President Biden delivered his third State of the Union address on Thursday night before a joint session of Congress. The New York Times reported that he “delivered an energetic and impassioned speech that was as much a campaign kickoff as it was a State of the Union, leveraging what is expected to be one of his largest audiences of the year to make a forceful case that he was fit enough for another four years.”
Were you watching Mr. Biden’s address? Why or why not?
Though we welcome your reactions to what the president said — and to the Republican response — in this forum we’re chiefly asking how you think our country is doing right now.
Are we better off than we were a year ago? Than when Mr. Biden began his presidency three years ago? Is the country going in the right direction? Why or why not? What are the main issues we face, in your opinion? In general, how strong is the state of our union right now?
In “In-Your-Face Biden Takes on Trump and His Own Doubters,” Peter Baker summarizes the speech and the reaction to it:
This was not Old Man Joe. This was Forceful Joe. This was Angry Joe. This was Loud Joe. This was Game-On Joe.
In an in-your-face election-year State of the Union address, President Biden delivered one of the most confrontational speeches that any president has offered from the House rostrum, met by equally fractious heckling from his Republican opponents.
It was an extraordinary spectacle that exemplified the raucous nature of modern American politics, one that made clear how far Washington has traveled from the days of decorous presidential addresses aimed at the history books. Mr. Biden again and again assailed his opponent in the fall election and the opposition lawmakers sitting in front of him. Republicans jeered and booed. Democrats chanted, “Four more years,” as if it were a campaign rally.
But that was the point. Frustrated by all the talk about his age and determined to dispel voter doubts, Mr. Biden, 81, used the most prominent platform of this election year, with what is likely the largest television and internet audience he will address before November, to exhibit his stamina, his vitality, his capacity and, yes, his umbrage. Defiant and feisty, he dispensed with the conventions of the format to directly take on former President Donald J. Trump and attempted to make the election a referendum on his predecessor rather than himself.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
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Mr. Biden said the state of our union was “strong and getting stronger.” How would you describe the state of our union? In other words, how do you think the country is doing right now? Are we doing better, worse or the same as we were a year ago — or three years ago when Mr. Biden was elected?
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What are the biggest issues the nation faces? What are the top three things you think the country should prioritize?
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What is your reaction to Mr. Biden’s State of the Union address? What, to you, were the most memorable moments or lines? What do you wish he had mentioned or talked more about?
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In “5 Takeaways From the State of the Union,” Michael D. Shear and Shane Goldmacher write that “Mr. Biden came into Thursday’s speech determined to use the high-profile moment to beat back accusations that he is too old for a second term. He delivered feisty remarks at a near-shout in an effort to show energy and vitality.” How successful do you think the president was in his delivery?
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What reactions to the address — whether from political commentators, members of Congress, social media or your friends and family — did you find most interesting?
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If you were to make your own one-minute State of the Union speech, what would you say? Why? What issues, policies, ideas or themes would you highlight?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
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