids. The America we believe in. That's what's on my mind."

“This address will be for you,” finally promised the US head of state.