# State of the Union 2018 follow-along thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 31, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846 "2018-01-31T00:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/141 "2018-01-31T03:23:58Z")
“We used to dream of eating dirt…” Hey, this is fun! I should’ve tuned in earlier. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/142 "2018-01-31T03:24:25Z")
> [@Simmerdown](#): > > Well, if he announces that we need to upgrade our nuclear arsenal, then I’d say it’s anybody’s guess. And you think some government’s guess might be “Gee, they want to upgrade it, I don’t think they’ve got the capability to blast us back to the Stone Age, and then blast those big stones into little rocks, and those little rocks into pebbles, and then the pebbles into dust”? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/143 "2018-01-31T03:24:36Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > “all”? Yeah, I really don’t understand that they “all” just squirted. Don’t worry. You will. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/144 "2018-01-31T03:24:41Z")
Aw fuck, now he sounds like one of the pastors at Bible camp. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/145 "2018-01-31T03:26:35Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > So far seems like a fairly typical modern SOTU address. Bring some guests, tell their personal stories, ra-ra-ra me, outline some policies you’re “calling on” Congress to pass, and tout your accomplishments. Basically what Obama did too, and Bush before him. But this time delivered by an illiterate and incompetent fool. I’m tired of being embarrassed by this asshole. You? ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/146 "2018-01-31T03:27:06Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > And you think some government’s guess might be “Gee, they want to upgrade it, I don’t think they’ve got the capability to blast us back to the Stone Age, and then blast those big stones into little rocks, and those little rocks into pebbles, and then the pebbles into dust”? You know, that was really not my point. It was about not telling our enemies our plans, and then telling our enemies our plans. Or the other way around, actually. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/147 "2018-01-31T03:27:37Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > But this time delivered by an illiterate and incompetent fool. I’m tired of being embarrassed by this asshole. You? This is just begging for a crack about “not tired of winning yet”. I could understand the arguments about “incompetent”, but “illiterate”? really? You don’t think he’s reading this off a teleprompter right now? ---
**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:** [January 31, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/148 "2018-01-31T03:28:08Z")
Weak ending, eh. ETA: Chants of “USA! USA!” in that location are embarrassing as hell, IMO. It’s not a fucking football rally. EATA: Oh ffs he isn’t done yet. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/149 "2018-01-31T03:28:49Z")
Irony alert…the evader praising the troops. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/150 "2018-01-31T03:30:28Z")
> [@Simmerdown](#): > > You know, that was really not my point. It was about not telling our enemies our plans, and then telling our enemies our plans. I think the distinction, and it’s a tough one to follow, is that we want our enemies to understand that our capabilities significantly outmatch theirs, so things like “we’re upgrading our arsenal” or “we built another aircraft carrier” are useful, but revealing operational details like, “hey, we’ll have a couple of choppers flying along this route at this time tomorrow evening, just in case you wanted to set up an ambush” are bad. Which category do you think “upgrading our nuclear arsenal” falls into? ---
**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:** [January 31, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/151 "2018-01-31T03:31:13Z")
“Our god”? What the fuck? ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/152 "2018-01-31T03:31:21Z")
Best Tweet so far (from Stonekettle) “Right now, all across the country, fact checkers are downing handfuls of Xanax with boxed wine” ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/153 "2018-01-31T03:32:45Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Best Tweet so far (from Stonekettle) > > “Right now, all across the country, fact checkers are downing handfuls of Xanax with boxed wine” I genuinely LOLed!! Off to mix another drink… ---
**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:** [January 31, 2018, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/154 "2018-01-31T03:32:47Z")
And hour and 20 minutes… 30 minutes over the 50 minute time they said at the beginning. No BINGO because he didn’t say either “Hillary Clinton” or “No Collusion”. Rep. Kennedy is up next. FTR, I think elevating another Kennedy is a huge mistake and the Dems should have picked someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/155 "2018-01-31T03:32:55Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I could understand the arguments about “incompetent”, but “illiterate”? really? You don’t think he’s reading this off a teleprompter right now? Between the reading and the identifying pictures of camels, this president is really exceeding my expectations. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/156 "2018-01-31T03:34:02Z")
Check out the Corey Lewandowski lookalike flailing his hand in front of the CNN camera. ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/157 "2018-01-31T03:37:08Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I think the distinction, and it’s a tough one to follow, is that we want our enemies to understand that our capabilities significantly outmatch theirs, so things like “we’re upgrading our arsenal” or “we built another aircraft carrier” are useful, but revealing operational details like, “hey, we’ll have a couple of choppers flying along this route at this time tomorrow evening, just in case you wanted to set up an ambush” are bad. Which category do you think “upgrading our nuclear arsenal” falls into? You definitely have a point. But I think that saying that our nuclear arsenal is not adequate enough (whilst also saying the world needs to eradicate nuclear weapons) is not helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/158 "2018-01-31T03:37:49Z")
Performance wise it was ok, he read the script and didn’t wander. I was stuck a couple times by the cruelty and/or disingenuousness. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/159 "2018-01-31T03:38:09Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > And hour and 20 minutes… 30 minutes over the 50 minute time they said at the beginning. > > No BINGO because he didn’t say either “Hillary Clinton” or “No Collusion”. > > Rep. Kennedy is up next. FTR, I think elevating another Kennedy is a huge mistake and the Dems should have picked someone else. [Well, at least he has some sense of humour.](https://twitter.com/joekennedy/status/958543337278943232) > [@Joe Kennedy](#): > > Lucky tie, check. Water bottle, check. Big smile, check. OK, friends, in just a few minutes, I’ll address the nation. I’m logging off Twitter, but Team Kennedy will post the livestream for you. I’m excited to hear your thoughts! ---
**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:** [January 31, 2018, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846/160 "2018-01-31T03:38:58Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > You should have one of your caganers perched atop the screen. Dang! I didn’t think of that; they sit on a different set of bookshelves than the Trump troll. Next time for sure tho. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-of-the-union-2018-follow-along-thread/807846.md?page=9)