Thread by @jenmercieca

I'm watching the #SOTU tonight, let's do some democracy!

Remember, the STOU is a ceremonial speech--it's about who we are, what we value, how we define our future and understand our recent past. It's, of course, about now and the "state" of our union.

The president enacts the presidency when they deliver the speech. They also make a case for their accomplishments, their policies, and their legacy. In making those cases/arguments the speech can also be seen as deliberative (about future action/what should be done).

It's typically the largest audience the president will get all year across networks and platforms. That's a huge opportunity, especially for a president like Biden who hasn't seen news of his policy successes translate into positive public opinion.

Though Biden sees himself as a uniter, the nation continues to be very divided. And though he has succeeded in getting major policies passed and the economy is strong, he hasn't gotten the credit he wants.

I've see some bits of the speech and those are the major themes, let's see how it goes!

Starts with a bipartisan reacharound handshake to congratulate McCarthy. Gets a laugh.

Struggling with his stutter. The story of America is the story of progress. That's heroic framing for the nation's story. (remember when we talked about how "progress" was the ultimate God term in the 1950s--interesting that he used it here).

Progress and resilience and possibilities. Biden (as I've said so many times over the past few years) sees the best of America. He won't stop thinking highly of us, urging us to think well of ourselves. This is why Biden is so good at talking about American values.

<as a Midwesterner what Biden says about losing good jobs in manufacturing really resonates with this genx kid>

Biden explaining who/what we can blame for inflation Covid & Putin's war against Ukraine. Showing how he's been working to solve those harms. Field of dreams = manufacturing jobs.

INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK (BUT FOR REALIES)

Biden burn.

Presidents since Reagan have placed "regular Americans" in the audience for the STOU to tell their story. Those stories function synecdochally (the part that stands for the whole) of an important element of the president's speech/platform.

Buy American, Made in America. Those are some really old timey phrases, made new again. Like I said the other day, Biden is a pre-Reagan political thinker. He's part of the FDR regime. Pre-neoliberalism. Government is good. Government can solve problems.

That's why he's takin on Big Pharma (sorry world)

"that's ok, that's fair...Make no mistake, I will veto it."

Reminds me of TJ's "silent monuments to errors of reason" bit from his 1st Inaugural. Y'all have the right to try it, but I have the power to stop you.

Biden is TR & FDR!

"I'm a capitalist, but pay your fair share!" theconversation.com/fighting-words…

"Let's finish the job, there's still work to do!"

He's fired up.

"Big oil" and "big pharma" and "pay your fair share" this is Biden's Gilded Age speech. Good.

Nearly 25% of the total deficit was added by just one administration--doesn't namecheck Trump. (all that glitters isn't gold--speaking of gold gilding): oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/…

Republicans are in their feelings about Biden protecting social security and medicare.

Let's sit down together and talk about our mutual plans together. Let's do that.

According to recent Pew polling, Dem voters want to hear Biden say that he'll work with Republicans. Not so much for Republican voters.

Capitalism without competition is not capitalism. It's extortion. Let's finish the job.

Biden links his policies to protect the bottom and middle classes to justice and common sense and capitalism working properly and "we're tired of being played for suckers." This is a good speech.

He's talking about protecting workers! Unions! Abolishing non-compete agreements! A living wage! Restoring the dignity of work!

"Let's finish the job" is the link that ties together the speech, but also links America's past to America's future. It's also an argument to re-elect Biden.

Biden is going after all of the cheaters.

Again, this is how Biden is pre-Reagan: Reagan said the government was the problem, that the government cheated Americans. Biden is arguing that the government is responsible for stopping the cheaters outside of government. The tax cheaters, the business cheaters, & all of them.

"We all want the same thing." Biden appeals to unification and transcendence--to what we have in common, even in this difficult moment, with this difficult subject, we all are really the same. That's good presidenting.

Let's do more, let's solve the problems, but let's hold people accountable. "Something good must come from this." All of us.

"Will we stand"...repeating the opening line in multiple sentences is anaphora. It's a "high style" device that signals that section of the speech is noteworthy. That's when Biden talked directly about American values and democracy. He's good at talking about American values.

Democracy rising.

Never bet against America.

Made in America. Buy American.

<that democracy rising section reminded me of this for some reason>

No one can say that Biden doesn't care about America and Americans. What a fundamentally decent man.

Without democracy none of the rest matters. It's a democracy speech. Biden is anti-fash. Democracy must not be a partisan issue. It's an American issue. Every generation has a moment where it has to stand up for democracy. This is our moment." GOONIES.

Not as enemies, but friends. The only nation built on an idea. YAS, doing the democracy.

Because the soul of this nation is strong, the state of our union is strong. We just need to remember who we are. We are the United States of America and there is nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together.

-end-

It was a good speech. He's really good at talking about American values, who we are, and what we mean to one another. His policies are for restrained capitalism and problem solving. "America first" means made in America and buy American. Protect the vulnerable & make things fair.

Should have linked to this, but I didn't have time.
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