Obama’s inaugural address: 2013 edition

Several times in his second inaugural address, U.S. President Barack Obama began with, “We, the people.” They are the first three words of the U.S. constitution, though each time Obama deliberately emphasized the word “We.”

Presidents’ inaugural speeches invariably call for national unity and a fresh start at the beginning of a new term of office. But in a country that so emphasizes individual liberty, Obama made clear that “preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.” Whether building a strong economy or waging war he said, “Now more than ever we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.”

As unifying as that may sound, it expresses a sentiment that his political foes will not entirely embrace. They will interpret his goal as a large role for government in helping to shape the future of America. In recent years, Republicans have been campaigning for precisely the opposite of a larger government, rather they have called for a smaller government that gets out of the lives of average Americans.

An inaugural address is usually long on rhetoric and short on specifics, but Obama was clearly laying out an activist plan to get the country moving. The biggest challenge remains a moribund economy. Republicans say it requires reducing the country’s out-of-control debt by cutting social programs and reining in government spending. Obama says there must be a balance that includes both “caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.”

What remains to be seen is whether Obama and Republicans can work together…at all. Republicans’ popularity is at historic lows in part because they are seen as the party of “no” – no to everything Obama has wanted to do. But Obama has also been criticized for not reaching out more to politicians on Capitol Hill. Maybe he’ll do so now since, as he says, his two daughters aren’t hanging around the house as much anymore. But if the debate with Republicans hits a stalemate, as it often did over the past four years, Obama signaled Monday he will take his cause to the people. Expect to see the president hit the road, to use the campaign apparatus that served him so well in getting elected to marshal support for policies on the economy, immigration, energy, climate change and guns. Embedded Monday in the tone of “working together” was a message that he will not stand idly by for four years of stalemate in Washington. “Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time.” No lame duck second term, if Obama can help it.

Eric is Global National’s Washington Bureau Chief. Follow him on Twitter: @ericsorensendc.