President Joe Biden’s approval rating is around 37%, which would be a fabulous batting average for a MLB slugger, but it’s about as bad as it gets for a chief executive.
So one goal of Tuesday’s State of the Union address is to lift that number. That’s the prism through which I view, and rate, the speech. It was a double, workmanlike, but lacking compelling imagery and soaring rhetoric. That’s not his style.
One thing such speeches have, always, is a shopping list of the president’s accomplishments over the year.
He followed that tradition, but not the one that has the president opening his remarks by claiming the state of the union is strong, or united, or something like that. He saved that for his closing, with his voice and energy rising.
Seated in the House, our leaders sat maskless, and a seat apart.
Biden opened with Ukraine, which was no surprise.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “badly miscalculated” with his unprovoked attack on Ukraine, he has united the West and badly isolated himself.
Biden pledged to not send U.S. forces into combat to support the Ukrainians, but promised to defend every inch of NATO territory.
That was pretty all he had to say about foreign affairs. No mention of his “successful” withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The second half of his 62-minute speech was domestic policy. That was kind of a laundry list of the issues that have driven his popularity into the ground.
He talked about the American Rescue Plan, which did result in more jobs and an improvement in the economy, but he didn’t drive a nail into inflation. “I get it,” he said, adding that one solution was making it in America, which had mild echoes of, um, make America great.
Next up was Covid, which was the disease he was going to beat, and didn’t, although it seems to have run its course. Biden will not get credit for that.
Under the heading of “policing,” rather than “crime,” he said we must “Fund the police. Fund the police.” Then it was attacks on ghost guns, illegal guns, high capacity magazines, and the lack of background checks. Nothing new.
The section on voting rights was brief and boilerplate that we’ve heard before.
The Supreme Court and the border were mentioned, but not much explored. We had the usual tripe about secure borders, from the man who had unsecured them, and a path for citizenship for the Dreamers, which most Americans support.
He did not say that he also wants a pathway for all illegals, which most Americans do not want.
Then there was the rights goulash — voting, rights for women (meaning abortion, but the A-word was not used), LGBTQ+ rights. It’s doubtful any of this will reverse his bad polling.
He ended with what he called a Unity Agenda, something he thinks we all can agree on.
1- Beat opioid addiction (but when he talked about “harm reduction” and “outdated laws,” that was a subtle call for “safe” injection sites).
2- Improve mental health.
3- More support for veterans.
4- End cancer.
He might get support on three out of four.
His closing line, delivered with a clenched fist, was, ”Go get him!”
Him? Who? Putin? How?
Nothing but empty, useless rhetoric, poorly delivered, and weakly received. Is anyone still buying this crap! No wonder people are more and more disillusioned with government. Lightening should have struck him when he said the “borders should be secure”!…. by the guy who flung the border W I D E O P E N, to the detriment of every single American. OMG – we are in deep trouble if this is the best we can do – no leadership whatsoever!
On the subject of safe injection sites, which the City is trying to jam down our throats again, we know we can not depend on our weak elected officials to protect us, so residents, civics, advocates have to protect ourselves. Rally against Safe injection sites = 4PM Weds – 615 Chestnut – office of the Dept. of ‘Justice’.
Never have I felt happier to be old and one step from the grave. I do not want to be around to see what is left of the USA in the very near future. But I weep for my children and grandchildren: the pols have s**t on their future and their dreams.
HAPPY THURSDAY !!!
pallie,
According to some, ‘we got what we asked for’ !
Again, rhetorically speaking, I don’t know how anybody can support THIS dimocrat party . I can understand the shock of having President Trump in office, after years of the same old bulls*%t from both parties. Mr. Exaggeration did deliver in fact words and deeds. We were too used to following blindly, the party of our choice. Maybe because we wanted to believe all of the lies for all of those years.
We have an opportunity coming up shortly, to make intelligent changes. Regardless of party, put the best people in office that will represent what should be our beliefs.
DRAIN THE SWAMP ! and VOTE THEM ALL OUT !
tONY
It truly was a snooze fest. He needs to have folks from The Lincoln Project write his speeches because the Dems are and continue to be incapable of communicating effectively. And I so wish that I was there to protest the “safe” injection site. Even though I know the tyrannical woke will ram it down your throats. BTW you might tell your “pallie” that it is Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday, to boot (for those of the Catholic persuasion).
HAPPY ( insert weekday here )
Wanda and Vince, et al,
So here I set, reaping the rewards of too too many concussions. I don’t know how many concussions I had, but I do know that I had /have one too many ! The last one did permanent damage. Lost of many of the senses. Never had common sense, so we can rule that out.
Amusingly – and life is amusing, I was employed by the PWD at the time of the last accident. Had I a real job as an civil engineer, I would have become a greeter at Wal-Mart !
On a serious note. Injection sites. The present government is trying to rid us of the middle income bracket. US !. Part of their systematic destruction of America is the introduction of drugs ! It is not an accident that the southern border is the direct drug line into America.
Make everybody drug dependent, ship out the quality ‘professional’ work and turn us into another Venezuela . All under the guise of ‘green’.
Another amusing fact. I too was raised Roman. How, in the purest sense, are you supposed to approach a serious religious event when you spent the week before lent making a load ? ( just ask’n’ for a friend )
Tony
( I even spelled my name rite……)
STRIKEOUT!
Joe Biden and his party have happily sat back and let the left take us down the utopian/dystopian road. It’s all about power/control. Most of us have never bought into it. Their ‘double down’ policy was on display last night: a ‘wet dream’ repeat of BBB. Who wrote this crap!?
I’m with Tony no matter what day it is😁 Drain the swamp!! Vote them all out!!👍
Excellent analysis.
Rep. Lauren Boebert is a total piece of shit. Her actions, including what she did during the State of the Union Address that President Biden was giving, is completely unforgivable.
She and Green seem to have a “I can out jackass you” contest.
I watched a movie. Better use of my time. To me at least the Ukraine issue needs solid backing . After Afghanistan I believe many countries don’t trust the U S A to have their backs. The Ukrainian leader was disappointed in his speech
As they say, I watch so you don’t have to.
Strongly disagree about Afghanistan. We spend 20 years, 2000 lives, and maybe 2 trillion and they could not fight for their country — unlike Ukrainians, who are.
Absolutely on target.