State of the Union Address

[easyrider16]

I thought Biden was fine, if uninspiring. He didn't strike me as mentally infirm, and he even went off script for a minute in responding to Republican jibes.

The Republican response was more interesting:

“The dividing line in America is no longer between right or left; the choice is between normal or crazy,” she said.

Hmm, if you contemplate the last two years, which party seems like the crazy one? Let me help by selecting some other sections of Sanders' speech:

“I’m the first woman to lead my state. He’s the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can’t even tell you what a woman is.”In the radical left’s America, Washington taxes you and lights your hard-earned money on fire, but you get crushed with high gas prices, empty grocery shelves, and our children are taught to hate one another on account of their race, but not to love one another or our great country.”

"Every day, we are told that we must partake in their rituals, salute their flags, and worship their false idols, all while big government colludes with big tech to strip away the most American thing there is — your freedom of speech..."

Seems to me that any normal person listening to that is going to wonder what world she is living in. I mean, when's the last time you were forced to worship a false idol? This was a speech aimed directly at the coocoo wing of the Republican base, which is fine if you want to win a primary I guess, but that's no way to win over the general public. Is it any wonder the GOP did so badly at the midterms trying to sell this garbage? They are going to keep losing if they don't move away from this nonsense.

[deadheadskier]

Good

I hope they continue to lose. GOP policies and management skills are mostly garbage. Hillary was right. The party for deplorables. Time to retire the "family values" tagline. That ship sailed decades ago.

[easyrider16]

Given we only have 2 parties, I think we need them both to be strong to have a functioning democracy. There's a lot of nonsense in the Democrat party, and if they are allowed to just retain control without much challenge too much of that nonsense is going to find its way into policy.

I cannot in good conscience vote Republican today, but I am hoping to be able to do so in the not-too-distant future, when they return to the concepts of fiscal responsibility and economic development.

[deadheadskier]

The Eisenhower administration was a long time ago

[XtremeJibber2001]

Not sure how much, if any, sway these SOTUs really provide ... one thing is clear, it was a W for Biden and an L for the GOP/Sanders.

Biden - Optimism. United.

GOP - Pessimism. Divided.

[boston_e]

Biden did great considering we all know he is not a particularly good public speaker. He was actually at his best when he engaged / responded to the republican hecklers. He came off as the adult in the room big time.

Bad look for Kevin McCarthy overall on the evening.

Huckabee's response was outright cuckoo crazy.

[Fancypants]

You good folks are delusional at best.....

[spanky]

Members of the baboon party…

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[easyrider16]

I always enjoy Carville's perspective on these sorts of things. He brings a different perspective of a pragmatic political consultant, even if it's slanted to the left a little. Anybody know someone on the right who has a similar perspective? I used to like listening to Jay Severin but he seems to have disappeared.

Former Democratic strategist and infamous southerner bashed Republicans for their behavior during the State of the Union Address on Tuesday calling them "white trash."

"Well, you know, I told people I have a PhD in white trashology, you saw real white trash on display," said Carville speaking to MSNBC's Ari Melber. "Let me say something about congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), she dresses like white trash. She really needs a fashion consultant. I recommend George Santos. He could do a good job of dressing up where she doesn't announce her white trashdom by her own clothes."

Greene was attempting to dress like a white balloon but that appeared to be lost on most Americans who don't follow her on Twitter. The bash by Carville is reminiscent of conservative Matt Lewis who wrote in the Daily Beast that Trump would never have Greene as his VP because she was too "low rent" for his high style. Republicans who spoke to Raw Story were displeased with Greene's behavior at the speech.

"First of all, their lust for cutting Social Security and Medicare is well documented," Carville said about the GOP. "Newt Gingrich shut the government down and got defeated in the end. We know that George W. Bush tried to privatize Social Security and Medicare. we know when Paul Ryan was Speaker and John Boehner — they did everything they could to cut Social Security and Medicare. We know that that is their objective."

He went on to say that there was a South Dakota congressman saying that people must come together to make such cuts.

