Brownstein, a prominent political journalist and author, theorized that Clinton's speech was part of a strategy to minimize the difference between the two parties. In a Los Angeles Times story about the 1996 State of the Union, he wrote: 

Since last summer, that tactic has proven enormously effective for Clinton, allowing him to simultaneously present himself as an advocate for reform and a buffer against 'extreme' Republican proposals to retrench the federal government. 

The outcome of the 1996 presidential election proved that Brownstein had some sort of crystal ball. The president's approval ratings just kept shooting up, and Republicans weren't able to present a sufficient contrast in ideas and policy.

This perception—as Brownstein phrased it, the parties only disagreed on "the means," not "the ends"— actually lasted beyond the Clinton presidency. In 2000, many journalists and members of the public perceived little difference between the candidates of the two major parties.

George Bush would famously quip in a debate: "the difference is that I can get it done!"