It has been a while since a president gave the annual State of the Union (SOTU) address at such a troubled time. Thanks to the dictator Vladimir Putin, the world is as close to nuclear war as we have been for more than 50 years. And if reports that Putin is suffering a mental breakdown are true, we are closer to a nuclear war than any of us might appreciate.
With the gravity of the moment in mind, I eagerly watched President Biden’s speech last night. I wanted him to rally America behind Ukraine, explaining what the conflict means to the world and our country. Of course, I also wanted him to tell us how we are doing as a nation and to outline his priorities for the coming year.
Biden did both. I give him a B overall.
Before watching the speech, I prepared an outline of what Biden should accomplish. Our national attention right now should be focused on Ukraine. The president needed to seize the opportunity to signal America’s solidarity with Ukraine and to educate the American people about why stopping Putin’s aggression is in America’s interest. Biden did a great job on the first part, earning several rare bipartisan standing ovations. He did less well on the second part, talking about stopping aggression but downplaying the risk of nuclear war. To his credit, he reminded the American people of his commitment not to directly engage the U.S. military in the war.
I thought Ukraine should consume 15 minutes of a 45-minute speech. I wanted to hear a short, focused speech. Giving a standard State of the Union address, featuring a lengthy laundry list of dozens of administration priorities, would detract from the seriousness of the moment. The speech was about 70 minutes long. The list of proposals was not as long as I had feared, but longer than ideal. Like most other SOTU addresses, it was as much of a campaign speech as it was a report to the nation.
The speech corresponded to a recent analysis of what Democrats need to do to regain their popularity and increase chances of winning in the 2022 and 2024 elections. That analysis suggested that Democrats need to remind voters of Democrats’ accomplishments, rebut misperceptions of their policies, outline an attractive list of legislative priorities, and equate the Democratic party with patriotism, democracy, and freedom. Biden roughly achieved all items on the list.
Biden offered a limited list of accomplishments, leading with the one trillion-dollar infrastructure bill. He touted job growth, especially in manufacturing. A special call-out was offered to Intel, who is building a massive chip manufacturing facility in Ohio. Biden also appropriately mentioned the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Brown is likely to be confirmed by the Senate by May 1.
Consistent with the analysis, Biden also rebutted Republican claims that Democrats support defunding police. Biden called for increased funding for police and the need for cities to be safe, but his recital is unlikely to persuade many voters until an actual decrease in urban crime happens.
Biden also referenced inflation but avoided a promise to aggressively address it. He acknowledged that families were facing rising prices, but specific solutions, at least anything that can be remembered without consulting a transcript of the speech, were lacking.
Traditionally, the most important part of a SOTU address is listing legislative priorities. Biden offered a truncated list that did not include a direct reference to “Build Back Better,” the now-dead massive human infrastructure bill. Instead, Biden called for the enactment of various parts of the bill. Democrats applauded, but with limited enthusiasm. Those Republicans in the chamber for the speech were silent.
It seems clear that Biden no longer expects most of Build Back Better to get enacted. Instead, he is turning to new priorities that he hopes will resonate with voters. A little less than an hour into the speech, Biden addressed his “Cancer Moon Shot” with great enthusiasm. He also referenced a program to address brain cancer in veterans caused by “burn-pits.” Biden told the assembly that he believed his son, Beau, had contracted brain cancer by exposure to the toxins released in the burn-pits.
In the low point of the evening, Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) disrupted the president by shouting out “13 of them” when Biden mentioned service members returning home in flag-draped coffins. Boebert was attempting to reference the 13 Americans killed in the Afghanistan exit. Biden briefly paused his speech and then continued. Boebert received boos.
Biden’s finest moments of the night came after his speech ended. Unlike his immediate predecessor, Biden spent more than ten minutes greeting various legislators as he left the chamber. He exhibited his ability to connect with people on an individual basis that is one of his trademarks.
Biden’s closing was a standard reference to democracy, American strength, and support for our troops. It was well-delivered but otherwise unexceptional.
Notable omissions from the speech were a call to action on climate change and a reference to the need to hold January 6 insurrectionists accountable. I was disappointed these two national priorities were not addressed.
A full video of the speech and the official transcript of the address are online.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and other subjects.
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