When both parties do come together, though both will not show the same reaction tonight to what is the president s fifth state of the union address. He walks into the Chamber Tonight presiding over a better u. S. Economy than when he took over the job, though with millions struggling, youll hear him talk about income inequality tonight as we watch the first lady enter. He will talk about education and immigration and minimum wage, and hell talk about health care now that there has been a leveling off after a rough launch. This night traditionally one part status report on our nation, one part wish list for the future of our nation. Its that second component that has become so tough with our politics so fractured. And were just seeing the entry, as weve been talking, of the first lady into the box on the second floor of the inside of the House Chamber. She passed by dr. Jill biden. All of the various guests arranged there and by invitation. Chuck todd, the last thing we mentioned, and its terrible to have to say this, but our new nbc news wall street journal poll just tonight indicates americans now believe their country has been on the wrong track for a decade. Thats what is amazing here. You know, every month i report about the new nbc wall street journal poll, and weve been saying you know what . People think the country is off on the wrong track, but look at this red line. This goes all the way back to 2004. Were going back ten straight years, 100 different surveys that we conducted. And each one of them going back to 2004, more people have said this country is headed on the wrong track than in the right direction. Right now theyre in a real pessimistic mood. We know the president is going to describe the state of the union as strong. Well, we asked our respondents what do you think the state of the nation is. Only 3 picked strong. Look in this word cloud, the words that were used more often than strong in red here, divided, troubled, deteriorating. As you see there, the positive words in green, its almost hard to read on your screen. And then of course there is the pessimism about the president himself. A lot of folks in our survey, 59 , think that the rest of his term theyre feeling uncertain or pessimistic about it. Only 40 feel optimistic and satisfied about the years that remain in his term. This is the backdrop. Its pretty grim backdrop that the president has. And this state of the union in many ways, brian, i would argue, this is his last one that hes got a chance to truly own the agenda here in washington. Its a tough task hes got ahead. So david gregory, to coin a phrase, this is our country. How much longer do we put up with, you know, a decade of pessimism about our direction . What is going to happen . Well, and its so interesting because the economy is getting better. Thats what this president had to do. He had to make the economy better, yet he is not getting a lot of credit for it. Chuck is exactly right in terms of what he is describing, yet the president has over a thousand days in his term. Because as you mentioned 2013 was such a bad year for him, there is a question about how much persuasive punch he has left. He is doing all these executive orders tonight. Well, republicans in congress are saying youre going to have a real fight if you try to trample on us. So weve got some real difficulties here. And this is an election year, brian. So hes got to frame not just what he is for, but what his party is for. Democrats i talked to today are desperate for him to go on offense, to defend obamacare, stop apologizing, to pivot, to pocketbook issues for the middle class that they want to run on and win with they hope this november. Andrea mitchell, as we see the cabinet come in and await the arrival of the president , last year the president hit a vast wish list. He got very few items on it. Tonight well see the same thing, of course, again, given our fractured politics, this is what happens. And he is going to come in not confrontationally, but he is going to say if we cant Work Together, and i do want to Work Together, and immigration is one thing, he is going to take some actions on his own. He has already signaled that he is going to try to do something about the minimum wage for future federal contractors, perhaps 200,000 people by executive action. But beyond that, he really does need a partnership with congress. And they think they can perhaps do something on immigration, but the republicans have already said that theyre going to keep going at him on obamacare, on health care. They think that he is really vulnerable on that. And truth be told, as much damage as the Health Care Issue has been for him, hes also suffering from what chuck and david have described as this anger and pessimism about washington, which was partially caused by the Government Shutdown that people initially blamed republicans, but the back wash from that is also infecting the general attitude, and its hurting the president as well. I want to let everybody know in addition to our conversation on the air tonight, the conversation will continue all evening long on nbc news. Com where you take part, and youll see the observations and additions of members of our team on the bottom of the screen throughout the evening tonight. And another member of our team, kelly odonnell, we always say this, may have the best seat of all. She is inside the House Chamber there far on the right, using her customized nbc news opera glasses. Kelly, this may be the year that the gallery has changed over to these kind of celebrity invited guests not unlike the white house correspondents dinner. It had a little of that feeling, brian, because one of the reality tv stars of duck dynasty, Willie Robertson is here with his star spangled bandanna, and there has been