I sensed a political strategy in the State of the Union speech:

Obama was roundly criticized for being too vague, and for making only a token concession to the "mandate" to cut spending. But I think he's counting on a huge rift in the GOP: between the Establishment, which despite their rhetoric is just as tax/spend/deficit-addicted as the Dems; and the Tea Party purists, who are basically leaderless but seem to hold the "purity" high ground in the GOP. I think Obama didn't offer any specifics in his speech because he's counting on paralysis in Congress for the next two years as the GOP self-destructs. Then he'll blame the "do-nothing" Congress and count on his still-formidable popularity to carry him past whoever survives the GOP infighting and name-calling.

Harry Truman won an unanticipated victory in 1948 by blaming the "do-nothing Congress." Then again, Truman never backed away from a political fight. We'll see if Obama has the spine to do it.