The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

OUR VIEW

Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:25 PM

OUR VIEW: A State Of The Union Address For The Ages Among Many Hopefully To Come For A Great President

President Trump’s first-ever State of the Union Address delivered more drama, passion and feel-good patriotism than any in Tinseltown have delivered all decade.

The ratings for this speech may top the Oscars and the Grammys, combined. In fact every poll I've seen this am following the speech shows close to half and in most cases a huge majority found the speech uplifting, on message, pro-America, pro-business, and above all things patriotic, faith-based, and encouraging. Count me in on that number.

This was a state of the union for the ages in my opinion.

According to news outlets this morning last night's speech was the most tweeted about speech ever. President Trump received the most applause ever than any other speech in history as well and for good reason. A CBS poll taken minutes after the speech showed 97% Republican Approval, 72% Independents approval and even 43% of Democrats said it was uplifting and encouraging.
81% of Americans said the President was trying to unite the country through the speech; 65% said it made them feel proud; 72% favored President Trump's immigration proposal; 91% his infrastructure proposal; and 75% favored his ideas on national security.

Prior to the speech the usual suspects at NBC and MSNBC were still talking Russia collusion. Other pundits, even on Fox News, were expecting to hear from a kinder, gentler President Trump that would reach across the aisle to enlist the aid of Democrats in pursuing his agenda. They were disappointed and even claimed he peddled to his base without including all Americans in his speech. Give me a break.

The tone the President set was nothing more than perfect. He was a leader who came to conquer last night while letting the American people know, we are back on the world stage, and back in a big way.

He asked for Congress to come together, to serve the people of the nation, but on his terms. He did not attempt to topple the Resistance by backing away from his campaign promises; instead, he reaffirmed his dedication to border security, to a strong military, to religious freedom, to protecting the second amendment and to upholding our veterans and our law enforcement, seemingly challenging Democrats to deny the reasonableness and popularity of these bedrock commitments.

The sour faces of his critics suggested this: they don't want any of these things! The bigger question is why?

As Trump reviewed his administration’s accomplishments of the past year, most Americans listening in were applauding the tax cuts that will save families thousands of dollars. Many families have already welcomed the bonuses and raises being handed out by corporations because of the GOP tax bill, and cheer the new investments by Apple and others encouraged by the tax reforms. After an eight year drought under President Obama, wages have now started to rise again and not a moment too soon.

Trump proudly ticked off data points on the strong economy, including unemployment among African-Americans falling to the lowest level ever recorded. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus failed to stand and applaud with many even scowling and mocking the President's remarks.
How foolish does that make the Democrats look? Very!!

Last night's speech celebrated the buoyant economy, saying, “There has never been a better time to live the American dream,” and promising the country that “You can be anything” and that “Together we can achieve anything.”

But while he stressed that the nation should move forward together, since we “share the same home, the same heart, the same destiny and the same flag,” he was clear that he wanted Americans to join him on the path he has laid out.

Why would that not make ALL who were in the Senate Chamber last night stand and applaud.

Emphasizing that the government serves the people, and not the other way around, he touted moves to make agencies more responsive to the needs of our citizens. He said he would ask Congress to pass legislation making it easier to fire government employees, and noted that because of the VA Accountability Act that he signed into law, his administration had been able to remove 1,500 employees who “failed to give vets the care they deserve.”

He did not pledge to drain the swamp again last night, but you could just tell he wanted to.

He celebrated his numerous efforts to protect and help American workers. Trump tiptoed past the graveyard of climate change, saying he had “ended the war on American energy and the war on beautiful clean coal.” He touted the revving up of car manufacturing in the U.S., and also the accelerated approval of drugs flowing from the FDA.

He claimed to have turned the page on “unfair trade deals,” reiterating that future pacts must be fair and reciprocal and that his government will work to protect workers as well as our intellectual property.

