Biden uses feisty State of the Union to contrast with Trump, sell voters on a second term

He really needed to expose the lie of "Sleepy Joe" and he absolutely did. Anyone who honestly thought he has mental deficiencies just got their ass handed to them by an 81 year old.

Agreed, he seemed on top of it the whole time, including while responding to the heckles. A few times he flubbed up his words a bit, but that's been true forever. He's not the orator Obama is, but it was and excellent speech.
- Right? Dude -overcame- a speech impediment ffs.
- Speech impediment + talking way too fast, but he recognized the problem in speaking slowly.
- He's not the orator Obama is
  No one is, and that's just the truth. Obama will probably go down as the most effective public speaker we'll see in our lifetime.
Waiiiit whaaaat, he's 81? No fucking way, that seals it, I'm not going to vote /s
- Yeah but the other guy is 277.
  Oh, we're talking age, not weight?
Now the orange shitgibbon and the rest of the GQP is angry, no furious, that Biden was "on drugs." LOL!
- And Trump didn't even deliver the rebuttal. Low energy! Sad.
- shitgibbon
  😍
Wtf lol. I could not disagree more. He looks like a sleepy skeleton who they woke up from a nap.
- Were you watching with the sound off?
- Was that before or after he stared down the Magat trolls and beyond-obviously-corrupted supreme court justices to their faces?

As everyone starts dunking on the trolls, remember that a non zero number of them are less trolls and more agents of chaos for their government. Reporting and down voting might be a much more useful action.

You can click (or right-click, or click-and-hold) the username to block them too. If you reasonably expect a good-faith argument (remember those?) you probably shouldn't but hey - you can if you want.
God, comments like this are so embarrassing. If you want to dismiss everyone critical of the Democrats as a troll, fine, but you honestly think that Lemmy is being infiltrated by foriegn agitators sewing discord? They could be using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, or YouTube, but they're wasting their efforts on a site that just hit 50,000 daily active users? You would honestly rather believe that a percentage of these people are foreign agents rather than people who just don't agree with you?
Foreign election interference is a real, serious threat to our democracy and you're not helping to fight it by accusing every online rando of being in league with Russia or China. You're doing to election interference what Qanon did to child trafficking; you're making it look ridiculous to serious people.
- Plenty of people disagree honestly and in good faith. Plenty of people pretend to disagree while using inflammatory language meant to spur reactions, commonly referred to as trolling. It's also quite easy for small teams and bot nets to spread to basically anywhere people gather online in order to sow anger and division to further their ends. To pretend otherwise is extremely disingenuous.

From the SotU

Here’s a simple truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.

Nice.

Congressional Republican leaders showcased one of their newest lawmakers through the State of the Union rebuttal, hoping to make a generational contrast with Biden. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate, painted a picture of a nation that “seems to be slipping away” and one where “our families are hurting.”
“Right now, our commander-in-chief is not in command. The free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader,” Britt said, speaking deliberately in an address from her home kitchen.

Dithering and diminished? You just got your clock cleaned by an old guy and you're stumping for the convicted fraud who can't remember who is currently the President? The one who thinks magnets are somehow turned off by water? The one who declares loudly they'll change the state name of Pennsylvania if he doesn't get enough votes? That one?

Katie Britt, I didn't have any expectations - never heard of you before - but whoever wrote that for you stuck you in the woodchipper. Do better. Stop supporting a demented rapist. Stop destroying the rights of women to their own bodies.

Apparently that's just how she is. She's a lawyer, married to a retired football player
If you watch her speech it's disturbing
- It was so creepily stepford wives-y.
  She did the Hannibal Lecter "not blinking" thing while alternating between smiles and rage that both never reached her eyes.
  Also, kind of ballsy to ask "are you better off than you were four years ago."
  Like, yes, my life could be better, but I at least have toilet paper.
- Absolutely the least disturbing thing about that speech was the content, when it is contrasted with the delivery of said content. Supes creepy lady.
- Her breathy desperate whispering of half the speech was like the auditory version of crazy eyes.

I would guess that was higher energy than Republicans expected. But, people always underestimate Joe.

