The day before the State of the Union, I tried to anticipate what it might contain that the average American could cheer. And in this respect, I believe President Obama delivered. His focus on the economy and jobs seemed to match my prescription written from the sidelines. I was heartened that the president seems to be listening to Main Street. Here is part of what the president said:

Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow. From the first railroads to the interstate highway system, our nation has always been built to compete. There's no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains, or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products.

Tomorrow, I'll visit Tampa, Florida, where workers will soon break ground on a new high-speed railroad funded by the Recovery Act. There are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help our nation move goods, services, and information. We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities, and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs. And to encourage these and other businesses to stay within our borders, it's time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs in the United States of America.

And here is part of what I wrote:

Instead, Obama has to offer nearly everyone a deal that is perceived as both new and fair. It doesn't have to be a great deal. Just a Good Deal.

That means nothing less than a second down payment on job creation and economic development, with better targeting and a faster mechanism for injecting the funds into the economy. With little stomach for much more federal borrowing, the president is likely to offer tax breaks for small businesses and extensions of unemployment benefits as central pieces of his economic plan. But I'm looking for something more, something bolder in the speech, that addresses the basic survival needs of the middle class.

It may be that Obama will simply run down a laundry list of old, populist ideas. That would be a missed opportunity. While White House advisers are focused on an angry electorate and dropping poll numbers, it's easy to overlook that we are still Americans and that we thirst for a challenge worthy of us. Lucky for us, or not, those challenges abound, from rewiring the country's electrical grid to rebuilding our schools, from expanding our public transportation system to a host of environmental crises.

If this president and his closest aides are really in touch with the country, they will find a way to direct the restless energy of citizens, particularly the unemployed, into meaningful, paid public service. The nation could rebuild and get back to work through programs similar to the WCA, TVA, CCC and others, but modernized and targeted for our needs and economy.

Yes, it's an old premise, based on a hard story with a happy ending. But if Obama wants to stir the hearts of independents and liberals, he could inspire and lead best by following in the footsteps of FDR. It would be bold, effective and I believe most people would think it's a Good Deal.

I can't claim the ideas I blogged about were original with me. But I'm glad that Obama's largely populist speech touched on these ideas and many others that have been on the minds of Americans, particularly Democrats, in recent weeks and months.

I hope most Americans will realize just what a Good Deal the president offered the nation tonight. It would never have been offered by a Bush or McCain. With this package of proposals, I can support and follow him again. The real question is: Will Congress?