Why the State of the Union Disappoints – “The Sunday Political Brunch” February 12, 2023

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Mark Curtis, MINDSETTER™

 

View Larger +

President Joe Biden

I’ve covered every political election cycle since 1978, including many of the presidential State of the Union Addresses in that time. They feel good, kind of like a national pep rally, but do they ever lead to anything? Not really. The opposing party response was included, first in 1966. Though you might not like these annual “theatrical” appearances, I still believe they are useful, and even important, despite all the blather. Let’s “brunch” on that this week.

 

“Biden Speech” – It lasted about one hour and ten minutes and was briefer than a lot of SOTU addresses in recent memory. Biden spent a good deal of time trying to talk about legislation in which the two parties worked together, such as the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill. He wants to portray himself as a uniter, not a divider, at least on a number of key issues. It was clear he was making himself a reelection candidate in 2024. He has yet to declare, but I got the vibe that his announcement is coming soon.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

 

“Bipartisan Biden” - “I signed over 300 bipartisan pieces of legislation since becoming President, from reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, to the Electoral Count Reform Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, that protects the right to marry the person you love. And to my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there’s no reason we can’t work together and find consensus on important things in this Congress as well,” Biden said to wide applause. We’ll see, as he and others jockey for position in 2024.

 

“The Drug Wars and Immigration" - President Biden claimed the drug crackdown on immigration is working, saying his team is responsible for “seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months.” While that sounds good, a lot more fentanyl is getting through, and it’s not just a problem at the border. This week in Wheeling, West Virginia, we had one of the largest recent drugs busts in America. Wheeling sits at the apex of our skinny Northern Panhandle, so the Mexican drug lords were distributing their poison into neighboring Pennsylvania, Ohio, and points beyond. With the highest overdose death rate in the nation here in West Virginia, I see the devastation daily. A lot of the people I know with substance use disorder, have already left this earth. As a nation, we’re just not doing enough, on either side of the aisle. Claiming success, or even victory, is grossly premature.

 

“The Shouts from the Crowd” – As Biden talked about the fentanyl crisis (and it is a crisis), a number of GOP lawmakers shouted, “Secure the border. Congressman Andy Ogles, (R) Tennessee was clearly heard yelling: 'It's your fault.' It’s jarring when we hear any president shouted down during what is supposed to be a dignified event filled with respectful decorum. But you can’t blame people when you see thousands pouring across the Southern U.S. border daily, and wonder, “When does it end?”

 

“Immigration Obliteration” – The president claimed widespread success on illegal immigration. Biden said, “And let’s also come together on immigration. Make it a bipartisan issue once again.” Biden was a U.S. Senator back in 1989 when the last meaningful, yet failed immigration bill passed. That was 34 years ago. As I’ve said in this column many times, Democrats hope these new migrants will register to vote as Democrats, while many Republicans and business interests view the illegals as useful, abundant, and cheap labor, particularly in the agriculture and hospitality industries. Democrats and Republicans share equal guilt in letting many migrants “fly under the radar,” and not dealing with the immigration crisis head-on.

 

“Sanders Response” – Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) Arkansas, drew the unenviable task of having to deliver the opposing party’s response. It rarely goes well. The president, of either party, has all the pomp and majesty of the Capitol and the crowd. The response is always given alone - on a couch, or in front of a fireplace. The contrast is stark and unforgiving. But Sanders had some good lines saying, “At 40, I am the youngest governor in the country. At 80, he’s the oldest president in American history.” More prominent was a swipe at her former boss, President Donald Trump. “It’s time for a new generation of Republican leadership,” Sanders said, without mentioning anyone by name. She’s one to watch, for several election cycles to come.

 

“Pence Subpoenaed for Capitol Riots” – In other political news, multiple news outlets reported late in the week, that former Vice President Mike Pence received a subpoena to testify before the special counsel investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Pence’s camp has not confirmed the court order, but we do know there were chants from attackers that day saying, “Hang Mike Pence,” plus later quotes from Trump about how Pence let him down. This is going to cause a division in the Republican ranks, I predict. I have long believed Pence was going to run for president in 2024. He has the resume, after serving 12 years in Congress, then four years as Indiana governor, before his four years as vice-president. He will have to “cut and run” from Trump, which many may view as disloyal, but he’s going to be a factor. Of the two men, Pence is the true conservative. By the way, more classified documents were found in each of their homes late this week.

 

“Manchin for President 2024?” – The speculation for the 2024 presidential race remains fluid on both sides of the aisle, and yes, even in the center-aisle. Our most vibrant centrist, Sen. Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia, is not yet saying no to a White House bid. Clearly, the most conservative Democrat in the caucus has two options: challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination or run as an independent. Adding to the speculation this week, Manchin told The Hill newspaper, “I don’t like the direction we’re going.” Keep in mind, independent, or non-partisan voters are now the biggest electoral block in the nation. They could be Manchin’s base. In response to my question about a presidential run on Friday, Manchin did not say yes, nor did he say no. He says basically, it’s on the table!

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations serving West Virginia, its five neighboring states and the entire Washington, DC media market. He is also a MINDSETTER™ contributing political writer and analyst for www.GoLocalProv.com and its affiliates.


 

Related Articles

 

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

 
 

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast

I want to follow on Twitter

I want to Like on Facebook