Exaggerating Biden’s mental fitness day after day is a double-edged sword, since in moments like this he can blow away expectations
- They tried to do the same with Obama. I remember the "he can't speak without a teleprompter" crap they peddled back then.
Fox News is literally calling him, "Jacked-Up Joe" now hahaha.
- Jacked up joe makes him sound like a muscle bound super villian, and I love it.
- Thats to be expected.
  Remember, the enemies of Fascists are whatever the fascist narrative needs them to be in moment. Which is why Joe Biden has been weak, pathetic, and ineffective while also being a strong man dictatorial master of complex conspiracies.
Forgot about J.O.E
- What people also forget is that the last election was campaigned during Covid. This will be his last campaign and he is one of the best retail politicians ever. While Trump can organize events, Joe will be pressing the flesh and eating ice cream.
Going into it, I was wondering if he could pull this off. He needs to be giving more and more public speeches as November gets closer. And every single speech has a chance of hurting him in the polls, helping him in the polls, or not moving the polls.
I felt that the probability of this SOTU was more leaning towards hurting him because of potential stumbles and gaffes - of which he had a few but not many. After watching, if I had to guess 0-100 where 0 hurts hims absolutely and 100 helps him then I would say it was a 60.
I was expecting somewhere closer to 40. We'll have to see what the polls say in the next few days to really get a clear picture of its effects.
He definitely started off strong, with energy. Which is exactly what he needs to convey if he wants to convince people he's not too old to be president. But he did have some moments there where he messed up certain words. For example mentioning taking Air Force One to Moscow or women's "electrical power" instead of electoral.
Regardless, I think it was a good job by Biden and he's gonna need to keep this up if he wants any chance to win this election because the polls are preferring Trump at this point in time.

The troll farm accounts are out in full force today.

It was a nice little period when they hadn't discovered lemmy.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden delivered a defiant argument for a second term in his State of the Union speech Thursday night, lacing into GOP front-runner Donald Trump for espousing “resentment, revenge and retribution” and for jeopardizing freedom at home and abroad.

Reveling in the political moment, Biden fired multiple broadsides at “my predecessor” without ever mentioning Trump by name — 13 times in all — raising his voice repeatedly as he worked to quell voter concerns about his age and job performance while sharpening the contrast with his all-but-certain November rival.

White House aides said Biden was aiming to prove his doubters wrong by flashing his combative side and trying to needle Republicans over positions he believes are out of step with the country, particularly on access to abortion, but also tax policy and healthcare.

Biden aides inside the White House and on his campaign had hoped for some fresh viral moments — like when he tussled last year with heckling Republicans and chided them for past efforts to cut Medicare and Social Security.

As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, decked out in pro-Trump paraphernalia, continued to shout at Biden, the president held up a white button that the Georgia Republican had handed him earlier bearing the name of Laken Riley, who authorities say was killed by a Venezuelan national who unlawfully crossed into the U.S. in September 2022.

One of first lady Jill Biden’s guests for the speech was Kate Cox, who sued Texas, and ultimately left her home state, to obtain an emergency abortion after a severe fetal anomaly was detected.

The original article contains 1,750 words, the summary contains 264 words. Saved 85%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

If I have to read the word “feisty” one more time today I’m going to lose it.

You sound pretty f... Oh, nevermind.
- I think passionate, spirited, and energizing are great adjectives too. “Feisty” has just been everywhere today wrt the speech; it makes it sound like we’re talking about a sick cat.
- Were you going to say fiesty?

Christo-fascists right now: "Did you see how feisty Biden was? We really ought to stop or else he might 'tsk' us.

get the issues with Trump are more than valid but it is only democratic to vote Biden and not to try other parties especially the ones openly voicing how they are in line with what the citizens want?

