In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama painted a rosy picture of his administration’s work both in foreign and domestic policy. Reviewing the speech, it becomes clear that his failures both at home and abroad stem from his fundamental misconception of his own role. In working with matters overseas, the President must lead. The most that one can expect of Congress is to authorize or ratify the actions that the President must implement. Presidential leadership, announced in a single and decisive voice, is essential, for no one can expect a deliberative body to take the lead in foreign statecraft. On domestic affairs, the opposite stance is appropriate…