It has been nearly a week since President Joe Biden delivered his third State of the Union address, and Democrats—most of them—are still giddy over his performance. Republicans—no surprise—are still calling him ‘Clueless Joe.’
But it may be Republicans who are off the mark on this one. A CNN poll conducted after last Thursday’s State of the Union address showed that more than 6 in 10 Americans who tuned in “had a positive reaction,” with 35 percent rating it “very positive.”
The President’s speech was a mosaic of aspiration, inspiration, humor and combativeness especially when Republicans, particularly Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, heckled and performed for her party’s attention. While colleagues sitting close by reacted with a slightly uncomfortable bemusement, others Republicans were critical.
Greene may not have one-upped last year’s outfit, something critics labeled either a fashion train wreck or Halloween costume, but she made sure she got camera time. Her outfit was a red jacket, MAGA hat and slogan-bearing tee shirt bearing the message, ‘Say Her Name,’ a reference to the killing of a young University of Georgia woman.
Though animated and, perhaps even boorish, it wasn’t Greene who stole the show. It was Biden. He was on point, even making jokes about his age, yet challenging Republicans to join him, especially on immigration, a potentially election-shifting issue for him and Democrats.
The President made it a point to call out Republicans for their failure to pass a bipartisan immigration bill, a bill co-authored by one of the Senate’s most conservative members. As Biden enumerated the bill’s elements, 100 new immigration judges, 1,500 new border security agents and 4,300 more asylum officers, some Republicans cat-called.
With cameras fixed on conservative Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford, a key architect of the legislation, a nation watched Lankford mouth the words, “It’s true,” affirming Biden’s words.
Biden also reminded the chamber and country about January 6th. “The insurrectionists were not patriots,” he said, countering a long-running theme echoed by many Republicans and the ex-president. “As president, my predecessor failed the most basic presidential duty that he owes to the American people: The duty to care.”
Contrasting himself with his ‘predecessor,’ Biden reminded the country of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, the half-century long constitutional right to abortion and connecting it to Trump and the conservative high court majority he engineered.
If reelected, Biden promised, “I will restore Roe v Wade as the law of the land again.” He also said he would protect access to IVF, in vitro fertilization, an issue that has flummoxed Republicans ever since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled embryos have the same rights as a child.
Showing his populist roots, Biden promised to fight any effort to cut Social Security, a line that inspired shouts and boos from Republicans. “If anyone here tries to cut Social Security, Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop you,” he said, his voice rising in timber as he stared directly at the Republican side of the chamber.
Biden also teased Republicans for their criticism of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Many Republicans who voted against it have returned home for photo ops showing off huge checks. “You don’t want that money in your district, just let me know,” he grinned. Besides the infrastructure legislation, Biden also touted the nation’s low unemployment, record stock market and stabilization of prices on certain prescription drugs, especially insulin.
He was, however, a bit more circumspect when talking about Israel and Gaza, an issue that has caused him to lose support especially from Palestinian Americans and younger voters.
More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7th, the day Hamas fighters killed some 1,200 Israelis and captured more than 230 Israeli hostages in an early morning attack. With a cease fire still out of reach and Palestinian deaths mounting daily, many from lack of food, water and medical supplies, the conflict presents a growing challenge to Biden in November.
Overall, the President drew standing ovations and general endorsement of his address from his party. Colorado’s senior congressional member, Congresswoman Diana DeGette, said the President “laid out a roadmap for how we build on the progress of the past three years.” She also underscored his commit- ment to protecting reproductive rights.
Boulder Democratic Congressman Joe Neguse also signed off on Biden’s speech. “The President shared a clear, hopeful, and compelling message,” he said.
But a reference by the President to the killing of a young Georgia woman in which a Venezuelan emigrant is suspected did not go over well to all Democrats. The young woman, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at the University of Georgia was murdered in late February.
The President, as Congresswoman Greene yelled ‘say her name,’ acknowledged the young woman. But he mispronounced her name as “Lincoln,” instead of Laken and referred to her alleged killer as “an illegal.” That drew a quick and strong reaction from Texas Democratic House member, Joaquin Castro.
The term “illegal,” said Castro, “was dangerously close to language from Donald Trump.” The Texas Democrat said the term “puts a target on the backs of Latinos everywhere.” Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the President could have found a better word. In a weekend interview with MSNBC, Biden acknowledged his poor choice of words and apologized.
With the election still eight months away, the President and Democrats will tout their unyielding support for women’s health care and reproductive rights to remind voters just where he stands. Republicans will counter with arguments tying Biden to the southern border and the thousands of immigrants waiting to come into the country. Already attacking is Republican Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert.
Appearing on former Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s podcast, Boebert pitched her proposed legislation called ‘Build the Wall and Deport Them All.’ “That’s exactly what we need to do,” she told Bannon. “Buses brought these illegals into our country and buses can bring them out.”
But if Boebert’s bill ever becomes law, the two-term Congresswoman may not even be in office. Boebert’s recently abandoned the state’s 3rd Congressional District and relocated to the state’s eastern plains where she hopes to win election in the soon to be vacant 4th Congressional District. Early polls show her trailing as many as four other candidates in her reelection bid.
Election Day is November 5th, 237 days from today. You may begin the countdown today.