very confused how the US thinks and works please make it make sense

I think I understand your question. In the United States, they have what's called a "First Past The Post" electoral system. This essentially means if you get the most votes, even if you don't get the majority of votes, you win the electoral district. Win the most electoral districts and you become President. The reality of this system is that it effectively becomes a "2 Party System", where you have many parties to vote for, but only 2 viable options, in this case Democrats and Republicans. Because of this, it becomes necessary to "strategically vote" so you vote for the lesser of two evils. First Past The Post is not a representative democracy and therefore should be replaced with a better system that allows 3rd Parties to have a fighting chance. The leaders of the 2 big parties have lots of money and influence and can prevent this from happening.
- There's plenty of FPTP systems that have more than one party. The US 2 party system is there because of lack of campaign financing restrictions, and, well, corruption.
- makes perfect sense then why third parties do not have a fighting chance thanks for clearing the air
  Republicans and Democrats make sure the other parties cannot participate, take people's votes away (am one of many not allowed to vote or participate in this "democracy"), and stack the board in their favor and both parties are backed by corporations that have their own interests that do not align with the citizens so the shareholders win no matter who gets to be president
  https://www.democracynow.org/2012/10/17/green_partys_jill_stein_cheri_honkala
  https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_republic
Fptp voting. Go read about it and learn what it does.

what a speech

republicans and democrats do sound the same

my opponent is the harbinger of death for democracy you have to vote for me!

over the course of my life it has gone from two people debating how their views and policies will shape your life and your surroundings to just talking shit about your opponent in a long winded speech that has no actual meat to it and no discernible game plan for the next four potential years was discussed

Were fucking doomed because of people like you.
- Were fucking doomed because of people like you.
When the other guy refuses to admit he lost an election, refuses a peaceful transfer of power, organizes an insurrection to take the government by force, and repeatedly says he'll use his office as a weapon to punish his enemies, it's completely legitimate to say the other guy is the harbinger of death for democracy. The speech was unlike any SOTU from prior generations because we've never been in this state before.
And you must not have been listening, because I certainly heard an awful lot of plans for the future.
Your script needs updating or tweaks. We've seen it used in this thread a handful of times already.
Don't make it this easy lol. Beta.
Oh, when was that, when two people were honestly debating their views and policies? Was it Nixon? Reagan? Bush? other Bush? Which Republican was it?
what bullshit
Did you miss Biden literally laying out his pro working class domestic agenda? He gave a call to action for voters that improvements for labor. Given, he totally flubbed talking about the Georgia murder and Israel/Palestine, but if you think both parties are the same in domestic policy, then you're the one not paying attention.
Tell me you didn't actually experience 2016-2021 (where that's all that little wannabe dictator did lmao), and definitely did not watch the SoTU, without telling me.
What fucking nonsense.

Wasn't Biden elected to dial back the fascism he's gladly overseeing? The math ain't mathing. This is why the message of Trump will be the end of democracy won't work. There's nothing democratic about the USA. This is not a hyperbole or exaggeration. He is perfectly fine COP City, NYC Subway searches and working with Right-Wing cultists on the border and Genocide.

Perhaps you're right, that his messaging won't change anyone's minds, but the reality is Trump is and will be much worse than Biden. America is fucking around and is probably gonna find out.
- Most likely, the time for Biden to course correct is running out. It doesn't help people are fine with the bad aspects of his Presidency because he isn't the other guy. If you want Biden to win then help him be more humanitarian.
You know what's funny. Every time I see this type of nonsensical comment, it reminds me why I have to vote for Biden, even if I have other issues with him. I have skipped elections in the past, and was considering doing so again, but comments like yours make it absolutely clear that the alternative is just insane.
- Pick who you want. Insanity is co-signing genocide and fascism.
Lol beta.
There’s nothing democratic about the USA. This is not a hyperbole or exaggeration.
No need to go out and vote for Trump, then, just stay home!
- Don't worry, many people will if Biden doesn't do a better job. That is why he is losing in most polls. Biden voters are closer to Trump than think they are.

I'm not voting for joe because he's complicit in genocide.

What disgusts me the most is all the posturing we're seeing now in anticipation for the election.

It just shows he doesn't have a genuine bone in his body.

