IO – The Wuhan virus made me almost “permanently forget” to write about the latest developments in America.
I had to replay President Donald Trump’s speech three times. The one in front of the joint forum of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The so-called State of the Union speech. The one that is 1.5 hours long.
This is a speech that opens and closes with a scene of hostility. It was demonstrated by two top figures, the executive (President Trump) and the Congress (House Speaker Nancy Pelosi).
Of course, the Speaker of the House of Representatives invited the President to the podium. President Trump then stopped at the Speaker’s table to hand over the folder. It contained: the text of the speech he would read.
Pelosi also stood up to accept the folder. Then she reached out her hand to shake the President’s hand. But the President immediately looked away to the podium.
But when Trump almost finished his speech there was a scene of “more cruel retaliation”. Suddenly Pelosi stood up. She reached for Trump’s speech papers on his desk. Then ripped them up. She tore it and put it on the table. Then Pelosi took another piece of the speech which were still intact: she tore them again. The scrap was placed on the first.
She picked up the rest of the speech papers again. She ripped them again. Took more. Tore them up again. Up to four times. Until the speech papers were all ripped.
Then she piled up the torn speech papers into a pile. She then slammed them on the table.
This scene of destruction took place behind the back of Trump who was again uttering the last sentence of his speech.
There was no change in Trump’s face. No emotional characteristics appear.
Even Pelosi. When tearing up the speech paper her face showed no emotion or anger.
Those are the two characters’ faces that will attract the attention of Hollywood directors.
The contents of the speech itself were indeed similar to the Presidential election campaign. Indeed, there are no rules about how to fill a State of the Union speech.
According to the Constitution once a year the President makes a State of the Union address before a joint meeting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, namely to report on what the President did for a year.
Trump does not violate the Constitution. Including when he did not want to receive Pelosi’s handshake.
Trump is very angry with her. Pelosi is a Democratic figure who impeached Trump.
On the day of the speech, the Senate again tried Trump: to decide whether the House of Representatives’ impeachment was granted or not. But Trump already knew the results: the Senate rejected impeachment. The majority of the Senate membership is in the hands of Republicans. Only one Republican member approved of the impeachment: Mitt Romney. From the electoral district of Utah. He was a presidential candidate. But failed to overcome Barack Obama.
Playing the speech three times didn’t bore us. The speech of the American President has always been very interesting: Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Obama, and whoever they are.
When playing it the third time I paid more attention to how many times the speech got applause. How come it gets so often.
I counted it: 132 times. Big and medium applause. More than 90 times accompanied by a standing ovation.
It’s easy for Americans to show their appreciation of speeches. So willing are they to have to stand up often.
This means the speech is only about 1 hour. The other half is due to the amount of time spent clapping.
The most applause occurred when Trump introduced the Venezuelan opposition figure, Juan Guaido. Even Trump officially referred to him as Mr. President of Venezuela.
The so-called name also stands on the balcony. Still very young. 36 years old. His face is handsome. Athletic body. His suit and tie match.
Trump does not recognize the current Venezuelan President: Maduro.
When Guaido was introduced, all members of the House of Representatives and the Senate stood up. Including Pelosi. Also members of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party – who more often do not want to clap, especially while standing.
On this Venezuelan topic, Trump managed to outwit his political opponents. After introducing Guaido, Trump wanted to stab a dagger. While Pelosi stood up again.
The Venezuelan topic turned out to be only used by Trump for the entrance to discuss the ugliness of socialism.
What he means: Democratic presidential candidates are all socialists. Don’t choose them. But choose him again. This November.
Trump also introduced the name Tony Rankins from Cincinnati. It doesn’t matter who he is. What important is that he is black. Trump must indeed embrace black voters. They don’t usually like the Republicans.
Tony’s achievement was successfully coming out of adversity. Thanks to the improved American economy during Trump’s presidency.
Trump said Tony was a symbol of the men who were destroyed: involved in drugs, abandoned by his wife and became unemployed. But, Trump said, because the economy is improving now Tony can rise again.
