Typical State Of The Union Address, Or Not?
I am not a fan of the State of the Union Address by any President or for that matter the State of the State Address by any Governor. I always thought they were a rah rah speech given by an elected leader for their base.
How many times do you see one team sitting on their hands during the speech while the other team is clapping? In fact I once was invited and went to one of Governor Snyder’s State of the State address, I actually sat on the floor of the house with all of the State Representatives and Senators. I thought he delivered it well and I must admit when it comes to the State of the State address there does seem to be a bit more direction given on how they will govern. That being said I still saw the Democrats sit on their hands throughout most of the speech with frowns on their faces, it actually felt uncomfortable sitting in a hall with such divide. I can reasonable assume the reverse happens when there is a Democrat Governor, we will see how the Republicans in our state react to Governor Whitmer’s first State of the State address next Tuesday.
I must admit that there was something different about President Trump’s third State of the Union address (SOTU). I cannot directly put my finger on it but there was a different feel to it. It was not as partisan as I thought it might be due to the government shutdown over border security that recently ended, he did not take any cheap shots at the Democrats for not wanting to fully secure our southern border.
Yes he spoke of the many great things that he believes and the facts show us that his and the Republican policies have brought us Americans. He spoke of the great advancement in our economy, jobs, foreign policy, trade and energy boom. That I expected and was part of the normal routine for these speeches but there was something more to it that I am still attempting to put my finger on.
I would like to point out a few things he did say in his speech that if both sides where to adhere to would make our country better for all of us, he said the following:
The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican agenda or a Democrat agenda. It is the agenda of the American people.
Many of us campaigned on the same core promises: to defend American jobs and demand fair trade for American workers; to rebuild and revitalize our Nation's infrastructure; to reduce the price of healthcare and prescription drugs; to create an immigration system that is safe, lawful, modern and secure; and to pursue a foreign policy that puts America's interests first.
There is a new opportunity in American politics, if only we have the courage to seize it. Victory is not winning for our party. Victory is winning for our country.
President Trump went on to say:
But we must reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution -- and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise, and the common good.
Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions, and unlock the extraordinary promise of America's future. The decision is ours to make.
One last thing I would like to point out that President Trump said and that was:
We must choose between greatness or gridlock, results or resistance, vision or vengeance, incredible progress or pointless destruction.
Tonight, I ask you to choose greatness.
Choosing greatness is a choice, it is a choice that we should all strive for in our daily lives and certainly demand and expect from our political leaders.
If you attempted to see or hear President Trump’s SOTU address from a fair perspective you will have seen or heard him have something for everyone in it. I like when the president said, the agenda he laid out isn’t “a Republican agenda or a Democrat agenda. It is the agenda of the American People.”
I know many Presidents have either said this or implied it but we need the politicians to be reminded of it as much as possible. Will it change things in Washington, I do not believe so. We the people must change things in Washington by voting out those who are unwilling to put their careers and party behind the American citizen’s needs.
I hope we all will follow the president’s advice and choose greatness over gridlock.
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