Trump Triumphs in His State of the Union Address

[Right_in_Virginia]

Trump Triumphs in His State of the Union Address
The Observer, Jan 31, 2018, Thomas Farnan

<snip>

Trump has expanded the tent into Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Wisconsin. He has done it by rejecting identity politics and directing his appeal to ordinary Americans.

His speech called firefighters and coast guard rescuers and Corey the welder “heroic” and “beautiful” and “a great welder.” He scolded the politicians in the room: “These are the people we were elected to serve.”

In a city where every square patch of grass is named to honor a politician, he gives politicians demeaning names and honors ordinary citizens. That, right there, is the chewy Tootsie Pop center of Trumpism.

The speech was high on aspiration.

“We can achieve absolutely anything.” “We have ended the war on American energy, and we have ended the war on beautiful, clean coal.” “We are very proudly an exporter of energy to the world.” “We took away regulations that cripple our beautiful auto workers.” “We’re with you, we love you, and we will always pull through together.”

Ordinary Americans are high on aspiration, too. It is the coastal elites, the smarmy ESPN hosts, who are hip and ironic.


Read more: http://observer.com/2018/01/trump-triumphs-in-his-state-of-the-union-address/

[Right_in_Virginia]

Another gem from this long and terrific article:

The president is polarizing, which can be a good thing for Republicans when it causes every Democrat in Congress to vote against tax reform just to spite him. Sometimes in politics it is best when battle lines are drawn. November will be a clear choice between those who rescued the economy and those who stood in the way.

Methinks similar lines are being drawn for "Americans v Illegals" and immigration reform.