My thoughts for Biden’s State of the Union speech 2024
This is a difficult time for the country. I read Maureen Dowd’s column in The NY Times regarding her dream for a Biden State of the Union speech. While some of it was funny, it may not be the right time for such a speech. I question if the nation has much of a sense of humor today. Though clearly one would help in dealing with all the many serious issues we face. Women’s rights, the war in Ukraine, and the Israel/Hamas war. The fight for equal rights for minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. The issues at the border, and climate change. All complicated in their own right, made more so by the Republican Party having been taken over by Trump.
Clearly there is nothing funny about the Republican Party taking rights away from women. One has to question, “what were they thinking?” Then there is the issue of our democracy. So many Republicans think it’s OK to try to destroy it. Even those who don’t, are afraid to speak up fearing they will lose their elections to a MAGA cult member. It is a difficult, and sad, time for the nation.
State of the Union speeches are always political. This one needs to be even more so. President Biden has the chance to make a clear case for his reelection during his State of the Union speech on March 7th. It will be the largest audience he has between now and the November 5th election. There is a real difference between the potential Republican nominee and Joe Biden, and he has to make that difference easy to understand. Joe Biden has to make the case why the United States today has the strongest economy in the world. He needs to highlight the jobs created during his administration, and the higher wages they pay. He needs to remind people he stood on the picket line with the UAW, and they won. He supported the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild and they won their new and better union contracts. He must remind people of initiatives like the infrastructure bill, and how it impacts both individuals’ lives, with good paying jobs, and the strength of our nation. At the same time, he must recognize not everyone has yet to benefit from the improved economy. He must suggest policies he will implement to change that.
The President must make the case for continued support for Ukraine, and make it clear how support helps us here at home, and our national security. How the strength of our economy allows us to help the brave people of Ukraine, as they fight Putin. When they win, it will keep our men and women from being in harm’s way on the battlefield. He must also make clear how most of the money Congress approves to support Ukraine, will actually be spent here at home. It will go to manufacturing weapons, in factories in many states, (He should name some of the states,) and provide new, high-paying jobs, for our own citizens.
He must make the case why his age is no barrier to his being President. How his successes, have proven he can do the job. How he clearly is able to do it better than the potential Republican nominee, one who actually said he wants to be a dictator. He can say “A potential nominee, who tried to stage a coup, and in doing so, endangered the lives of so many members of congress sitting in this chamber tonight.” He must talk about the diversity of his administration, and give some statistics. He must double down on how he has, and will continue, to support women and minorities, including the Latino community, African Americans, Asians, and the LGBTQ+ community. This is all not a small task, but one he can accomplish.
The President must talk directly to the women of the nation. To remind them it was the potential Republican nominee who doubled down on taking credit for ending Roe v. Wade, and say “an action supported overwhelmingly by the majority of Republicans in the chamber tonight.” He needs to remind the American voter; it is the Republican Party trying to take away a women’s right to have IVF. He should mention the twelve states where Republicans have introduced bills to make it more difficult. He should call out Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Republican of Mississippi, who stopped the bill introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to protect women and IVF nationally, saying, “the decision belongs to the states,” and that includes the twelve states that have Republican introduced bills to make it more difficult for women to have a family. He needs to state clearly, he will do everything a President can, to protect the rights of women to control their body, and their healthcare. At the same time remind them Congress has a role in doing this. If Democrats are elected Congress can pass bills to protect women’s rights, and confirm judges who will do the same. He should reassert that the potential Republican nominee will do just the opposite, and say “and an overwhelming number of Republicans in this chamber tonight, are either not speaking out against that nominee’s positions, or supporting them.” He must remind young people they will be impacted by climate change the longest. He must clearly state his positions, and what he has done to impact it. Then remind young people the potential nominee of the Republican Party denies there is climate change.
He needs to address the Israel/Hamas war. To say how he has, and continues to push the Israeli government to pause the fighting, and get back our hostages. He needs to say he is for opening the floodgates for food and medical supplies into Gaza, to help the innocent women and children who are suffering. That is why he began a food drop until he can get the aid trucks rolling again. He must say he recognizes some Americans disagree with his handling of the war, but remind them that if the potential nominee of the Republican Party is elected, things will only get much worse for the Palestinian people. That is clear from his words and actions over the years.
While this is not an easy time to give a State of the Union speech, and again I believe it must be even more political than usual; I have full confidence President Biden can do it, and do it well.
