President Obama delivered his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress and the American people tonight.
The speech was more than an hour long and much of it was spent on the topic of jobs and the economy.
"When I ran for President," he said, "I promised I wouldn't just do what was popular – I would do what was necessary."
Ashley Horne, federal issues analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the speech was notable for what was in it – and what was not.
"He basically looked at the American public tonight and said, 'I don't care what you think about health care, we are still moving forward,'" she said. "He didn't say anything about the value of life, he didn't say anything about marriage. That's what we really would love to see out of a president."
When he did touch on social issues, it was in defiance of values voters.
"This year, I will work with Congress and our military," he said, "to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are."
"That's nothing new," Horne said. "He's said that before, and we'll be ready for that."
Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., said after the speech that the president is still not listening to the American people.
"He's tone deaf," Akin said. "The policies he's pushing are going to hurt employment and small businesses."
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell offered the Republican response. While Obama hardly touched the social issues, McDonnell was clear.
"America must always be a land where liberty and property are valued and respected, and innocent human life is protected.
"Government should have this clear goal: Where opportunity is absent, we must create it. Where opportunity is limited, we must expand it. Where opportunity is unequal, we must make it open to everyone."
