Personal stories, fewer new policies: Obama to deliver new kind of State of the Union

“The President was tired of the old approach” of delivering a long laundry list of ideas, said one key Democratic party source who was briefed on the latest draft of the speech. “The news will be thematic, not policy driven,” said another well-placed party operative.

The end result, sources said, will be a State of the Union that largely focuses on middle-class themes — raising stagnant wages, strengthening the people who are already in the workforce, and providing a ladder to the working poor to climb out of poverty.

A list of talking points offered to Democratic party operatives said the president’s goal is “making paychecks go farther right now.”

The President is also expected to tout his decision to take executive action on immigration and again call on Congress to find a bipartisan, legislative solution to the long-simmering issue, according to a key Democratic source.

After the State of the Union speech, Obama will travel to Idaho and Kansas to continue his middle class pitch. The President wants to plan more “red state travel” in the coming months, said on Democratic source.

“He wants to engage states where people don’t agree with him,” the Democrat said.

CNN