The State of the Union: A Memorandum of the Progress of the Past, and a Counterexample to the Misfortune of the President
Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., served in the House and ran the Democrat’s campaign committee during the 2008 presidential campaign. The State of the Union address should highlight the president’s accomplishments but also set up the contrast with his likely opponent, according to him. “It is important that we talk to the country about the progress that we have made and the dangers of turning back the clock to a chaotic administration of the former president.”
Following Biden’s address, the Republicans will deliver a response. Trump endorsed Britt when she ran in 2022 after rescinding his endorsement of one of her primary opponents who had made comments about moving past the 2020 election.
Biden is expected to urge Congress to restore protections for reproductive rights, and to pass a Senate compromise on border security that would give him authority to turn back more migrants seeking asylum. Both of those measures are extremely unlikely to pass a divided Congress in an election year.
It is one thing to say, “I’m fighting for you”, but if you don’t have a lot of fight left in you, that isn’t particularly compelling to people who want that.”
“This is sacrilegious for a speechwriter to say but it’s actually not in the words he says but in the way he presents those words”, said Sarada peri, who worked for former President Barack Obama.
Biden said that there were some Republicans who wanted Medicare and Social Security to end. Biden kept the back and forth going, negotiating in real time. And thus began a moment that quieted Biden’s critics and soothed nervous supporters.
Questions about Biden’s plans for the future ceased after last year’s speech and the Democratic establishment quickly decided to back the incumbent president.
The president’s still got it, for those of us who are used to him working off a device, it was a testament to that. “He’s got his wits, he’s got his humor, he’s got his fight.”
He said the speech worked on two levels: Biden was standing up for popular programs, and taking the fight directly to his Republican antagonists in Congress.
There are concerns about voter perception of Biden being too old for another term, according to Democrats, but it’s not about the age. She counsels the president to “joke it off,” and says about the age issue, “just acknowledge it and move on, no point in trying to hide it. Everyone knows his birthday.
As part of a push to counter that idea, the White House press secretary mentioned that particular moment in the House chamber. “I mean, we saw it at the last State of the Union,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. He had a very important speech and he was able to negotiate.
It raises the stakes for this speech and lowers expectations because of the attention Biden has received in recent weeks, his age, the occasional mix-up of foreign leaders’ names and the fact he’s likely to get one of his biggest television audiences of the year.
And he’ll draw contrasts with Republicans on economic policy, protecting democracy and reproductive rights — a day after former President Donald Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee in the race.
“Really now we are at the start of 2024, and it’s the opportunity for President Biden to really lay out, ‘Here’s what this election is about,'” said Karen Finney, a Democratic political consultant. “Here’s what my presidency has been about, what’s at stake, what I’m fighting for.”
The war in Gaza, the harangue House Republicans will have to go through to vote for Ukrainian aid, and talk about finishing the job on a long list of domestic priorities are just a few of the topics that will be covered.
She wants to hear strong support for Ukraine, and expects foreign policy to be a key part of the speech. She notes the president and his administration are pushing for a cease-fire and putting more pressure on Israeli officials to address major humanitarian issues. She concedes that it’s hard to set a firm date for a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The first swing district Democrat to call for a cease fire in the war in the Mideast was Vasquez, who told NPR that he thinks the president should also find it in his heart. The right thing to do is to make sure that no more civilian bloodshed is incurred at the expense of American taxpayer dollars.”
He said gas prices are down, but other items are not. “I’m a farmer. Farm equipment is really expensive right now. You know, if he brought up some ideas on what he’s going to do in housing, child care and and worker training, that’d be good.”
“I think I want to hear about reducing costs, what the administration has in mind. The Inflation Reduction Act is what we did, but there’s more we can do.
Jon Tester is a senator from Montana who is running for reelection and he is urging more action on the economy.
Vasquez wants Biden to speak to those voters who aren’t feeling any benefits from a growing economy yet. “I hear that their salaries aren’t big enough, they are one medical emergency away from bankruptcy, and that with the cost of groceries, utilities, and everything else going up, they’re looking for some relief.”
The economy is improving, that’s true, and that’s proof Biden’s policies are working. He thinks that’s the reason why voters tell him the border is now their top concern.
Sen. Gary Peters, who runs the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, says he expects the president to talk about his role shaping the Senate border deal. “I think the president has to be very clear. We are on the side of finding a solution. And Republicans have only been throwing rocks and have no interest in actually coming up with a solution,” Peters said.
Freshman Gabe Vasquez represents a district in southern New Mexico, and is frustrated that House Republicans blocked a bipartisan Senate bill to address the U-S Mexico border. He has some bipartisan proposals of his own, and said, “the president needs to take a stronger and a much stronger leadership role in this conversation nationally.”
“They’re starting to realize the economy isn’t as bad as it used to be, so there’s a there’s a new villain to talk about.” He expects the president to talk about his recent trip to the southwest border.
“He needs to get his Irish up the way he did last year,” Cartwright told NPR. He said the president’s people shouldn’t be concerned about any gaffes, because they want to keep him on message. The gaffes have been baked into his numbers for decades.
Last year Biden got into a back and forth debate with the republicans about protecting Social Security. Pennsylvania Democrat Matt Cartwright represents Scranton, Pennsylvania – where Biden grew up —and hopes he’ll go off script again.
“Don’t say anything about infrastructure.” She asked if anyone had any questions about the street in her district. Titus represents a purple Nevada seat and wants the president to remind people that the economy is doing better because of his policies. “Las Vegas is the fastest recovering place in the country and we were the hardest hit. So we need to remind people we’re working now . You’ve got health care. The speed train is going to southern California.
He wants to use the State of the Union to show how he’ll build on the economic progress he’s made in his first term and explain how he’ll go forward in the White House.
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