CNN can barely let applause die before delivering breaking news that Dorner found dead. Suspect the story will step all over usual SOTU wallowing.

Before I hear CNN “analysis,” I thought speech clever in how he handled challenge to GOP; very Clintonian in policy offerings (and better than past SOTUs); and pretty good at taking advantage of areas where public opinion pretty much already on his side. Minimum wage increase good example: Republican pols and business leaders hate it, public loves it.

Republicans are probably insta-huddling to figure out how to deal w/ what Obama said about “entitlement reform.” Do they declare victory or claim fraud?

Okay, back to CNN: Newt going crazy over “not adding a dime to deficit” line. That’ll probably be a common response, because it enables them to rant about Obama’s past “broken promises.”

Now Gergen accusing Obama of “retreating” from past deficit reduction posture.

Now Rubio up; that’ll get another thread.

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Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.