"President Joe Biden is 1000% right on this, and he's right to press ahead, and I thought he had a great night last night," Carville continued. "It's just -- the level of white trashdom in the Republican Party is staggering. I mean, for somebody that has observed it for a long time, like I have, I've never seen it manifest itself on a level that it's manifesting itself."

He went on to say that Republicans were stupid to fall for something so amateurish.

"When something like this happens, how could we be this lucky?" Carville asked. "How could they just walk right into it, right? I mean, oh, my God. They did it. And I know -- I'm positive [the White House staff] were hoping for this reaction, but they'd have been satisfied with half of it, but they just went and walked right into the trap. And Kevin McCarthy, who is not white trash, he's just white Jell-O, he knew what happened."

Carville went on to cite people like Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) who similarly shouted and made a scene in the past State of the Union Address.

"You cannot do anything to have low-quality people — Lauren Boebert met her husband when -- allegedly according to the police report, exposed himself to her at a bowling alley," said Carville. "This is not made-up stuff. This is who they are! And even McCarthy, as gutless and spineless as he is, knew that they walked right into the trap. It's unbelievable."

Melber noted that ahead of the speech, McCarthy was telling the press that he was going to be civil and he wouldn't stoop to the level of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who tore up Trump's speech copy. In the end, however, he ended up being seen on camera whispering "shhhh" to his caucus.

Melber cited the House of Lords in the U.K., which tends to be raucous and takes pride in its grumbling. He wondered if this was the introduction to the United States becoming that level of politics.

"You know, usually I'm pretty pessimistic about the state of American politics, and to some extent the State of American culture, but I thought this was illuminating," said Carville. "Come on, this was entertaining, man. You know, if you like entertainment, you know, you couldn't see this and let them expose themselves, if you will, Lauren Boebert's husband, to see just how trashy these people are. How rude they are. How ill-mannered they are. And you don't get to see this very often at this level. And you really got to see it last night at this level. I'm a big believer that, you know, the state of the union, I mean, no one cares. It doesn't change anything. I don't know what it all changed last night, but it was vastly and enormously entertaining to me."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... r-AA17goS0

[XtremeJibber2001]

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

It's lost on me what the value prop is in cutting SS/Medicaid.

I remember when GWB tried to privatize SS, which I partially supported at the time. I'd rather the retirement piece of SS be managed by me, not the gov't. However, I've come to believe that, while it would work for me, the majority of people would invest the money poorly (or spend it) resulting in bigger issues for the elderly in our country.

[deadheadskier]

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

It's lost on me what the value prop is in cutting SS/Medicaid.

I remember when GWB tried to privatize SS, which I partially supported at the time. I'd rather the retirement piece of SS be managed by me, not the gov't. However, I've come to believe that, while it would work for me, the majority of people would invest the money poorly (or spend it) resulting in bigger issues for the elderly in our country.

100%

That's why it's called "Social" Security and not "Individual" Security.

Cutting SS and Medicare or privatizing them to mandate individual management would be an absolute disaster for this country.

[XtremeJibber2001]

Cutting SS and Medicare or privatizing them to mandate individual management would be an absolute disaster for this country.

Agree. GOP hasn't really solutioned what would replace it. Most in the GOP have just advocated for ending it and I guess this step is to save money?

Say you're 70, destitute and due to age you're also disabled. Without Medicare or Medicare, what would we do as a country for/to these people?

[Low Rider]

I always enjoy Carville's perspective on these sorts of things. He brings a different perspective of a pragmatic political consultant, even if it's slanted to the left a little. Anybody know someone on the right who has a similar perspective? I used to like listening to Jay Severin but he seems to have disappeared.

Former Democratic strategist and infamous southerner bashed Republicans for their behavior during the State of the Union Address on Tuesday calling them "white trash."

"Well, you know, I told people I have a PhD in white trashology, you saw real white trash on display," said Carville speaking to MSNBC's Ari Melber. "Let me say something about congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), she dresses like white trash. She really needs a fashion consultant. I recommend George Santos. He could do a good job of dressing up where she doesn't announce her white trashdom by her own clothes."

