Atlantans Have Mixed Emotions about SOTU; Hear Speech Tonight on WABE

Atlanta resident Matt Armstrong says he’ll be too busy to tune in.

However, he says, he’s interested in less talk and more action.

“What I’d want to hear, which I don’t think will happen is how things are going to get done this year.  With elections coming at the end of the year, I feel things aren’t going to get done.  There will be a lot of posturing.”

Chris Boynton will wait until Wednesday morning to find out what Mr. Obama had to say.

But he’s hoping transportation will be addressed by the president.

“So, like any rail systems, high-speed rail systems in our country, and ways that they could help cities improve transportation.”An audio version of this story.

Aaron Fortner says he’ll watch President Obama’s speech, if he’s able to get his kids in bed by then.  

“He’ll talk about healthcare, I’m sure.  But that…it’s doesn’t really matter what he says.  It’s him and Congress, nothing new is going to happen there this year.  Yeah, I think I’m most interested in what he has to say about the economy.”

David Chamblee will listen to the address on the radio, but he’s not expecting much.

“Every time we have a speech, it just seems to go in circles.  I don’t know, it just seems that he’s speaking to speak.  And then nothing that he says he wants to do or get done seems to get done, except for healthcare.”

One Atlanta area resident who will hear the speech is Antoinette Tuff.

She’s the DeKalb County bookkeeper who helped prevent a shooting at the Ronald E. McNair School in August.

Tuff will see the speech in person, as an invited guest of First Lady Michelle Obama.