He asked Democrats to partner with his administration in delivering an infrastructure program, asking Congress to create a bill designed to unlock $1.5 trillion in new infrastructure investment, leveraging federal funds with money from state governments and private funding. In particular, he demanded that the permitting process be streamlined. Getting the required permissions to build a “simple road” can take up to ten years; he wants that cut down to two.

And then there was immigration. The president has already proposed a four-part compromise on immigration reform, and in particular on resolving the fate of the Dreamers. He offered no new concessions, and instead took a hard stand on the security aspect of immigration policy. He personalized the real threat from gang members in the country illegally by introducing two Long Island families grieving for their daughters who were murdered by members of MS-13.

The President made it clear the United States is a "compassionate nation," but a nation made up of laws.

"We are proud that we do more than any other country to help the needy, the struggling, and the underprivileged all over the world, but as President of the United States, my highest loyalty, my greatest compassion, and my constant concern is for America's children, America's struggling workers, and America's forgotten communities. I want our youth to grow up to achieve great things. I want our poor to have their chance to rise."

Then in one of many powerful moments during the speech he offered his olive branch to Democrats on what he laid out and was met with silence.

"So tonight, I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties -- Democrats and Republicans -- to protect our citizens of every background, color, religion, and creed. My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans -- to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American Dream. Because Americans are dreamers too."

Massachusetts Senator Cory Booker at that very moment in the speech looked like he was sucking on a prune. Maybe he was, along with the entire Democratic Party. They don't want to defend "American" dreamers, but they sure want to defend illegal ones.

The president also reviewed his America First foreign policy, and suggested he would ask Congress to ensure that our foreign aid will be increasingly handed out only to America’s friends. He celebrated the success in taking back nearly all the lands so recently held by ISIS, and vowed to continue the fight, declaring that terrorists will be treated as enemy combatants, and not criminals. Lest anyone misunderstand that distinction, he vowed to keep Guantanamo open as he should have.

And he talked about the dangers of North Korea, recounting the horrible imprisonment and death of Otto Wambier, a college student who was released to his family shortly before he died, presumably succumbing to months of torture and hardship at the hands of Kim Jong Un. Wambier’s parents made a tearful salute to the assembled crowd.

It is hard to deny that our government should put our people first. It is tough to argue that the bureaucracy we pay for with our tax dollars functions as well as it should, or that security should not be the uppermost concern of our leaders. It is hard to argue with the best line of the night when President Trump declared "we don't put our trust and faith in government but in God; the sign behind me says 'In GOD we trust!"

Again, silence from the Democrats, save one - West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).

This year has been a year of accomplishment, lower taxes, better jobs and higher wages. A year ISIS has been decimated and on the run in many regions of the world. A year where religious liberty and freedom have been celebrated not mocked and insulted from the White House.

A year where Americans are beginning to feel good about themselves being American again and realizing we are not a bunch of racists out here but people who simply want our nation to be a nation of laws and borders.

We love everyone who comes here, but we are right as a nation to demand they come here right and legally!

It's been a great year for America and President Trump had all the right in the world to proclaim it and he did in an outstanding way. I remember listening to Ronald Reagan in my 20's during a time I never fully understood politics quite as well as I do now.

Reagan would have been proud last night. But I submit to you that what I heard last night made Reagan almost sound liberal. This was a state of the union speech for the ages.

We will be saying more this week in future editorials on the fall out of the disrespectful and despicable behavior of most Democrats that sadly will lay to their eternal shame for years to come.

This was the President's night and he shined like a lighthouse during a dark storm. May God continue to bless him and guide him as seeks in year two to do even more.

One warning to the Democrats. Trump doesn’t need you. He will get what he needs done with or without you. You're just too stupid and full of hate right now to see that he is marginalizing you as a party by allowing you to reveal your true motives about America and the things we as citizens hold dear. Keep sitting on your hands and scowling at the President.

Don't worry Dems. We here in real American will make sure in 2018 you won’t have to attend any more of these after November. Be patient. Tick tock.
 

Christopher McDonald, Publisher, Editor in Charge

Great Smoky Mountain Journal