So about this moon shot...

[D.W.]

Got around to reading the SotU address transcript and found the "Let's cure cancer" call interesting.  Is there any substance to it?  Can Obama do anything significant / tangible beyond just cheer-leading this goal?  I think it's a fantastic goal but...

Does the threat of cancer killing people equate to the cold war "threat" that gave us a sense of urgency to get our asses to the moon that fast?  The space race was... an actual race.  Then there is the whole question of if the reason we haven't already gotten around to it really is a lack of motivation / dedication / funding?  If it requires more funding is there a slight chance this speech represents a turning point?

Was this just something inspirational to toss out there because it's a non-partisan goal no sane person would oppose? (though they may not choose to allocate additional budget to)

[AI Wessex]

It was a bit of a surprise.  Biden's son died of a glioblastoma and almost sold his house to pay for the treatment he received. I think that touched Obama deeply.  If not that, I don't know where it came from.

[DJQuag]

It was just a bit of political happy talk.

There is no cure for cancer, because cancer is not one disease. For example, lung cancer will be different from liver cancer, but there is also the fact that each different type of lung cancer is going to need a different treatment or "cure."

[Lloyd Perna]

It shouldn't be a surpise, he's made the same promise twice already.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/01/14/obama-state-union-address-biden-cure-cancer-column/78753580/

[Pete at Home]

Welcome back, Lloyd.

Maybe there's some massive cure been discovered on the DL and the discoverer wants funding. This would be a clever way for a politician to get out in front and Al Gore himself onto "taking initiative" for the discovery.