Obama 'State of the Union' to Underline Campaign Theme

President Obama will steal the political spotlight Tuesday night with his nationally-televised and internet live-streamed State of the Union Address - a moment he is seizing upon to promote his bid for a second term.

Obama previewed the content of his address today in a video message to re-election supporters, calling it a "bookend" to a speech he gave in Osawatomie, Kan., late last year and a "blueprint" of his proposed economic agenda for another four years.

"I talked in Osawatomie about this as a make-or-break moment for the middle class and folks trying to work their way into the middle class.  Because we can go in two directions," Obama says.

"One is towards less opportunity and less fairness.  Or we can fight for where I think we need to go: building an economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few."

Obama and his campaign surrogates have for months painted Republicans in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail as favoring monied interests over those of the middle class. It's a battle line drawn that Democrats see as central to their strategy for winning in 2012.

The "big ideas" Obama highlights in the video - boosting American manufacturing, alternative energy sources, and education and training programs for workers - are not new ones.

But, Obama says, the speech will "be about how we do it."

The president encourages his supporters to participate in a speech watch party at one of the hundreds of viewing locations being organized around the country through his re-election campaign for Tuesday night.

The online video message is Obama's second today.  In an earlier separate appearance - the official weekly presidential address - he spoke about his State of the Union speech as a "blueprint" for action to improve the U.S. economy.