Denison Forum: Joe Biden delivers “feisty” State of the Union address

By Ryan Denison, PHD - Posted at Denison Forum:

President Biden delivered his State of the Union address Thursday night, speaking for sixty-eight minutes and repeatedly interacting with the gathered members of Congress in a way that’s been described as somewhere between “fiery” and “feisty.” Given the repeated mentions—and examples—of the president’s cognitive decline over the course of his time in office, I was left both impressed and a bit surprised by the consistency with which he delivered the speech.

In the moments leading up to the address, journalists repeatedly noted that Biden’s delivery was going to be just as important as what he said. But the content still matters. To that end, the president addressed:

• Threats to freedom and democracy, both internationally and at home
• Access to IVF and abortion, with the promise to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land if the American people send him a Congress that will pass the legislation
• Working to put a ceiling on drug prices and medical care
• Economic issues like the housing market, inflation, and tax hikes on big corporations and the wealthy
• Education-related topics like universal preschool and raises for public school teachers
• Issues at the border, with much of the blame pointed at Republicans who failed to pass the legislation put forth earlier this year
• The war in Israel, which included a clear message of the evils perpetrated by Hamas and the responsibility they bear for the war’s continuation, as well as a call for Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza

Overall, it was a lengthy speech in which Biden covered a number of issues—though to varying degrees of truthfulness—that will continue to play a pivotal role in the buildup to this November’s election. And while he rarely mentioned former president and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump by name, typically referring to him as “my predecessor,” it was clear that Biden’s primary goal was to draw a clear distinction between his policies and those of the Republicans.

To that end, his speech was quite successful, which is good because—as is the case with most State of the Union addresses—many of the promises he made and goals he outlined are not within his power to keep.

Read more here.

CH News Editor's Note:

Please remember to read Psalm 2 often as the rhetoric heats up this election year. 

Thank you, Angela Wittman