# 2020 State of the Union speech **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 5, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516 "2020-02-05T01:46:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/21 "2020-02-05T03:04:00Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Who is that fat old guy with the pocket full of money that they keep showing? Clapping and cheering. (I am not making this up) Is it “The Monopoly Man”? There is a guy that shows up at things in that personna. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/22 "2020-02-05T03:06:27Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Just a fact check. The economic expansion has been on for decade. The last three years of the Obama administration produced more jobs than the first three years of the Trump administration. Unemployment fell from 10.2 to 4.7 under Obama. It’s fallen another 1.2 percent under Trump. Article from last month: [Trump boasts the US economy is the best it’s ever been under his watch. Here are 9 charts showing how it compares to the Obama and Bush presidencies](https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/9-charts-comparing-trump-economy-to-obama-bush-administrations-2019-9-1028833119#overall-economic-growth-as-measured-by-quarterly-gdp-growth-rates-has-been-steady-1) > [@](#): > > - President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed to the nation’s steady economic health as the strongest indicator of his success, calling it “terrific” and “the greatest in the history of the country.” > - But how does his handling of the economy compare to his immediate predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush? > - Presidents receive a lot of credit when the economy is performing well and a barrage of criticism when it doesn’t, despite the fact they don’t exactly wield direct power over it. > - A closer look at the Trump economy reveals a mixed picture. > - Here are 9 charts tracking the highs and lows of the Trump, Obama, and Bush economies on key indicators like gross domestic product, unemployment, wages, and the federal debt. And remember, in a 2016 interview with Bob Woodward: [Trump’s nonsensical claim he can eliminate $19 trillion in debt in eight years](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/04/02/trumps-nonsensical-claim-he-can-eliminate-19-trillion-in-debt-in-eight-years/) > [@](#): > > **Donald Trump:** “We’ve got to get rid of the $19 trillion in debt.” > > **Bob Woodward:** “How long would that take?” > > \*\*Trump: \*\*“I think I could do it fairly quickly, because of the fact the numbers…” > > \*\*Woodward: \*\*“What’s fairly quickly?” > > \*\*Trump: \*\*“Well, I would say over a period of eight years. And I’ll tell you why.” > > **Woodward:** “Would you ever be open to tax increases as part of that, to solve the problem?” > > **Trump:** “I don’t think I’ll need to. The power is trade. Our deals are so bad.” > > \*\*Woodward: \*\*“That would be $2 trillion a year.” > > **Trump:** “No, but I’m renegotiating all of our deals, Bob. The big trade deals that we’re doing so badly on. With China, $505 billion this year in trade. We’re losing with everybody.” > > — exchange during a Washington Post interview, March 31, 2016 > > Of all the wildly impossible assertions made by Donald Trump, the notion that he could eliminate the nation’s $19 trillion in debt in just eight years ranks near the top. Trump suggests he can manage this feat simply by cutting better trade deals. Trump seems to be a little off pace on this, although to be fair to him, he does have a lot of experience with debt. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/23 "2020-02-05T03:06:32Z")
_Politico_ live blogger: “We have now entered the Stephen Miller portion of the SOTU Address” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/24 "2020-02-05T03:10:33Z")
He is going to eliminate AIDS?? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/25 "2020-02-05T03:12:49Z")
Christ on rollerskates, he’s all over the place from one thing to another thing then back to something mentioned earlier; I think his speechwriters have despaired of keeping up one consistent arc. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/26 "2020-02-05T03:13:50Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Wait for the fact checkers; he’s starting with bunch o’ Claims o’ Greatness. NPR has a Live Fact Checker on the SOTU [here](https://www.npr.org/2020/02/04/800983688/fact-check-president-trump-delivers-his-3rd-state-of-the-union-address). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/27 "2020-02-05T03:18:04Z")
Never a miss an opportunity to threaten Iran, amirite? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/28 "2020-02-05T03:18:45Z")
Who decided that “war fighters” was an acceptable synonym for “soldier”? Sounds like something that someone with a limited grasp of English would come up with out of desperation. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/29 "2020-02-05T03:20:31Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Just a fact check. The economic expansion has been on for decade. The last three years of the Obama administration produced more jobs than the first three years of the Trump administration. Unemployment fell from 10.2 to 4.7 under Obama. It’s fallen another 1.2 percent under Trump. Yes but once unemployment gets to around the 3 percent range it’s very difficult to make it go down further. It’s like a pitcher’s baseball ERA; easy to go from 10 to 4 but hard to go from 4 to 2. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/30 "2020-02-05T03:22:29Z")
If you thought the Rush Limbaugh medal moment was cheesy, you ain’t seen nothing yet. We just had a surprise soldier homecoming. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/31 "2020-02-05T03:24:31Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yes but once unemployment gets to around the 3 percent range it’s very difficult to make it go down further. It’s like a pitcher’s baseball ERA; easy to go from 10 to 4 but hard to go from 4 to 2. Pro tip: don’t try sports metaphors. It’s embarrassing for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/32 "2020-02-05T03:26:01Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yes but once unemployment gets to around the 3 percent range it’s very difficult to make it go down further. It’s like a pitcher’s baseball ERA; easy to go from 10 to 4 but hard to go from 4 to 2. Yeah…you can never get to zero percent unemployment (there are always some people out of a job/between jobs for one reason or another). I forget exactly but IIRC 3.5-4% unemployment is considered “full employment”. That said I am dubious of the numbers. I do not think it is telling the whole story. If employees were so hard to come by then Econ-101 tells us wages should increase as employers compete for workers. But that is not really happening. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/33 "2020-02-05T03:27:20Z")
Pelosi tearing up his speech! LMAO ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/34 "2020-02-05T03:29:40Z")
Pelosi fully showed her ass tonight. Will make for a good number of campaign commercials. It’s the SOTU. Sit there and applaud or don’t, but don’t shuffle papers and look around like a sniper is after you. The ripping up of the speech was low class. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/35 "2020-02-05T03:33:12Z")
Donald Trump fully showed his ass tonight. Will make for a good number of campaign commercials. It’s the SOTU. Don’t stand there and lie to the American people and look like a proud baboon. Donald Trump is [del]low[/del]no class. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/36 "2020-02-05T03:33:36Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Pelosi fully showed her ass tonight. Will make for a good number of campaign commercials. It’s the SOTU. Sit there and applaud or don’t, but don’t shuffle papers and look around like a sniper is after you. The ripping up of the speech was low class. A big chunk of the electorate has embraced low class. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/37 "2020-02-05T03:35:19Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Pelosi fully showed her ass tonight. Will make for a good number of campaign commercials. It’s the SOTU. Sit there and applaud or don’t, but don’t shuffle papers and look around like a sniper is after you. The ripping up of the speech was low class. I did find her shuffling papers and pretending to read them while ignoring the president to be silly. Too obvious with no upside. Tearing the papers…meh. Not classy but…meh. A minor “fuck you” towards the president. Given the circumstances it was the best she could manage. (Remember he refused to shake her hand at the beginning…tit-for-tat.) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/38 "2020-02-05T03:38:09Z")
I’m not watching live on TV but I want to see a youTube highlights version later. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/39 "2020-02-05T03:38:13Z")
Man…the Dem response is so bad. Clearly written before the SOTU and not a response at all. Low effort. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2020, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516/40 "2020-02-05T03:44:53Z")
Unless you do something totally memorable in a bad way, like Marco Rubio’s bottle of water, the response to the state of the union is instantly forgettable. Nobody cares. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-state-of-the-union-speech/847516.md?page=3)