Focus shifts to November following SOTU

While President Barack Obama finished his one-hour long speech before a joint-session of Congress focusing on the future of the United States, GOP presidential hopefuls began preparing their talking points as to why a Republican should replace the outgoing president. 

While there are three U.S. Senators vying for the GOP nomination, only Florida Senator Marco Rubio was among the group who watched the president's final State of the Union in person. Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul both opted to stay away from the Capitol Tuesday evening. 

Joining Rubio in the Capitol was Bernie Sanders, an Independent Senator from Vermont who is vying for the Democratic Party's nomination against Hillary Clinton. 

Both Clinton and Sanders praised the president's speech. 

Seven years of progress. We need to build on it—not go backwards. #SOTU pic.twitter.com/LlLjQi2AS4

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 13, 2016

I appreciated @POTUS's point that we need more civil politics, to get big money out of politics, and to revitalize American democracy.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 13, 2016

As predicted, GOP candidates blasted the president.

The #SOTU speech is really boring, slow, lethargic - very hard to watch!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2016

Tonight's speech was less a State of the Union and more a state of denial. #SOTU

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 13, 2016

Safer? ISIS on the rise. North Korea testing nukes. Syria in chaos. Taliban on march. This president is living in a different world. #SOTU

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) January 13, 2016

"Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government" & yet you Mr. President excessively issue Executive Orders. #SOTU

— Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) January 13, 2016

If we've learned anything from @POTUS in 8 years, it's that on-the-job training doesn't cut it. #SOTU #Kasich4Us pic.twitter.com/7JIFe8qzgU

— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) January 13, 2016