Last night I tried to listen to President Biden’s last State of the Union message of his first term. At one point I fell into a troubled slumber. It was largely a shouted wishlist interrupted all too frequently with rowdy outbursts. The Republicans cooperated by being surly and lacking in decorum.
The targets of the speech were Republicans, large corporations, individuals earning more than $400,000 per year, credit card companies, and landlords.
I was clearly not the audience for the speech. It was largely a campaign rally, presented on a take it or leave it basis. I suspect its intent was more to shore up the president’s support among Democrats wondering if he’s up to the job than to convince moderates or independents. Some are characterizing the speech as “fiery”. I thought the president looked old, frail, and doddered at times. It was little more incoherent, halting, or rambling than any other Joe Biden campaign speech.
I’d say that’s a pretty fair description. A borderline lunatic rant.
And when you lose CNN……
I didn’t watch it.
Lack of decorum has become the norm. It is not surprising that Biden would work to shore up his base at this point. So far it seems to have worked.
Seems awfully unfair to target Republicans, after all Republicans never, ever target Democrats. Anyway, I was looking at some of the economic numbers. Couple days old so they dont include yesterday’s (positive) numbers.
UE- 3.7%
Annualized GDP growth- 3.2%
Real wage growth 2023- 1.8%
Annualized CPI growth- 3.2%
S&P return last year- 27%
The most recent Harris poll showed that 63% of people feel good about their finances.
Small business applications have been running 100,000 above trend since the start of the pandemic, not slowing down.
Manufacturing construction has increased from $91 billion in 2021 to $225.
Wages for those in the lowest quintile have been growing.
What are the list of bad economic numbers about which I should be concerned? Let’s limit it to numbers that people care about all of the time. For example, I think debt is a big issue but for Republicans it only matters when the Dems are in office.
Steve
Carry on Joe, carry on!
I watched a bit of the Britt speech. She reminded me so much of the women in the fundamentalist church in which I grew up and go home to visit, especially the pastor’s wives and Sunday school teachers. I learned that this is common in this group and even has a name, the fundie baby voice. It goes along with the near constant smiling. It reassures men they are in charge and that the woman is obedient. As a teen we all used to have fun mocking that voice even if it didnt have a name back then.
https://jesspiper.substack.com/p/the-fundie-baby-voice?r=cxnub&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true
I never listen to the responses—I don’t think the SOTU is the place for a response. I also don’t think it is the place for a campaign rally.
My wife tells me it was even more idiotic than most responses are.
Seriously, steve? Seriously? Cherry pic your stats. Go ahead. Partisan drivel.
But on economic issues people feel it where it counts. They know. Bullshit yourself if you want. Blow Joe morning, noon and night if you want. I’d go for abortion issue, not the economy.
Of note, Drew has no numbers, just the ability to emote when asked to offer the numbers we should be worried about.
OT- Really nice piece at The Atlantic on the drug that now successfully treats 80%-90% of people with cystic fibrosis. People who respond and start treatment early can now expect near normal lifespans. Wife was a lab tech and then a researcher at Children’s in Philly. Back then life expectancy was 8-12 years old, and that came after a life dominated by hours of treatment every day and very frequent hospitalizations. Divorce rate among parents of kids with CF was 100% at CHOP.
Steve
I am curious how Steve came up with an annualized CPI of 3.2% during Biden’s term of office.
I checked and the CPI index was 308.4 as of Jan 2024, from 261.6 from Jan 2021. Thats a rise of the price level of 17.9% over 3 years or 5.6% annualized.
I believe it’s for 2023. Cribbed off of someone else’s work.
Steve
If you believe the published numbers, Steve. You are a dolt.
I guess I will have to start linking real analysis. Not MSNBC kindergarten level commentary.