a parade of members, republican members of the house who have come from the floor up to the second level to shake hands with him. Guests at a night like this often represent big themes. So we also can tell you there are people who are teachers, the unemployed, there are war veterans who are here there is an array of people who represent some of the themes of this night, but there was a definite, especially before the event started to unfold, a real celebrity feeling in the room because i havent seen that in covering a lot of these where members were taking photos from the floor up into the second level to catch this reality star who has been very popular. So pop culture and political life collide here tonight. Youll also notice on especially democrats lapels tonight sort of a blue ribbon. Thats a concern for their raising the minimum wage. So there is a policy idea behind that. Youll also note a lot of the ladies in congress are in red tonight, that tvfriendly color that puts them very visible along the especially the center aisle, where many have waited for hours. They literally have to bring their work to the chamber and wait for hours to get those seats along the aisle where the president is most likely to shake their hands, and maybe theyll be seen in their hometowns on local news and coverage there, which can be beneficial for many who want to have that moment with the president. Some great little scenes, andrea mitchell, here, especially one featuring the attorney general and secretary of state. That is a rare moment when john kerry is in town because he has been traveling nonstop. And one of the criticisms from some that he heard a lot of when he was in switzerland last month that he is focusing too much on israelipalestinian agenda, not enough on syria. Syria talks going nowhere. Were going to hear from the president tonight Strong Defense of the iranian negotiations, and again, that veto threat if Congress Steps in and tries to impose iranian sanctions. There is a lot of bipartisan support for that. And he said hell veto it because he thinks it would blow up the negotiations. And one quick historic note. It was the state of the union back in 2002 when george w. Bush said those three little words, axis of evil, including iran, which was aligned against us with the taliban. And that blew up any hope of diplomacy with iran until now. We keep showing this hinting shot of the door in the back of the chamber. The door was closed, and now its been opened. They keep looking to see if the aisle is clear and people have settled down. Paul irving, the sergeant at arms, will walk through there and make the announcement. We happen to know the president is behind those double doors on the left, and hell come down the aisle. You know, brian, im just sort of three years ago after the shooting with gabby giffords, and for a couple state of the unions in a row, everybody found a bipartisan date. There was more of a dignified feeling about the guests you would invite. Boy, you can tell things are a lot different now when youre inviting duck dynasty stars. Everybody is trying to make a partisan political point. You get the feeling that whatever kumbahyah there had been, at least in the last couple of years. Thats gone with this state of the union. They had a budget deal that was pretty promising. The president will talk about it. Yet this feels like its going to be a base event tonight. Health care versus middle class issues. Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. Leadership behind him. This has taken varying amounts of time over the years, and depending on the president. You look at old news reels of this event, and some president s have comparatively positively charged down the aisle, but others like to stop. And in the television era, we were talking about the bright colors on some of the female members of the house of representatives in the television era. This is valuable, or at least seen to be valuable on camera time. With the leader of the free world. And yes, our eyes are on congressman eliot engel of new york who is coming up on the right of your screen. For years now, he has made it his business to stand on the aisle and greet the president , except when the president turns the other way. You see cantor right there behind the president. Theyre all getting together on thursday. And one of the early tests, brian, is going to be raising the debt ceiling. And theyre going to be talking about how they might tie some of their wish list to raising the debt ceiling like rolling back some of his executive authorities that the president is going to be asserting tonight. Lets listen in to some of these greetings as all is fair and Everybody Knows our microphones are down on the floor of the house. You know i wont. Good, good. Thank you. How are you . How are you this evening . I hope youre doing well. Good. Good to see you, brother. Good to see you. Good to see you. Good to see you. John kerry, glad you could make it, man. Threw her arms around the president. Not all the Supreme Court justices go. Justice alito, him shaking his head. That looks like a better turnout than weve seen from the sport in the last years. Justice alito does not think its the business of the justices to be here. They dont react to anything partisan the president says. We also saw the chief of staff for the u. S. Army, ray odierno. The president comes up and greets the Vice President and the speaker. Well have another round of this. Lets hope Everybody Knows the microphones are on. A the heartstopping moment. A long day for the house speaker. Thank you. Thank you. You ready . Members of congress, i have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Mr. Speaker, mr. Vice president , members of congress, my fellow americans, today in america