Biden hams it up during stemwinder
In poll after poll, American voters have expressed overwhelming concern about Joe Biden’s age and fitness for office. Which explains the president’s over-the-top delivery in Thursday’s State of the Union address.
The oratory resembled a campaign speech more than a traditional report to Congress. In his desperate effort to exhibit vim and vigor, Biden took on a feisty, aggressive and defiant persona. The man who once vowed to be a force for political unity clearly no longer has use for that concept.
The president provided a preview of his campaign strategy, railing about threats to democracy, Jan. 6 and abortion restrictions. He patted himself on the back for “environmental justice.” He blamed the GOP for the mess his administration created at the border.
Biden touted various economic “achievements” in an effort to combat the widespread malaise gripping many voters and threatening his push for a second term. Among his stated accomplishments were bringing down the inflation that his own policies triggered and handing over trillions of taxpayers dollars to favored special interests. He vowed to raise taxes on the rich, bragged about a handful of big federal programs and promised to create even more.
For instance, the president proposed new tax subsidies to address the high mortgage interest rates that have made it more expensive for potential buyers to purchase a new home. Never mind that the cost of borrowing skyrocketed because Biden unleashed inflation with his unprecedented spending binge. The buck stops over there.
The president ludicrously tried to position himself as a budget hawk by repeating the inane claim that he brought the deficit down by $1 trillion. He neglected to acknowledge that the reduction was the result of pandemic spending coming off the books. Under Biden, the national debt has grown by nearly $7 trillion.
Biden painted the producers of goods and services as evil price-gougers intent on deception and exploitation. He touted an expansion of the regulatory state to go after credit card companies, travel firms, utilities and even ticket sellers. He vowed to ensure the producers of foodstuffs don’t reduce the size of their packages, although he offered no details on how federal functionaries will pull that off.
Biden’s speech lacked introspection, but provided a useful glimpse into the modern Democratic Party agenda, which has as its foundation the belief that there is no problem more government intervention can’t cure. It embraces the historically illiterate notion that central planning guides economic progress more efficiently than a vibrant free marketplace.
The president closed after 67 minutes and attempted to hit an optimistic note. “I see a future for all Americans,” he said. “I see a country for all Americans. And I will always be a president for all Americans because I believe in America. I believe in you, the American people. You’re the reason we’ve never been more optimistic about our future than I am now.”
That sounds nice. But excuse half the country if they wondered whether he was talking to someone else.