Look. I don’t support vaporizing Gazans and I also feel rather impotent to do anything about it. I also think things are broken and our county needs some major systemic changes to give power back to the people.
And I support the ‘uncommitted’ vote in the primary to send a clear message to Biden.
But don’t kid yourself with this ‘both sides are the same’ stuff.
Biden will, at the very, very least, try to reduce suffering where he can. And that may be pathetically little.
But this is the other side that WILL come to power if you (and I mean you) don’t vote for Biden this fall:
Trump breaks silence on Israel's military campaign in Gaza: 'Finish the problem'
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-israel-gaza-finish-problem-rcna141905
- But don’t kid yourself with this ‘both sides are the same’ stuff.
  they never said that.
- I've come across many people like you and it always ends the same.
  You refuse to acknowledge how a slow loss is still a loss and go into "recruitment" mode.
  It's really just a instinctive response at this point, and I never expect anything more from you.
  Goodbye.
I'm not an American so I'm not invested in the same way, but if you don't want Biden because of his actions with respect to the Gaza genocide can I ask about your thought process regarding what happens if he does not get in? If he loses the only possible winner is Trump because he is the Republican nominie, so is a vote not for Biden basically a vote for Trump? Or do you see it some other way?
- Neither candidate represents my interests so I lose either way.
  Welcome to American politics.
I’m not voting for joe because he’s complicit in genocide.
Anything Joe can do, Trump can do much, much worse.
- It's depressing how succinctly correct that sentence is.
- Why would Trump support Israel if it goes against his puppetmaster, Putin?
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-israel-finish-the-problem-gaza_n_65e76ed1e4b0f9d26cac9866
Yes, getting rid of Joe will be so good for Gaza.
- I didn't read the article, do you want to use your own words to tell me your point?
I’m not voting for joe because he’s complicit in genocide.
So instead you're going to help elect the guy who says Israel needs to finish the job in Gaza. Who says Russia should be able to do what they want. Your sensibilities are messed up.
- I'm not voting for either candidate.
  I lose either way.
You can’t see the forest through the trees
With the other guy you'll get the same.
- Nah, Trump would be encouraging the use of Nukes to "solve the problem," in his own words.
- Yeah. That's the point.
  It's why everyone who says "don't vote third party" is really a part of the problem.
I’m not voting for joe
But you are voting against Trump, right?

That sounds like a lot of blathering about how he's better than the worst president in history. Not exactly a high bar.

And better than every Republican president in your fucking lifetime.
Don't let perfection be the enemy of the good...
- Well, yes. Again, not a high bar.
- A slow loss is still a loss.
- Wow, all two of them? Get a higher bar. I'm not even young.
  All three Democratic presidents I've been alive for have been pretty bad too. Turns out I'm not represented very well in our plutocracy, and it's pretty tiring to hear the endless defense of the wealthy elite that actively work against all of us.
That sounds like a lot of blathering about how he’s better than the worst president in history
What does? Something I said? Something in the article?
I certainly don't feel that way. I didn't vote for Biden in the 2020 primary, and I had pretty low expectations for him when I voted for him in the general. That being said, I personally think he's been a good president and has gotten way more done with a divided government than I thought possible. He's not perfect, and I wish we had someone younger and more progressive, but he's really accomplished a lot. More than Obama, certainly, though the Senate opposition to Obama was insane.
- I think that's why ppl don't like him and why this election will be closer than any of us like. A large number of us aren't voting for Biden, we're voting against Trump. Again. This isn't how a party consistently wins elections.
"The democrat said he's better than the republican! Unacceptable!"
Clutch harder, Pearl.
That's just the first 15 minutes or so...I almost shut it off.
After "orange man bad" he went policy by policy, said what he's done and outlined a liberal (not neoliberal) platform for like 30 minutes straight. It wasn't just scare tactics about cultural stuff for once
For me, the big was the complacency of the Democratic party. They just kept moving further right and ignoring what the people want, but I'm hoping this marks a turning point
It's not nearly enough, but at least he's started building social programs, talking about raising the corporate tax rates, and enforcing anti-trust laws.
The speech was huge, this article doesn't at all do it justice.
- That is actually good to hear. I haven't seen the speech, just read this and a couple other articles. I will have to give it a watch tomorrow
You're giving Trump far too much credit. Wilson, Jackson, Polk, Monroe, and many others were far far worse presidents than Trump. He was bad, yeah, but he was mostly an ineffective tool. He deserves to be stuck at the 45th percentile of presidents. Mediocre, but trending towards sucking Russian dick.
- Pretty sure Nero was worse too, but here's the thing: Nero didn't have the mass propaganda tools and nuclear weapons.
  Advantage: Orange Rapist.
- Did any of them willingly and consciously allow an epidemic to become pandemic, in turn murdering thousands upon thousands of their own citizens, and others around the world? No?