As I write this, President Obama has finished telling us the State of the Union is “strong” and is signing autographs as he leaves the House floor. During his speech, President Obama was bright, optimistic, and hopeful, touting American innovation and the positive future ahead for us as a country.

I understand why he said this. When times are darkest, the president leads by assuring a worried American populace that the dawn is just around the corner. But this optimistic tone does not gibe with the reality recognized by those whose jobs do not include “cheerleader-in-chief.” Consider:

• In a survey leading up to the SOTU speech, Gallup found that American’s satisfaction with the country’s direction and with its institutions has gone down.
• According to government figures (via AP), unemployment was up in 20 states this month.
• Foreign Policy Magazine avers that China will soon eclipse America on the world stage.

Taken together, we can conclude that America’s place in the world stage has diminished, times are still tough, and the American people can sense this. But do our leaders in Washington comprehend this? Does our president? Tonight, the president did not convince me that he and his staff fully grasp where America and its citizens stand today. And the president did not convince me that he and his staff — or Congress — have crafted the plans needed to confront this situation.

President Obama did serve some broccoli alongside patriotic American ice cream tonight. But I think we would have benefited if President Obama had spent more time on the vegetable course, and a little less time on dessert.