At the recent Jan. 12 State of the Union, President Obama delivered a signature, uplifting address, returning to his original message of hope after eight years and ultimately asserting that the state of the union is strong. In this address, President Obama attempted to stifle the discontentment and frustration in politics, denouncing popular notions of the U.S.’s shortcomings. “Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction,” he said in response to his critics.
At the New Hampshire primary, however, voters responded with a repudiation of their president’s assessment of the country. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump secured decisive victories for the far left and right, respectively, a...