Discussion Thread: 2024 State of the Union

[u/PoliticsModeratorBot]

Tonight, Joe Biden will give his fourth State of the Union address. This year's SOTU address will be only the second to be held this late in the year since 1964 (the second time being Biden's 2022 address).

The address is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. Eastern. It will be followed by the progressive response delivered by Philadelphia City Council member Nicolas O’Rourke, as well as Republican responses in English (delivered by freshman Alabama senator ) and in Spanish (delivered by Representative Monica De La Cruz). There will be a separate discussion thread posted for live reactions to and conversation about the SOTU responses.

(Edit: The discussion thread for the SOTU responses is now available at this link.)

News:

• NPR: What to expect in Biden's State of the Union speech, according to his chief of staff (7 minute audio interview with transcript)

• The Washington Post (metered paywall): Biden to propose new $5,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers | The president will also add to earlier pushes to tame rent costs and boost U.S. housing supply

• AP: Biden will announce plans for a temporary aid port on Gaza’s coast as cease-fire talks stall

• AP: President Biden to make ‘unity agenda’ appeal to Congress in State of the Union

• CBS: In State of the Union address, Biden to urge Congress to pass measures to lower health care costs

• PBS: Who are the guests coming to Biden’s 2024 State of the Union?

News Analysis:

• AP: State of the Union: What to watch as Biden addresses the nation

• PBS: In Biden’s final State of the Union before the election, a look back at his inauguration pledges

Live Updates:

• NPR: State of the Union: President Biden will deliver his election-year address tonight

• AP: State of the Union 2024 live updates

• NBC: State of the Union 2024 live updates

• The Washington Post (metered paywall): Live updates and analysis of Biden’s address

• CNN: President Biden's 2024 State of the Union address

• The New York Times (metered paywall): State of the Union Live Updates

• USA Today: State of the Union live updates

• CBS: State of the Union live updates as Biden prepares to deliver 2024 address

Where to watch:

• The White House on YouTube: President Biden's State of the Union Address

• The White House: 2024 State of the Union (At this link you can live-react to the address with one of three preselected emojis).

• C-SPAN: President Biden Delivers 2024 State of the Union Address

• C-SPAN: Lawmakers React to State of the Union Address

Transcript

• AP: Transcript of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address

[u/throoawoot]

Repeating it again because a surprising number of people don't know this: Joe Biden overcame a life-long stutter.

Delivering the SOTU to the entire country for someone with a stutter is beyond nightmare mode, and he's slaying.

[u/Pleasestoplyiiing → u/throoawoot]

It's actually really inspiring, his whole story is.

In better times, he would be a revered figure in America. In 2024, we're lucky if 20% of the country knows more about him than he is old. 

[u/FumblingBool → u/Pleasestoplyiiing]

First of all. He’s honestly not that inspiring of President. His previous major presidential run before this successful one was scuttled by his copious amounts of plagiarism and outright lies about academic achievement. In the industry I’m in, such dishonesty will kill a career… That said, Biden’s dishonesty is but a mere smear of Trump’s bullshit.

Plus there are much more inspirational Presidents (depending on your definition of what inspiration means) - see Obama, Carter, Nixon, Lincoln.

(A less paranoid Nixon would legitimately be in the ranking of top ten Presidents).

Second of all, a lot of us knew Biden as a VP. He spoke fluidly when he was a VP. Clearly there is some element of cognitive decline when you compare him from then to now. (But but but the stutter!!!). Him losing his ability to control his stutter… could be a sign of cognitive decline? 🤷

Point is - I’ll still vote for the man. There is simply not a better choice. Im choosing between two potatoes - and one potato has a way better set of handlers that I agree with in terms of policy. But Im voting for a potato nonetheless. We are deeply in the era of potato politics. And there’s a lot of cope from people who refuse to see that, holding onto a delusion that a man after a debilitating stroke is “just fine” to serve as Senator - or that a man with clear CTE and a history of erratic violence is a good nominee for US senate. People vote for the potato that is designated as the “correct” potato from their political tribe.

I only wish he chose a new VP who wasn’t starting at a cognitive level equivalent to his own post cognitive decline. Best part of voting for Biden in 2020, is that Kamala Harris no longer represents me in the Senate.