One week from today President Obama will give his fifth State of the Union address, the first of his second term and the most important one of his presidency. Sure, he has four years ahead of him as president, but this year is his last year to secure a legacy, and make progress on critical issues including an economic recovery before the political campaigns begins – for the midterm elections of 2014 and the open presidential election of 2016. Following his second inaugural address, which surprised members of both parties, the focus on Obama’s upcoming SOTU address is more intense than usual. Given a fiscal crisis and several crises overseas, the president’s landmark speech on equality, historic as it was, left so much unsaid.

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