President Obama's Approval Ratings Up Post-SOTU (Photo Gallery)

President Barack Obama hugs Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., on the floor of the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., before delivering the State of the Union address, Jan. 24, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows President Barack Obama's approval numbers are on an upswing. For the first time in six months, the presidents' approval rating (48 percent) exceeds his disapproval rating (46 percent). The president's numbers have been on the rise since the economic picture started to brighten a bit late last year. In December, a Washington Post/ABC News poll found that while Obama still had a low approval rating on his handling of jobs and the economy, his overall approval rating numbers had improved with certain segments of the population, including young adults, seniors and independent voters. The narrowing of the approval and disapproval ratings can be seen in the latest Gallup Daily Poll, but Gallup still has the president's disapproval rating high at 49 percent, compared to a 43 percent approval.

State of the Union photo gallery after the jump.

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The Snob On NPR, Talking SOTU, WaPo's Look At Black Women, and Heidi & Seal's Break-up

On Wednesday, The Snob returned to the Beauty Shop segment of NPR's "Tell Me More" with Michel Martin.  We talked about President Obama's State of the Union address, the GOP response (Ugh, Herman Cain ...), The Washington Post's recent survey on Black American women, and the end of Victoria's Secret model Heidi Klum and "Kiss From A Rose" singer Seal. Normally Michel can count on me to make fun of celebrities because 90 percent of the time I'm the "Who cares?" girl. But it was about divorce. Divorce sucks no matter who you are. Best of luck Heidi n' Seal.

Listen to Beauty Shop after the jump.

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President Obama To Give State of the Union Tonight

President Barack Obama talks with Jon Favreau, Director of Speechwriting, in the Oval Office, Jan. 23, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

State of the Union is tonight! It's time for the president to tell us what's what! (And to unofficially kick off his 2012 re-election by reminding you of what is at stake, making his case on why he should get another term.) If we get lucky, maybe he'll finish singing that Al Green song so we can get a proper assessment of the tonal quality of his crooning.

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State of the Union Looks Good On You

White House Photographer Pete Souza takes you on a gorgeous journey on the night Barack Obama addressed the nation for his third-ever State of the Union. (White House Flickr)

Obama Wants You To Be A Thankless Teacher

During President Obama's State of the Union address last night he spent a good chunk of it talking the good talk about education. He praised his bipartisan education program, Race to the Top, which, for me, only holds the distinction of "Well, it's not No Child Left Behind, so that's something." But the headliner was when Obama called on for young folks to mobilize, get educated and go out and educate others. Which sounds nice ... in theory. But as my mother, some good friends of mine and many others can attest -- when it comes to respect, teachers are just one step below the grandmother you never remember to call and just one step above the homeless guy who asks you everyday for an exact $1.35 in change.

Translation: Nobody curr 'bout, teechurs.

More after the jump.

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Michele Bachmann Gives the "Tea Party" Response

Michelle Bachmann does it for the Tea Party people.Wait. What? What the hell's bell angels is this? No. NO! I refuse! No one wants this! NO ONE! And Rep. Michelle Bachmann? Michelle "The Other L Made A Break For It And Now Sits In A Mental Ward Mumbling The Horror, The Horror" Bachmann? TEA PARTY! You want me to take you seriously. SERIOUSLY! This is not serious! THIS IS NOT SERIOUS AT ALL!

More after the jump.

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The State of the Union On An Olbermann Free TV

President Barack Obama is delivering the State of the Union address tonight. In the past, I enjoyed watching MSNBC coverage of events like these -- not so much for the slant -- but for the hope that Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Joe Scarborough would be forced into a small room again to talk to each other, then try to eat each other's heads while Rachel Maddow pleads for peace. Because, that's just more fun. The chin-checking and unchecked ego is simply better TV, than watching Katie Couric be clip and dry when she really wants to be chipper and funny as everyone sits around a table at CBS and tries to divine meaning out of whatever the First Lady is wearing. I'm just not feeling that. I want my quasi-lefty blowhards. I want my bloviating Keithy.

More after the jump.

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Chris Matthews: Speech So Good Made Me Forget It Was A Brown Person Talking!

Chris Matthews EVERYONE! Give him a hand. Come on! Give it up!

Why is this offensive? Because it assumes that something was wrong with someone being black giving an awesome speech. Not acknowledging color isn't some magical compliment. Black people don't mind being recognized as black people. Most of us really like being black people. What we DON'T like is when we do something really amazing, like, become President of the United States and give a good speech and you're all, "That speech was sooooo good I forgot you were a Negro." It's like telling someone "You're smart for a girl!" Or "I don't see color!" Or it's like saying "You're a great lover for a guy with such a small penis. I didn't even NOTICE the lack of motion in that ocean!" Why can't you just say the speech was good? So good you wanted the President to get off that podium and make sweet, hot, half-Mandigo love to you, Tweety? I would have respected you more!

The State of the Union: Full Speech

From MSNBC ... where apparently Chris Matthews is saying crazy things and I can't hear them because the folks at Busboys turned off the speech the MINUTE Obama finished because they did not want to hear not nare any of the Republican response. Amazing. I mean, dude. I at least wanted to hear that to see how the other side was going to follow Obama's usual glowing oratory. Republicans aren't the boogeyman. You're not going to turn into one by listening to some damn talking points.