In his final State of the Union address, President Barack Obama has called on Americans to remain hopeful and to embrace change instead of what he called “political hot air.”  Speaking to Congress and the nation in a prime-time address, Obama warned that election-year fear and division put economic and security progress at risk.  In a swipe at the Republican presidential candidates, Obama said the economy is growing and that their rhetoric claims that enemies are getting strong and America is getting weaker.  Obama said the U.S. “is the most powerful nation on Earth.  Period.  It’s not even close.”  He also charged that some GOP candidates are attempting to “scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us or pray like us or vote like we do or share the same background.”  As for his performance Obama ticked off accomplishments including helping to lead the economy back from the brink of depression, pushing through the Affordable Care Act, the Iran nuclear deal and ending a Cold War freeze with Cuba.