WASHINGTON — For most of last year, President Barack Obama tempered his pitch on the economy: It may be improving, he would say, but millions of Americans had yet to benefit from the rebound.

But now that caveat is gone, replaced by a bullish new message as Obama marches into his second-to-last year. “American resurgence is real,” he says. “Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.”

Despite multiple signs the recovery is indeed taking hold, some are saying otherwise, from conservatives to liberals in the president’s own Democratic Party who point to stagnant wages and a yawning income gap between rich and poor. The clashing messages reflect Obama’s need to boost his economic credentials and establish a post-recession legacy, and the desire by lawmakers to push their divergent economic policies.

Obama’s retooled message, which he is unfurling as he approaches his Jan. 20 State of the Union address, comes as the public begins to warm toward the economy. An AP-GfK poll last month found negative perceptions of the economy overall are down compared with four years ago, with 57 percent describing it as “poor” compared with 83 percent who did in November 2010.

The new tone was evident last week during trips to Michigan, Arizona and Tennessee, where he touted the government bailout of the auto industry, unveiled new housing measures and called for free community college. This week, he is focusing on information technology and cybersecurity with events in Washington and Iowa.