The day after delivering his sixth State of the Union address, President Barack Obama took to the road to tell Americans that “big things happen late in the fourth quarter.”
Obama on Wednesday delivered a speech rife with sports metaphors at Boise State University, citing the college football team’s thrilling late-game victory over Oklahoma in 2007 as an example of why he will continue to push his priorities even as his time in office dwindles and cooperation from Congress seems unlikely.
“I may be in the fourth quarter of my presidency, but here at the home of the team with the most famous ‘Statue of Liberty’ play in history, I don't need to remind you that big things happen late in the fourth quarter,” Obama said.
The Boise State Broncos scored on the rarely seen trick play that helped lift the team to victory in what was one of college football’s most thrilling finishes. Obama did not promise the same type of late-game heroics, but did say he had no plans of giving up.
“I’ve got two years left in office, I am not going to stop trying to make our politics work better,” he said.
The president’s address on Tuesday hit on many priorities that will likely not make it through the Republican-controlled Congress. But his intent was more to start a negotiation on issues like college affordability, paid sick leave and tax reform, Obama said.
“Some of the commentators last night said, ‘Well, that’s a pretty good speech, but none of this can pass this Congress,’” Obama said. “But My job is to put forward what I think is best for America. The job of Congress then is to put forward alternative ideas.”