DocBarrister wrote: ↑Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:13 pm
One of the best starts and finishes of a State of the Union speech I’ve ever seen.
Biden hit it out of the park.
DocBarrister
well, I dunno about
that hyperbole, but I do agree that the actual messaging was excellent, and he clearly believes what he says deep in his bones.
Biden's skill set is not rhetorical delivery, as he stumbles on words due to his stutter issues, but anyone fair minded knows what he's saying and that he's authentic in his convictions.
Right or wrong on any particular policy. Authentic.
I do agree that the beginning and ending messages were particularly strong. and a bunch of "unity" moments throughout. That was clearly the primary theme.
Ukraine is clearly a unifying issue...and the wrap up echoed those themes very strongly.
youth, I think we saw a genuine Biden, including as you may or may not recall, his view on policing. He rejected from the outset the phrase "defund the police" when it first began to be used. Not who he is. Reform, train, innovate, sure, but all of that requires money and commitment. That's where he was then and now.
I think it was smart politics to go there as it's definitely uncomfortable for those who'd embraced the term to hear that rebuke, but they also know that he cares about the equity and justice issues and believes they are critical to address.
Indeed a whole lot of the messages were aimed squarely at the voters who have felt that Dems were out of touch with them, Build in America, bridges and roads, rural issues, Wall Street control and lack of competition, immigration reform and secure borders, public safety.
The pathway to normalization from the virus, caring about kids' mental health and education, opioids, whole lot of issues that are responsive to folks' concerns.
Sure some nods to progressive issues, but speaking primarily in the language of the middle class worker and family or emphasizing the issues that have broad national support.
Even when he took a partisan shot, "no more infrastructure weeks, we will have an infrastructure decade", he made an effort to thank the Republican support in specific for the infrastructure bill.
Good stuff.
Regardless of one's political persuasion, we really do need to find ways to unify and commit to improving the country together. so, a speech like that, emphasizing those themes, should be embraced.