--- title: State of the Union 2015: Presidential Candidates Respond to Obama description: From Jeb Bush to Jim Webb, potential 2016 candidates made clear their opinions on the 2015 State of the Union canonical: https://time.com/3676964/state-of-the-union-2015-barack-obama-republicans/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-21T19:12:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:42:34.315Z article:section: Politics og:title: How the 2016 Presidential Contenders Responded to Obama's State of the Union og:description: From Jeb Bush to Rand Paul and more og:url: https://time.com/3676964/state-of-the-union-2015-barack-obama-republicans/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d2fbf0e9bc12aca/69877b1806f2c1b8da333863/jeb-bush-state-of-the-union.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Texan George P. Bush sworn in to office og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How the 2016 Presidential Contenders Responded to Obama's State of the Union twitter:description: From Jeb Bush to Rand Paul and more twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d2fbf0e9bc12aca/69877b1806f2c1b8da333863/jeb-bush-state-of-the-union.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How the 2016 Presidential Contenders Responded to Obama's State of the Union > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=149ed20c-aeb0-4134-804b-a1b77820dbc5&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The 2015 State of the Union in Under 2 Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): The 2015 State of the Union in Under 2 Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/oRJrdKrq.m3u8) (1:49)  _Published 2015-01-21. President Barack Obama delivered his 2015 State of the Union Address to Congress Tuesday laying out a new vision for what his administration terms “middle-class economics.”_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jan 21, 2015 7:12 PM UTC  Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush visits with friends in the Texas Senate chamber after seeing his son George P. Bush, 38, sworn into office as the Texas Land Commissioner in Austin on Jan. 2, 2015. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush visits with friends in the Texas Senate chamber after seeing his son George P. Bush, 38, sworn into office as the Texas Land Commissioner in Austin on Jan. 2, 2015. Bob Daemmrich—Corbis by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jan 21, 2015 7:12 PM UTC There wasn’t much room for more responses to [President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address](http://time.com/3675623/state-of-the-union-2015-barack-obama/) after five different Republicans were set to offer formal rebuttals Tuesday night. But potential candidates in the 2016 presidential race still managed to squeeze into the mix. Republican former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana were among many White House hopefuls who took to social media to air their responses. In an Instagram video, Bush called for less divisiveness on tax policy. “This nation needs to create economic opportunity for all Americans,” Bush said. “It’s really sad that President Obama wants to use the tax code once again to divide us.” Jindal tweeted his response to the State of the Union, which drew the attention of many, but likely not for the reason he’d hoped. “I’ll save you 45 mins. Obama will decry Republicans, beat up on private business and argue for more ‘free stuff,’” Jindal wrote, before ending the tweet with a glaring grammar mistake. > [](https://twitter.com/BobbyJindal/status/557693841537777666) **MORE:** [How 7 ideas in the State of the Union would affect you](http://time.com/3670372/state-union-obama-ideas/) Former Virginia Democratic Sen. Webb, who has largely stayed below the fray since launching an 2016 exploratory committee in late November, live-tweeted the State of the Union, sharing his ideas for criminal justice reform and criticizing the President’s actions on foreign policy and national security. > [](https://twitter.com/JimWebbUSA/status/557730973681741826) Wisconsin Republican [Gov. Scott Walker](https://twitter.com/govwalker) tweeted a response, issued a statement and also made an appearance on MSNBC’s _Morning Joe_ to talk about the President’s address. “Our American revival is not going to be led by a lame duck president who would rather pick fights with Congress,” Walker said in a statement. “”It will be led by reformers who know how to get things done.” ### Photos: The Curse of the State of the Union Response  House Speaker Jim Wright gave the response to George H.W. Bush in 1989\. He resigned later that year after an ethics scandal. Terry Ashe—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Rep. Bob Michel gave the response to Bill Clinton in 1993\. Facing fights with other Republicans, he declined to run for re-election the next year. Terry Ashe—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Sen. Bob Dole gave the response to Clinton in 1996\. Later that year, he ran against Clinton and lost. Charlie Neibergall—AP  House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (shown on TV) gave the response to George W. Bush in 2002\. After Democrats lost seats that fall, he stepped down from leadership. Scott J. Ferrell—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images  Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius gave the response to Bush in 2008\. The next year, she became Secretary Health and Human Services, where she oversaw the disastrous launch of HealthCare.gov. AP  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal gave the response to Barack Obama in 2009\. It was poorly received, setting back his national prospects. AP  Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell gave the response to Obama in 2010\. He was recently sentenced to two years in prison in a corruption case. Steve Helber—AP  Rep. Michele Bachmann gave the unofficial tea party response to Obama in 2011\. The next year, she came in last in the Iowa presidential caucuses. AP  Rep. Paul Ryan gave the official response to Obama in 2011\. The following year, he ran for vice president and lost. AP  Sen. Marco Rubio gave the response to Obama in 2013\. His awkward drink of water midway through was much ridiculed. AP In a lengthy Facebook post, two-time Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who is considering another campaign in 2016, said the speech was proof that Obama is “more interested in politics than in leadership.” “Rather than bridging the gap between the parties, he makes ‘bridge to nowhere’ proposals,” Romney wrote. “Disappointing. A missed opportunity to lead.” Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul issued a pre-recorded video response to the State of the Union. “The President is intent on redistributing the pie, but not growing it,” he said. ## Transcript Our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. { APPLAUSE ] At every step we were told our goals were misguided, or too ambitious. Instead we've see the fastest economic growth in over decade. Our deficit's cut by two- thirds. A stock market that has doubled and healthcare inflation at its lowest rate in 50 years. [ APPLAUSE ] This is good news people. [ LAUGH ] [ APPLAUSE ] And in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before we need to up our game. We need to do more. And that's why I'm sending this congress a bold, new plan to lower the cost of community college to zero. [ APPLAUSE ] 21st century businesses need 21st century infrastructure. So let's set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let's pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan. Our shift. And Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere, and extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people. I want our actions to tell every child in every neighborhood, 'Your life matters.' Man and woman, young and old, black and white, Latino, Asian, immigrant, Native American, gay, straight- Americans with mental illness and physical disability. Everybody matters. I want them to grow up in a country that shows the world what we know to be true. That we are still more than a collection of red states and blue states and we are the United States of America. Thank you. God bless you. [ APPLAUSE ] God bless this country that we love. 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