For two years, Barack Obama has been talking about lifting the U.S. out of a financial hole. In his second State of the Union, buoyed by recent legislative successes, his successful speech in Tucson and a brightening economic forecast, he began charting a path forward. That's not to say the address harked back to the soaring oratory of his campaign speeches, or even the Tucson address. It was light on applause lines and suffused with a grim subtext: our competitors are gaining on us. Obama's task was to acknowledge the status anxiety sweeping across the U.S., identify the problems causing it, and map out a plan to solidify America's place in the world/Alex Altman, Time. More here.

Question: In baseball terms, how would you rank Obama's State of the Union Tuesday night -- strikeout, single, double, triple, or home run? Why?