The Republicans applause. Then Tony stood on the balcony. His hand waved. His smile broke. The smile was too wide to make it appear that two of his front teeth were missing.
The topic that also received a lot of applause was a matter of the military. When discussing the might of the American army, Trump prides himself on making history: it was during his Presidency that America had the Space Force. No longer only the Army, Navy and Air Forces.
Then Trump introduced a teenager. His name: Iain Lanphier. Age: 13 years. At that young age he was accepted into the American Space Academy. “He said,” Trump said quoting the teen’s words, “Everyone looks up to see the sky. I will always look down to see the earth”.
Trump is also good at encouraging veterans. He introduced a veteran who was 100 years old. Everyone stood up saluting. Then sat down again. And stood up again. That is when Trump said that he awarded the rank of general to the soldier class veteran.
Of course, Trump also gave awards to the famous “million-listener” provocateur. It was Rush Limbaugh. He is an accomplished orator. His speech on the radio attracts millions of listeners. Many are also fanatical and continue to tune into his radio channel. Limbaugh is a conservative ideologist. Republican ideological sound carrier. If you curse at the liberal group it is amazing how he does it with ridicule and sharp satire.
T rump asked Limbaugh to stand on the balcony. Then asked his wife to help give him a medal. That’s the highest medal for civilians in America. It’s called the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The sad news: Limbaugh is in pain. Cancer pain. Stage four.
Anyway, Trump used up the opportunity. All achievements are described. He gave a lot of frills “best in history”. “No president has ever done it”. Trump’s speech this time is more like a proclamation of an American victory. Also, the proclamation that America was “Great again”.
American competitors have lost all. The American enemy has run away. Mental defeat in America has again become a winning mentality.
“China, which has stolen American jobs for decades, now has respect for us,” Trump said. “On the other hand, our relationship with China is now very good, including with President Xi,” he added.
“They didn’t expect that there was one American who dared to make them stop doing what they had done for decades to America.” “Our relationship has never been as good as this with China,” he said.
Anyway, Trump became superior in all lines. Like the game of American Football – the four rounds – Trump has now won three rounds. The score was already 18-0. Now just entering round 4 – the November 2020 election.
The Democrats were destroyed: the impeachment round lost, the State of the Union round lost, the Iowa caucus round fell.
Trump’s strategy for dealing with impeachment is extraordinary. He uses a double-edged sword: it can save him while killing his opponent.
Democrats only seemed to defend their presidential candidate: Joe Biden. But indirectly the name Biden was destroyed in this impeachment process. In the Iowa state caucus, Biden was completely outclassed by other Democratic candidates.
The winner was the candidate who was initially unseen at all: Peter Buttigieg. The name of this candidate is also difficult to pronounce. That is the name of the Maltese – Butah Buttigieg is an immigrant from Malta. So Americans prefer to call him Peter. Easier pronounced.
Buttigieg is only 36 years old. Very young – in the eyes of Biden and Bernie Sander. Especially in the eyes of Donald Trump. Buttigieg’s last position was “only” the mayor. It’s not a big city either: South Bend. A small town located in the northernmost border of the state of Indiana. It is closer to Chicago than to Indianapolis – the largest city in Indiana.
Buttigieg has just ended his second term as mayor. But his ideas are great. Liberals like Buttigieg more than other Democratic candidates. What might be an obstacle is: he is gay. Married to a fellow man. Buttigieg himself announced that he was gay.
Next week there will be another Democratic caucus. This time in the state of New Hampshire. But even here Buttigieg won, it’s time for Joe Biden to resign.
Until now Trump has not targeted Buttigieg as an opponent in the Presidential election later. Trump still considers Biden his strongest opponent. Then in the 4th round later it could be that Trump will win again. Easily too.
That was true: the one who was defeated in round three but managed to reverse the score in round 4. But that was at American Football. Namely the team from Kansas City.
I went to watch the Super Bowl big game live last Monday morning. Kansas City was defeated at the end of round 3. But dramatically they could turn things around. That’s because Kansas City has an incredible young star. His name: Patrick Mahomes