If this night didn’t showcase the difference between the two major political parties in this country, nothing can. This was a terrific State Of The Union speech. Joe Biden was elegant. He had control of the night because he had glad tidings to share, and he had a message “for all of you out there,” which is “I have your back.”
Biden glowed when he described how the jobs reports have been incredible the past two years and unemployment stands as low as it has been for 50 years. It was inspiring to listen to him.
Uncle Joe wiped the floor with the Republican party tonight. He brimmed with enthusiasm as he spoke of protecting Medicare and Social Security. When he brought up Tyre Nichols and introduced his parents, it was a moving moment.
Kevin McCarthy was on the spot, because he promised he would be civil, and so would his party, but then of course he also had to seem to trash Biden. Ergo, you saw eye rolls by McCarthy over the announcement that corporate taxes were going up. Then he pursed his lips when Biden said “we aren’t going to be moved into defaulting on the debt.” Then he shook his head when Biden mentioned unions.
But where Kevin really stepped in it, is he didn’t clap when Biden said that democracy remains unbroken — and that set off a flurry on Twitter, naturally.
“Kevin McCarthy can’t clap for ‘our democracy remains unbroken?'” tweeted former GOP strategist and Republican National Committee spokesman Tim Miller.
“So telling that McCarthy sat on his hands and was expressionless when @POTUS proclaimed ‘our democracy remains unbroken,'” tweeted former CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer.
“Kevin McCarthy not clapping at ‘Our democracy remains unbroken’ is all you need to know about this GOP majority,” wrote former Commerce Department official James Slattery.
Others pointed out that it wasn’t just McCarthy — few Republicans anywhere in the House Chamber clapped at the line.
“Biden says ‘Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken.’ almost no republicans clapped,” wrote Bulwark reporter Joe Perticone.
McCarthy is tone deaf, no question. After that gaffe, when Biden issued the cry, “Ban assault weapons,” to a standing ovation, McCarthy looked off to his left, into the gallery or into space, don’t ask me.
By the time Roe v. Wade came up as a topic, McCarthy looked like a trapped animal.
Meanwhile, over in Alternate Reality aka Trump world, Trump was doing a live blog and it was pure drivel. Dear God, what a moron.
I don’t even know what that means, and I’m sure Trump doesn’t either. Next.
We are so relieved to hear that.
Now this next one will put you on the floor.
“They” did run you out of Washington, D.C., asshole. Why do you think Biden’s up there preaching the word and you’re sitting with your phone in hand and making wisecracks?
There’s far more idiocy on Truth Social, but you get the general idea.
The Republican peanut gallery was basically calm other than Marjorie Taylor Greene screaming “Liar!” from time to time and somebody else calling out, “It’s your fault!” when Biden mentioned deaths by fentanyl. Greene had it wrong, naturally. The issue at hand was Rick Scott proposing the sunset of Medicare and Social Security and that is what caused MTG to yell out “liar.” On one occasion, in any event, she yelled it as a mantra because that’s what she does. She is only tangentially tethered to reality.
Other than these few misfirings, which Biden handled with poise and equanimity, his speech was a unified, roaring success.
At the end, Biden hit the punchline, “The state of the union is strong!” Everybody else leapt to their feet, McCarthy sat like a wooden statue.
I’m not sure that was the tack to take. I think a bit more bi-partisanship on McCarthy’s part would have been the better part of valor.
Back to Donald Trump, I’m glad he kicked in his two cents on Truth Social. Again, contrast. If the drivel on that platform is the best policymaking, commentary and insight that the Republican party has to offer, they are doomed in 2024. Flat out doomed. I’m actually grateful to Trump for highlighting this fact for us.
The SOTU was a rousing success. It was a smash hit. And the untalented may have pouted and shouted and made a scene, but Joe Biden was center stage tonight, not them. He held the spotlight. He was the star. He had the message and he carried the day. Bravo, Mr. President, bravo. And encore. I can certainly live with another four years of this.
I’d have had security usher MTG out after the second interruption from her, and put her in a room with a TV for the rest of the speech. With the threat that if she tried to get back in, she’d be arrested as a public nuisance, with possible charges of drunk and disgusting.
I agree but President Biden is much too kind to do that. He can handle her bs with his eyes closed and both hands tied.
It makes a difference when you’ve actually accomplished something to talk about and have actual concrete plans to do good in the future for the 90% of us. The democrats need to play follow the leader from here to eternity.
The Guns Over People party meanwhile are banning the Sneetches, a book about equality and overcoming bigotry, and a false and shallow sense of superiority. Oh, and they are weighing in on the important M& M debate. They do, however, take on the issue of slavery. It never happened.
Trump? Who?