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State of the Union ‘Stronger Than Ever Before’
Early in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, President Trump declared “the state of our union is stronger than ever before.” Behind him, Pelosi sucked her teeth while the Democrats seethed. And thus begins the 2020 re-election campaign. (We can’t count Iowa as the beginning since Dems still haven’t figured out who won.)
Instead of lofty words, Trump opened with a litany of facts and figures. Lowest unemployment in 50 years. Unemployment rates for African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans at the lowest level in history. African-American poverty at the lowest rate ever recorded. Female unemployment the lowest in 70 years.
Democrats sat stone-faced, grumbling amongst themselves as the good news piled up. Most impressive was that these are verifiable facts, not spin or vague promises.
Much of the first 30 minutes kept returning to the success of Black Americans over the past three years, pointing to heroes in the gallery, and insisting this is only the beginning. Despite ubiquitous accusations of “racism,” Trump’s detractors can’t argue with the data. The President is making a strong appeal to African-American voters, not with rhetoric but numbers. The Democrats have to be very nervous as even a five percent shift would wreak havoc in the Electoral College.
He also portrayed the 2020 choice as socialism vs. freedom. “Socialism destroys nations, but always remember, freedom unifies the soul,” he said to Republicans’ cheers and Democrats’ groans. Basically, we can keep the good times rolling or follow Maduro’s Venezuela.
After that, Trump kicked the showmanship into high-gear. He cheered a centenarian Tuskegee Airman (who somehow looks half his age); gave Rush Limbaugh a Presidential Medal of Freedom on the spot; granted a scholarship to a low-income child; and presented a returning soldier to his shocked wife and kids. I half-expected Trump to give everyone a free car, Oprah-style.
These moments aren’t totally new (Lenny Skutnik, anyone?) but Trump brought them to a new level. As a curmudgeon, I’d prefer a SOTU submitted in written form, bled white of emotion and the sparest rhetorical flourish. But we live in a televisual, viral age — an era Trump has dominated for decades. And tonight, he dominated utterly.
The Democrats faced the night in a sorry state. The party that wants to take over healthcare was incapable of counting votes in a small state. A large chunk of their base thinks DNC leaders are fixing the primary contest. Pelosi’s impeachment gambit has collapsed. Trump just received his highest approval rating ever in the Gallup Poll.
And their two leading candidates are a 78-year-old Bolshevik and a 77-year-old who speaks like he just wandered out of a home.
Pelosi was so mad she ripped up Trump’s address as it ended.
Good luck in November, Dems. You’re going to need it.
Published in Politics
Good quick take Jon.
To be fair, Pelosi did smile and exchange pleasantries with Mike Pence before the speech. If she hadn’t done something dramatic like rip up the speech who knows what the looney Twitter mobs would have done to her, her family, her staff, her staff’s families, etc, etc, etc.
I think Pelosi planned to rip up the speech no matter what
it was as staged as Warren’s “you called me a liar on national tv” moment
they really suck at this
Great recap! I think Nancy needs to continually up her partisan game to maintain her Queen status, especially with the pack of barking terriers-headed by AOC nipping at her heals. Any opportunity at public displays of #Resistance will be taken unapologetically. But it becomes quite telling when she acts in just the same petty, mean way she perpetually accuses President Trump of behaving. Bringing that out is Trump’s magical power.
How do we know it wasn’t the Democrat rebuttal that she ripped up?
The reds all in white for the second year were a very bad move, as it drew attention to their contempt for People of Color, Black Men, approved minority children, veterans, war widows and orphans, poor people, working folk… anyone outside of their elite bolshevik circle. They created all the video footage any competent opponent needs to crush them. The optics were simply terrible for Nancy’s gang and the Squad.
“Elite Bolshevik Circle” @cliffordbrown you should TM that one!
I thought she ripped up the articles of impeachment?
Pelosi wrote herself into a campaign ad.
(Sonorous voice, resonant with pride) “Donald Trump told us how African-American unemployment is the lowest it’s ever been.”
Shot of Pelosi tearing up the script
(Sonorous voice, infused with pride) “Donald Trump promised he would never take away our health insurance.”
