Joe Was Finally Joe Last Night

Joe Biden did exactly what he needed to do in his 2024 State of the Union address.  He was strong, patriotic, and likable.  He demonstrated the contrast between himself and his despotic opponent, and between Democrats and Republicans.

He didn’t threaten or surrender to anyone, which likely disappointed the all-important fascist demographic in America.  He goaded his deliberately  unnamed opponent, which may have been part of his strategy.

He came out red hot, maybe a bit more pugnacious and political than necessary.  He called out Republican hypocrisy and the threat Trump poses to the country.  Still, he sought bipartisan accords with Republican legislators.  They loudly rejected his outreach, which played right into his hands.

In short, he did just fine, likely shoring up  his base, showing his command of the issues, and reassuring those uncertain about his ability to lead.  He handled Gaza well, moving further to the left without alienating supporters of Israel.  He could have made more dramatic policy announcements, but he hit the important, middle of the road, points with power.  

He even got Mike Johnson, and presumably other Republicans, to applaud some times,  even when they weren’t sure if they should.  Most important, he expressed a bright vision for the future and established a contrast with Trump’s dark view of the world.

Style wise, he was strong throughout, from his long entrance shaking hands, through the speech, to his even longer exit taking selfies with Democrats who seemed enthralled by his attention.  And after a slight lull in the middle, he ended up powerful and patriotic.  

He did stumble over a few words, especially when he talked fast, but it didn’t seem to detract from his performance.  Most of his stumbles seemed to occur in the middle and when he went off script, especially when he responded to Republican reactions.  But he showed some humor, and he handled the age issue very well.

Democrats should be pleased and have more confidence in him.  The trick now is to keep up the momentum, and build on it.

The Republican who gave the rebuttal was very pretty, with a wide-eyed, over-the-top delivery, and an innocent but sultry voice.  She seemed get off on luridly describing the rape of a woman by sex traffickers.  

She has a great future in late- night infomercials or soft core porn, or as first mistress.