Tonight, Thursday, March 7th, is the State of the Union Address so lets keep everything related to it (including the Republican response) confined to this thread.

This is probably one of the most important speeches Biden can give this year. He has to come across as “Present”, not just “President”.

This will set the tone for the campaign the rest of the year and will be second only to the Democratic Convention speech in August for visibility.

Watch it live here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/state-of-the-union-2024/

Or through your favorite news source.

The Republican response will be delivered by Senator Katie Britt of Alabama:

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/07/1236338784/katie-britt-alabama-republican-biden-state-of-the-union

Very good speech!

Full transcript is here:

https://time.com/6898705/read-president-joe-bidens-2024-state-of-the-union-address-full-transcript/

Republican response from Katie Britt here:

https://www.britt.senate.gov/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-responds-to-president-bidens-state-of-the-union-address/

I encourage you to watch the video and not just read the transcript. Reading it doesn’t carry just how breathless and borderline weepy her delivery is.

    • Funderpants @lemmy.ca
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      7 months ago

      Not just mingle, but recognize and engage so many people. Listening in, he is dropping policy and info on people based on what he knows they care about.

      • spongebue@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        I would imagine they don’t need quite the same alertness that you’d have in public - should be a secure area with known people (granted, I wouldn’t want him alone with Gaetz or MTG)

        • TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          I don’t know. Back in the day, a senator beat another senator almost to death with a cane. That chamber has had its moments.

          • elliot_crane@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            MTG: Go fuck yourself! You’re gonna feel the wrath of… (sniff, sniff)

            Biden: (offering a handful of oats) You hungry?

            MTG: (vigorous munching) Neiiiiiigh

            Biden: There there, looks like somebody just had a grumbly tummy (brushes her mane)

            MTG: Whinnie!

            Gaetz: (crushing an adderall and a viagra into a can of Red Bull, all while resembling Butthead) [incoherent mumbling]

            I don’t know why I wrote this and I could press delete, but sharing is caring.

        • eclipse@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          I used to deliver a keynote to 3-400 people, twice a month as part of corporate onboarding.

          Absolutely this.

          Obviously my experience was not as high stakes as a SOTU, but it was fucking exhausting. I knew the content well enough that I could deliver it in my sleep and actively did so when I was sick, hungover, generally tired and (usually) just okay.

          Regardless of my initial state, I was at my tether after 90 minutes of being “switched on” and engaged. I am not an octogenarian.

          That was with the benefit of delivering repeated content. Biden doesn’t deliver this same speech twice a month. I’m sure he practiced but it’s still a big ask regardless of age.

        • El Barto@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Some people recharge by socializing.

          And hopefully you’re not saying that as a thinly veiled comment associated to the “not fit for president” foreign narrative operations.

          • jordanlund@lemmy.worldOPM
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            7 months ago

            No, I’m saying this as someone who used to teach for a living. :) Extended talking and working a room is exhausting!

            • El Barto@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Friend, thank you for your service. Teaching is hard work!

              (And sorry about my accusations; there’s so much disinformation going on these days…)