Shot of Pelosi tearing up the script
(Sonorous voice, swelling with outrage) “Donald Trump said it’s time sanctuary cities stopped letting rapists and murderers free to prey on our communities.”
Shot of Pelosi tearing up the script
And so on. But hey, yaaas kween slay and all that.
Consider yourself fortunate if you were able to view the address live. I was looking forward to seeing the bit with Rush on the replay, however it was missing in the YouTube recording. I did not see any evidence of Rush in the audience on that recording, however, in the USAToday playback, I recognized Rush and did catch the President’s introduction of Rush and the First Lady awarding Rush the medal. It’s pretty clear to me that the YouTube recording was carefully edited despite being identified as the complete SOTU.
I hope so
You just convinced me not to delete my recording of the speech. After driving some high school choir members to Louisville today, I’ll see what I can do with it.
Referring to Democrats following AOC as “barking terriers” is divisive and insulting…to terriers.
Throughout the speech it appeared Nancy was looking for something in the pages, some clue, some evidence, yes… something impeachable in the text. Maybe if I re-arrange the order?
When she could find nothing, she ripped it up. Useless!
A metaphor for the last three years of the Democratic approach to government.
Well, yes, if she had her way, he’d be President right now.
(Disclaimer: Didn’t watch the speech, therefore won’t comment on the content.)
I noticed her continuously going through her copy too. Her eyes were glassy with impotent rage, tearing it up confirmed it. I also like how Trump declined to shake her hand, this impeachment farce isn’t even officially over. He doesn’t have to go through any such motion considering the BS they’ve put everyone but especially PDT through.
Please correct me if I am wrongly informed, but does her act not constitute willful destruction of an official government document, rendering the act subject to federal prosecution, permanent disqualification from holding elected office and a prison term of up to three years, und 18 U.S. Code § 2071? Arlan Andrews suggested this on his FB page. Is he right? As I read the statute, it sure looks like he is.
Yes, great move under the circumstances. Then, when Nancy introduced him, she omitted the customary niceties. I’m betting that was pre-planned because Nancy isn’t very creative. The networks would have celebrated that she zinged him. Since we are back in Capitol Hill Junior High…. Ha! He got her first!
I haven’t watched it yet but C-Span has the address, listed with a run time of 1:27:18. Hopefully they are still honest intermediaries.
What flummoxed me was her holding her hand out. Letting bygones be bygones, Nanc? Isn’t at least a day early for that?
EDIT:
VPOTUS on Fox:
“I wasn’t sure if she was tearing up the speech or the Constitution”
I enjoyed the entire spectacle last night. The guest in the gallery were excellent. Very moving. And the litany of economic accomplishments were awesome. Made America Great Again!
Probably wanted to avoid stink palm…..
(Mallrats reference)
Second Term Trump is going to be…well, entertaining (to say the least).
I hope the act of handing her a copy of his annual speeches (sans even a polite handshake) is as close as he comes to acknowledging her existence until she exits the scene for good. What a petty, ignorant hag.
I see that everywhere but the event not noted is that she did not use the standard introduction. “It is my great honor and pleasure to introduce….” Instead she only mentioned his title. That was the first insult. Look at a video of a previous SOTU speech. I’m not even sure he saw her hand,
Yes. That is the official copy. It should be in the national archives for the nest 200 years as an example. Along with a cannon ball from Fort Sumter.
The Democrats met up with a master showman last night and lost badly. Maybe that is not what the country needs but since TV it has been increasingly a part of politics. Nixon in 1960 was the first to suffer from an inability to master it.
DJT didn’t shake Pence’s hand, either; I have my doubts that he was willfully snubbing the Speaker. It just looked to me that Pres. Trump had his game face on, and was focused on focusing.
What a class act – NOT!
She couldn’t rip the speech up on merit, so she had to do it on paper . . .
If you haven’t seen Rush getting the award, it is at his web site RushLimbaugh.com, https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/videos/?groupId=43265&episodeId=96943#!/43265/96943/Rush-Receives-the-Presidential-Medal-of-Freedom