With few friends in Congress, Obama looks to shape next election

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's vision of a stronger and more expensive safety net for middle class and poor Americans stands little chance of becoming law this year, but it could shape the debate for the 2016 election.

With his clout fast diminishing in Washington, and Republican and Democratic candidates gearing up for the White House race, Obama did his best in Tuesday's State of the Union address to set the agenda for potential successors wooing voters.

Even as he offered proposals such as higher taxes on the wealthy, which are likely to be rejected by the Republican-controlled Congress, Obama drew attention to income inequality that has persisted despite an improving economy.

Wage growth remains sluggish and the wealth gap between the most affluent and everybody else is the widest on record, according to the Pew Research Center. Most Americans still believe the economy is headed in the wrong direction, according to Reuters/IPSOS polling data.

Already, potential Republican candidates like Rand Paul and Mitt Romney have signaled that they will devote more attention to helping the less affluent.