Deep Dive: SOTU promises and pitfalls

>>> state of the union addresses are an opportunity for grand plans and second term presidents have a unique opportunity. free from concerns about reelection, they can aim high . a deep dive into promises and pitfalls that the addresses have presented in the modern err a. let's go back to 1985 . ronald reagan kicked off on a high. 25 straight months of growth. to keep the momentum going, he took aim at the tax rates .

>> let us move together with a historic reform of tax simplification . we will remove the preferences and have a top rate of no more than 35%.

>> at the time he gave that speech, the top rate was 50%. the following year he cut the cop rate almost in half down to 28%. compare that to the current rate at 39.6%. the tax reform act consolidated and raised corporate rates. how did it work? gdp was growing at around 2%. the rate hit 7%. it wouldn't hit again for years. another idea that he pitched in the second term, the international space station . not on his watch much the core module was launched about ten years after. plipt was residing over a second economy. he discussed education reform , laying out ten principals in all.

>> i issue a challenge to the nation. every state should adopt high national standards and by 1999 , every state should test every fourth grader in aring and every eighth grader in math to make sure these standards are met.

>> clinton made the national examples, but it wasn't enough. the measure was blocked bia coalition of liberal democrats who thought they would discriminate. in 2011 as part of nbc's ezication series, they said it's still the right idea even if it didn't work back then.

>> i would start with the national education standards which we almost developed in my second term and there was a bipartisan resistance in congress even though i took it out of politics, the process on the theory that i was interfering with the states and the localities.

>> they included other promises, vowed to balance the budget and sign the act into law just six months later. health coverage for kids and including the state health insurance program in the balanced budget act . fast forward, president bush was dealing with two wars, but the push focused on fixing social security .

>> as we fix social security we have the responsibility to make the system a better deal with younger workers. the best way to reach the goal is through voluntary retirement accounts.

>> president bush launched a series of long tours to sell the plan to the public and it never caught on. support got worse. his rating on the issue fell in june. they were opposed and republicans cooperate gain traction either. hurricane katrina wiped out any chance of passing a reform and quietly disappeared. another major issue that year, iraq .

>> we will not set an artificial time table. we are in iraq to achieve a result. a country that is democratic. representative of all its people. at peace with the neighbors and able to defend itself.

>> whether or not you believe the u.s. can meet the goal, the war went on for seven dwreyears after that. he mentioned iraq 27 times and afghanistan was mentioned three times. there you have it. second term state of the unions. awfully ambitious in many ways tough to get everything done, though you see there