Missed It? 10 Major Takeaways from Biden’s SOTU

From his greatest bully pulpit, a fiery Mr. President defended democracy last night at his first official State of the Union address. Flanked by a stern-faced VP and an emotional Nancy P. (why is she still there?), and facing a chamber filled with clothing, flags, masks, and pins the colors of the Ukraine flag, Uncle Joe opened with a strong stance against Vladimir Putin before moving on to a flood of domestic agenda items meant to overwhelm any GOP talking points that he is (1) sleepy, (2) not doing anything, and (3) not fit for the job. It was an even and solid success with some glaring omissions.

Here are ten key takeaways, in case you missed it:

1. America is leading a strong alliance against Russia. Biden condemned the attack on Ukraine, welcomed the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and pledged America’s support, saying, “We stand with you. Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he’ll never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people.” While the sanctions he outlined were forceful, he stands firm that we will not put boots on the ground or institute a no-fly zone — actions that would surely lead to World War III. He announced that Russian airplanes are now barred from U.S. airspace, but that was as far as he went. He was tough without committing the U.S. to war. Personally, while I stand with Biden, I am sure I am not the only one who felt like we need to be doing more to help Zelensky and his people.
2. His domestic agenda is massive. It includes a commitment to revitalized infrastructure; job creation; support for unions and the mere act of unionizing; a future of electric cars, free community college, free pre-K; a cap on the cost of insulin and new negotiating power for prescription drugs to get prices down; the list goes on. He denounced trickle-down economics and embraced a model of building from the bottom and middle up-and-out.
3. If you make less than $400k, you won’t pay more taxes. He wants a fairer tax scheme, one that is not punitive to the rich but that calls on all tiers of our society to pay their fair share. He is leading an international effort for a global corporate tax minimum. He’s hiring more watch dogs. And he assured Americans that $400k is the cut-off. Only those making more will pay more.
4. “Fund the police.” In a cringe-worthy moment for the left, he gutted the “defund the police” mark on his back by simply rewriting the tag, insisting that we fund police training and resources. “Let’s not abandon our streets,” he said, “or choose between safety and equal justice. Let’s come together and protect our communities, restore trust and hold law enforcement accountable.” He’s setting himself up for the midterms, where he knows that he will have the left’s support but wants to be clear to white suburban moms that he is not what the right says he is.
5. He’s bringing back ‘Made in America.’ He realizes that car prices went through the roof because we couldn’t get enough computer chips, so he’s fighting China and creating jobs here by supporting a resurgence of manufacturing. He highlighted Intel, which will build a $20B mega-site in Ohio. (Ohio is no mistake, mind you. He needs Ohio for re-election.)
6. Covid is basically over. Yes, he acknowledged the million Americans dead and he understands our exhaustion, but he is hopeful that we are turning the page. The page, though, is not entirely ready to be turned in much of the country, so it remained odd that so few attendees were in masks when most American schoolchildren still are. And there was no moment of silence. Yes, Russia was the lede here. I get it. But a moment of silence for all we lost and all we continue to suffer because of Covid would have been a more empathetic approach. He hardly mentioned the millions of small-business owners who are struggling to rebuild.
7. Biden is a capitalist. The president reminded us, “I’m a capitalist, but capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism.” This was, of course, meant to rebut any insinuation that he is a socialist. It also attacked Big Business for monopolizing so much of the economy. It was a great line, one that seeks to re-frame the conversation and embrace competition as the measure of his — and our — capitalist creds.
8. His ‘Unity Agenda’ will bring us together. He closed with a strong call for unity, outlining a four-point plan that we can all agree on: (1) fighting the opioid crisis, (2) supporting mental health, (3) supporting veterans, and (4) ending cancer. Sure, we can agree on those.
9. Some important issues were notably absent. While defending democracy against autocrats around the world, he did not say too much about our evils here at home, as legislature after legislature around the country makes it harder and harder to vote, especially for people of color. He only mentioned China when talking about economic competition — no doubt an intentional choice so he can continue to court their support against Putin. He barely mentioned climate change. And he spoke little of racial justice. These seemed purposeful omissions so that he could pivot away from being labeled too far left.
10. He is resolute in his confidence that we are strong. Overall, his tone was positive and future-focused.

It was a strong night for President Biden, though there is sure to be a vile response from the far right. I say vile because Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Thomas Sarah Michelle Gellar spent the night heckling Biden. They have clearly seen too many dramatized versions of the English House of Commons. And they were visibly uncomfortable with the fact that the real world doesn’t operate like Twitter. There are also sure to be memes and videos today across the Internet of Biden bumbling his speech. For the record, the man has had a lifelong stuttering problem. The schoolyard response is sure to be gross.

Most Republicans will likely fall behind the formal Republican response, which was delivered by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who blamed the Russian invasion on Biden’s soft hand and then went on to completely ignore his speech and give half the country their talking points for the midterms. She seemed to be talking to America 2020 and 2021, leaning into suburban safety and Biden’s “loss of control” over the nation. It was not a rebuttal. It did not include solutions. And Governor Reynolds was meant to be the White lady you can identify with as opposed to the Black lady and the Crazy California Liberal to the left and right of the president during his speech.

The most reasonable Republicans will see a President genuinely committed to forward motion, making democracy the victor, and making the country work. I guess we should start with cancer, opioids, mental health, and veterans.

You can read the full transcript of Biden’s address here.