Video: US election 2012: Mitt Romney attacks 'divisive' Barack Obama ahead of State of the Union address In a speech designed to counter Barack Obama's State of the Union address this evening, Mitt Romney warned voters in Tampa, Florida, that President Obama would treat the nation to "more divisive rhetoric." Calling Mr Obama "a desperate campaigner-in-chief" Mr Romney also criticised the president's economic policy saying, "It's shameful for a president to use the State of the Union to divide our nation, and someone ought to tell him: in order to put the economy back to work, everyone needs to be working." Barack Obama will apparently use his State of the Union address to pitch new initiatives on jobs, taxes and housing, in what will be billed as his opening salvo in a long 2012 election race. A Public Policy Polling survey released before the debate found that Newt Gingrich had taken the lead here with 38 per cent to Mr Romney's 33 per cent.