President Barack Obama on Thursday will travel to the political battleground of Florida to begin selling the policies he will discuss Wednesday night in his State of the Union address.

Obama will travel to the Tampa-St. Petersburg area along with Vice President Joseph Biden, according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton.

Next Friday Obama will have another chance to defend his proposals — this time before the House Republican issues conference in Baltimore.

Presidents traditionally venture into the country to begin touting their polices the day after the State of the Union.