The impression I got ...

From the SOTU is that is was the rhetoric of a dying empire. It seemed more like a speech given at a pep rally than what was really needed.

One thing that struck me:

"We will invest in biomedical research ..."

Cue the Republicans teabaggers yelling about some derivative of 'eugenics' in five, four, three ...

Note to Republicans:

Investment = Improving the educational system and sponsoring scientific research that will yield benefits in the future.

Spending = Dumping money into two useless wars and overpriced weapons systems to combat an enemy that doesn't exist anymore.