One administration official said the speech’s importance is not lost on the president’s top advisers — and the president himself.

Advisers grappling with President Joe Biden’s stubbornly low poll numbers and pressure from Democrats to shake up his strategy are planning a far more aggressive approach in coming weeks, with a keen focus on what they see as a high-stakes opportunity and hurdle to clear: the State of the Union address.

One administration official said the speech’s importance is not lost on the president’s top advisers — and the president himself.

“This is probably going to be the most important speech of his presidency and it’s going to set the tone for [this] year,” another administration official said.

The White House is trying to fend off Democratic anxiety about how the incumbent president enters the election year — virtually tied with former President Donald Trump in national polls.

  • Flying Squid
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    168 months ago

    Do people still watch the SOTU in any significant numbers? I have to admit I haven’t watched one in years. I don’t really see the point.

    • ThrowawayOnLemmy
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      138 months ago

      I haven’t watched one in a while, but it’s impossible to get away from the reporting about it.

        • Semi-Hemi-Demigod
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          88 months ago

          I bet I can write a good tl;dw right now. SOTUs are incredibly predictable. It’ll be something like:

          President says yay America, Democrats clap and Republicans sit there. President points out a serviceman in the balcony, everybody claps. President says freedom, democracy, liberty. Democrats clap and Republicans sit there. President says middle class, hardworking Americans, something something taxes. Democrats clap and Republicans sit there. Nothing of value is accomplished and twelve million children still go hungry.

          Just reverse the clapping depending on the president.

            • Semi-Hemi-Demigod
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              28 months ago

              I’m so tired of those two I wouldn’t care if they did two girls one cup on the House floor

    • @[email protected]
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      58 months ago

      I watch them occasionally when I feel like it’s an important moment. I’ll probably watch this one.