Despite the cynicism of those who call this annual appearance before both houses of Congress more performative than substantive, it is one of the very few Presidential speeches that are broadcast from start to finish. And it's a huge ratings event: 38 million people watched last year.
President Biden’s speech was a comprehensive cataloging of his administration’s successes, a plea for bipartisan cooperation going forward, and –most importantly– a refutation of the trickle down economic theory so beloved by the right.
According to a CNN flash poll afterwards, 72% of those watching had a favorable impression of the speech. I won’t bore you with the details, but if you want a look at the prepared text for the State of the Union, the White House has helpfully posted one here.
What is most likely to be remembered about the President’s address, however, will be the heckling. At one point Biden flipped the script and got Republicans to clap for keeping Social Security and Medicare.
The evening’s star performance from the audience came from Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose political career includes highlights like:
Being removed from committees in the last congress over past incendiary comments and apparent support of violence against Democrats. (Getting her back on committees was one of the far right’s demands in return for supporting Kevin McCarthy’s campaign for speaker.)
Promoting Sept. 11 conspiracy theories while speaking to the American Priority Conference.
Claiming school shootings at both Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida were planned ‘false flag’ events
A claim, based on anti Semitic conspiracy theories, that the 2018 California wildfires were ignited by a space laser controlled by a corporate cabal, including the Rothschild banking firm.
Lately, Greene has been touted for supposedly mellowing under Speaker McCarty’s tutelage. Her performance on Tuesday night should have put those claims to rest.
She started off the day walking around the House office building carrying a white balloon, which she said would serve as her guest at the State of the Union speech. This was, I guess, supposed to mock the President over his handling of the intrusion by a Chinese device.
…the balloon sparked a frenzy from Republicans insisting that Biden had been weak on China or even was working for China: right-wing talk show host Mark Levin said Biden is “bought and paid for by the Communist Chinese government,” and former president
Trump said that Biden “has surrendered American airspace to Communist China.” Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said China was showing “that the United States is once-great superpower that’s hollowed out, it’s in decline.”
South Carolina Republican representative Joe Wilson—the man who shouted “You lie” at President Obama—said that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris should resign from office because of the balloon.
The GOP conference originally planned to have a late afternoon press conference to denounce the administration’s handling of the incident, but it was canceled after they were briefed on the facts of the matter.
So there was no balloon in the audience, but Rep Greene was dressed for the rhetorical kill, wearing a white fur coat. Critics called her out on social media as a 'dollar store Cruella de Vil,' referring to the Disney villain in 1010 Dalmatians.
Although others in the far right clique of the GOP attending the event disapproved in various ways to Biden’s speaking points, Greene was by far the most obnoxious of the bunch. Other members of the GOP, including Speaker McCarthy, tried to shush her at various points to no avail.
The Georgia Representative repeatedly yelled back at Biden throughout the speech – responding to everything from his comments on fentanyl to entitlement cuts. She also yelled out “liar” when Biden brought up the proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security. And she stayed seated when Biden introduced the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States and the family of Tyre Nichols.
A photograph of Green yelling through cupped hands is likely the image most Americans will remember of the night.
It likely wasn’t Greene’s intention, but she unwittingly played into Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Republican rebuttal. The comeback was full of references to the GOP’s preferred culture wars, along with characterizing her target audience (white people) as victims.
I suspect many in Sander’s audience agreed with the statement below, just not in the way it was intended:
“The dividing line in America is no longer between right or left. The choice is between normal or crazy.”
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It’s important to look at this year’s State of the Union speech in context. While recent Democratic presidents have taken an extra conciliatory tone following a drubbing in the midterm elections, Biden was speaking from a position of relative strength.
On the primary crisis facing this congress, namely the fiscal health of the country, the president has made his position clear: No negotiating on the debt ceiling with the understanding that discussions around spending need to occur during the budgeting process.
Since Republicans are unable to agree on what they want, regardless of when negotiations could occur, their bargaining position is weak. Members of the GOP caucus booing the president is about as close as the party gets to having a plan.
Looking back at it, Biden grew greater in stature Tuesday by virtue of his rivals' petty smallness. It was a good night for Democrats and the White House.
While the nation was focused on Capitol Hill, Democrats won special elections in Pennsylvania giving the control of the legislature for the first time since 2010.
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Today, Republicans are back at it, “it” being the jackassery we’ve all come to expect. There’s a hearing on Hunter Biden’s computer, wherein a discussion over whether Twitter as a private company was “censoring” conservatives when it failed to promote a New York Post story about pornographic images alleged to have been found on the now infamous laptop.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference surrounded by boxes containing gas stoves.
“They are trying to take away your gas stove. It shows they are coming for any little thing in your life.”
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Also in Florida:
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