a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it and did her part to lift americas Graduation Rate to its highest levels in more than three dec e decades. An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup and did her part to add to the more than eight million new jobs our businesses have created over the past four years. An auto worker finetunes some of the best, most fuel efficient cars in the world and did his part to help america wean itself off foreign oil. A farmer prepared for the spring after the strongest fiveyear stretch of farm exports in our history. A rural doctor gave a young child the first prescription to treat asthma that his mother could afford. A man took the bus home from the graveyard shift, bone tired but dreaming big dreams for his son. And in tightknit communities all across america, fathers and mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, remember fallen comrades, and give thanks for being home from a war that after 12 long years is finally coming to an end. Tonight this chamber speaks with one voice to the people we represent. It is you, our citizens who make the state of our union strong. And here are the results of your efforts. The lowest Unemployment Rate in over five years, a rebounding housing market, a Manufacturing Sector that is adding jobs for the First Time Since the 1990s, more oil produced, more oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world, the first time thats happened in nearly 20 years. Our deficits cut by more than half. And for the first time, for the first time in over a decade, Business Leaders around the world have declared that china is no longer the worlds number one place to invest america is. Thats why i believe this can be a breakthrough year for america. After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on earth. The question for everyone in this chamber, running through every decision we make this year is whether we are going to help or hinder this progress. For several years now, this town has been consumed bay rancoress argument over the progress of the federal government. Its an important debate, one that dates back to our very founding. But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy, when our differences shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States, then we are not doing right by the American People. Now as president , im committed to making washington work better and rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here. And i believe most of you are too. Last month thanks to the work of democrats and republicans, Congress Finally produced a budget that undoes some of last years severe cuts to priorities like education. Nobody got everything they wanted, and we can still do more to invest in this countrys future while bringing down our deficit in a balanced way, but the budget compromise should leave us to focus on creating new jobs, not creating new crises. And in the coming months, in the coming months, lets see where else we can make progress together. Lets make this a year of action. Thats what most americans want, for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations. And what i believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all, the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead in america. Lets face it. That belief has suffered some serious blows. Over more than three decades, even before the Great Recession hit, massive shifts in technology and global competition had eliminated a lot of good middle class jobs and weakened the economic foundations that families depend on. Today after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is even in the midst of recovery, too Many Americans are working more than ever just to get by, let alone to get ahead. And too many still arent working at all. So our job is to reverse these trends. It wont happen right away, and we wont agree on everything. But what i offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class. Some require congressional action, and i am eager to work with all of you. But america does not stand still and neither will i. So wherever and whenever i can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more american families, thats what im going to do. As usual, our first lady sets a good example. Michelles well. Michelles lets move partnership with schools, businesses, local leaders has helped bring down Childhood Obesity rates for the first time in 30 years. And thats an achievement that will improve lives and reduce Health Care Costs for decades to come. The joining forces alliance that michelle and jill biden launched has already encouraged employers to hire or train nearly 400,000 veterans and military spouses. Taking a page from that playbook, the white house just organized a College Opportunity summit where already 150 universities, businesses, nonprofits have made concrete commitments to reduce inequality and access to Higher Education, and to help every hardworking kid go to college and succeed when they get to campus. And across the country, were partnering with mayors, governors, and state legislatures on issues from homelessness to marriage equality. The point is there are millions of americans outside of washington who are tired of stale political arguments and are moving this country forward. They believe and i believe that here in america our success should depend not on accident, but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams. Thats what drew our forebearers here. Thats how the daughter of a factory worker is ceo of americas largest automaker. How the son of the bar keep is speaker of the house. How the son of a single mom can be president of the greatest nation on earth. Opportunity is who we are, and the defining project of our generation must be to restore tha