Greene was attempting to dress like a white balloon but that appeared to be lost on most Americans who don't follow her on Twitter. The bash by Carville is reminiscent of conservative Matt Lewis who wrote in the Daily Beast that Trump would never have Greene as his VP because she was too "low rent" for his high style. Republicans who spoke to Raw Story were displeased with Greene's behavior at the speech.

"First of all, their lust for cutting Social Security and Medicare is well documented," Carville said about the GOP. "Newt Gingrich shut the government down and got defeated in the end. We know that George W. Bush tried to privatize Social Security and Medicare. we know when Paul Ryan was Speaker and John Boehner — they did everything they could to cut Social Security and Medicare. We know that that is their objective."

He went on to say that there was a South Dakota congressman saying that people must come together to make such cuts.

"President Joe Biden is 1000% right on this, and he's right to press ahead, and I thought he had a great night last night," Carville continued. "It's just -- the level of white trashdom in the Republican Party is staggering. I mean, for somebody that has observed it for a long time, like I have, I've never seen it manifest itself on a level that it's manifesting itself."

He went on to say that Republicans were stupid to fall for something so amateurish.

"When something like this happens, how could we be this lucky?" Carville asked. "How could they just walk right into it, right? I mean, oh, my God. They did it. And I know -- I'm positive [the White House staff] were hoping for this reaction, but they'd have been satisfied with half of it, but they just went and walked right into the trap. And Kevin McCarthy, who is not white trash, he's just white Jell-O, he knew what happened."

Carville went on to cite people like Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) who similarly shouted and made a scene in the past State of the Union Address.

"You cannot do anything to have low-quality people — Lauren Boebert met her husband when -- allegedly according to the police report, exposed himself to her at a bowling alley," said Carville. "This is not made-up stuff. This is who they are! And even McCarthy, as gutless and spineless as he is, knew that they walked right into the trap. It's unbelievable."

Melber noted that ahead of the speech, McCarthy was telling the press that he was going to be civil and he wouldn't stoop to the level of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who tore up Trump's speech copy. In the end, however, he ended up being seen on camera whispering "shhhh" to his caucus.

Melber cited the House of Lords in the U.K., which tends to be raucous and takes pride in its grumbling. He wondered if this was the introduction to the United States becoming that level of politics.

"You know, usually I'm pretty pessimistic about the state of American politics, and to some extent the State of American culture, but I thought this was illuminating," said Carville. "Come on, this was entertaining, man. You know, if you like entertainment, you know, you couldn't see this and let them expose themselves, if you will, Lauren Boebert's husband, to see just how trashy these people are. How rude they are. How ill-mannered they are. And you don't get to see this very often at this level. And you really got to see it last night at this level. I'm a big believer that, you know, the state of the union, I mean, no one cares. It doesn't change anything. I don't know what it all changed last night, but it was vastly and enormously entertaining to me."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... r-AA17goS0

I've always enjoyed Michael Smerconish as a center right kind of commentator.

[XtremeJibber2001]

I've always enjoyed Michael Smerconish as a center right kind of commentator.

Listened to him on AM talk radio for years in Philly. He came on during the morning after Imus was let go, followed by Glenn Beck then Rush. It was interesting hearing callers talk to Michael. In 2005, you could hear how his listeners started shifting hard to the right. I remember many calling Michael a liberal, etc. This all seemed to coincide with Obama becoming POTUS. Ultimately, Michael voted for Obama in 2008 and subsequently left the GOP like so many of us.

This is a guy that worked for Specter and then worked under GHWB. Republican in the traditional sense of the word.

[Low Rider]

I've always enjoyed Michael Smerconish as a center right kind of commentator.

Listened to him on AM talk radio for years in Philly. He came on during the morning after Imus was let go, followed by Glenn Beck then Rush. It was interesting hearing callers talk to Michael. In 2005, you could hear how his listeners started shifting hard to the right. I remember many calling Michael a liberal, etc. This all seemed to coincide with Obama becoming POTUS. Ultimately, Michael voted for Obama in 2008 and subsequently left the GOP like so many of us.

This is a guy that worked for Specter and then worked under GHWB. Republican in the traditional sense of the word.

Exactly. Put more accurately, the republican party left him (as it did so many of us).