White House: how to prepare for State of the Union

How does the president and the White House prepare for such a major event as the State of the Union? Jen Psaki, deputy communications director for the White House, says that this is an opportunity for the president to talk about what to expect in the future. But how much of this speech is just a laundry list and how much is a real opportunity to talk to the public about moving forward?

Michael Waldman, former Clinton chief speechwriter and author of “My Fellow Americans: The Most Important Speeches of America’s Presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama.” Waldman says, “The public really wants to hear from their president about policy. This is an unfiltered opportunity for President Obama to talk about his vision.”