# The Union's in a state **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 24, 2026, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923 "2026-02-24T04:33:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/21 "2026-02-24T13:18:00Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I thought it was obvious that I was being sarcastic. Oh well. Statements and language are so crazy these days, we truly do need a sarcasm tag. Informally, people use “/s” but “/sarcasm” would be even clearer. Especially when making up trump quotations… 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/22 "2026-02-24T13:34:52Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Statements and language are so crazy these days, we truly do need a sarcasm tag. Informally, people use “/s” but “/sarcasm” would be even clearer. yeah I know about the /s. I feel horible for these women that may attend this shit show. It will be nothing but lie after lie. He will almost certainly try to diminish the crimes and make fun of them. And way to go womens hockey team. Fuck that bullshit. Do not honor that traitor with your presence. ---
**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 24, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/23 "2026-02-24T14:22:56Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I’m having a big case of the stoopids here. What do you mean by “insurrection”? The insurrection against the rightful order that has destroyed Portland and Minneapolis and L.A. and Columbia University and will justify him invoking the Insurrection Act some time in two weeks. (No tags! This is SDMB dammit, we smart. Use emojis 😜) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/24 "2026-02-24T14:23:39Z")
Of course the whole thing will be an incoherent mess, and Republicans will stand and cheer mindlessly for every deranged word. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/25 "2026-02-24T14:29:22Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > thought it was obvious that I was being sarcastic. Oh well. Apologies. It is indeed hard to tell sometimes, but I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/26 "2026-02-24T14:35:46Z")
> WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In an announcement that raised eyebrows among political observers, the White House announced on Tuesday that, after redactions, Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union Address would be only seventeen seconds long. > > Trump’s original text of the speech had included lengthy praise of such prominent administration figures as Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick, RFK Jr., and Dr. Oz, all of which had to be redacted “for undisclosed reasons,” the White House indicated. > > In order to bulk the speech up to its seventeen-second runtime, Trump reportedly added the non sequitur “Thank you for your attention to this matter” to the end. > > News of the speech’s length drew a strongly negative reaction in a new poll, with a broad majority of Americans calling seventeen seconds “too long.” ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/27 "2026-02-24T14:43:18Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Of course the whole thing will be an incoherent mess, and Republicans will stand and cheer mindlessly for every deranged word. Mindless cheering has been the norm for State of the Union speeches for decades now and makes them useless to me, even when I support the speaker. Maybe this year can be the start of the public and the politicians ignoring it as the spectacle of partisan boosterism that it is. Let’s get closer to the State of the Union being a simple written report, hopefully with some substance. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/28 "2026-02-24T15:20:09Z")
I took one for the team, and watched Trump when he did that sudden “[Address to the Nation](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-says-he-is-going-to-give-an-address-on-prime-time-tv-on-december-17-2025-are-you-going-to-watch-to-see-what-he-says/1025766/81)” thing back in December (which seems so long ago now, there’s been so much shit going on…Less than two and a half months ago?!?), but I’m not sure if I’m up for subjecting myself to that again. At least then, we thought there was a chance he might make some kind of sudden, historical announcement, but this? It will be nothing more than his usual shit. Self-aggrandizement, blaming others for every problem, denying that any problems even exist, insults to every perceived enemy, disrespect for the US’s traditional allies, stealing credit for winning the Olympic hockey, blaming migrants and Democrats for everything, “Sir” stories, “I don’t even want the Nobel prize but I deserve it, the FIFA prize is better anyways!”, Fuck Ukraine, Iran better watch out, I’ll make a deal! ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/29 "2026-02-24T15:25:34Z")
All Trump wants is attention and I ain’t giving it to him. Besides, I have socks to sort. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/30 "2026-02-24T15:58:22Z")
I’m not even entirely sure I’ve ever watched a SOTU address in my life, and I sure as shit won’t start now. I’ll read the commentary, though. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/31 "2026-02-24T16:19:27Z")
Of course we ALREADY know Trump is going to gaslight and lie - _oh, the economy is doing great. Don’t listen to those lying libs tell you you’re paying way more for food, health insurance and almost everything else…._ what will be more interesting in my view is how Trump’s legion of normalizers and rationalizers will handle the sanewashing of the speech afterwards. Trump can be as out of touch with reality as ever but Congress is looking at midterms in about 8 months, and the GOP has already seen the writing on the wall. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/32 "2026-02-24T16:36:24Z")
I love his new thing about how he has all this **silent** support… 🙄 > **[Trump Claims He Has a ‘Silent Majority’ as Polls Show Him Badly Underwater:...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-claims-silent-majority-polls-004800059.html)** > > Despite a mountain of data to the contrary, President Donald Trump insisted on Friday that he and his deportation regime are supported by a majority of Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/33 "2026-02-24T16:49:45Z")
Is this silent majority with us in the room right now? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/34 "2026-02-24T16:52:44Z")
Seems fitting that trump would revive a term coined by that other disgraced Repub President to try to make it seem like his level of support was higher than it actually was: > **[President Nixon calls on the “silent majority” | November 3, 1969 | HISTORY](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-3/nixon-calls-on-the-silent-majority)** > > President Richard Nixon goes on television and radio to call for national solidarity on the Vietnam War effort and to... ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/35 "2026-02-24T16:57:03Z")
The ghost of Tricky Dick is a perilous thing to disturb. As I’ve said elsewhere, since the Silent Majority™ is — by definition — silent, it can be made to say anything the speaker wants it to say. At least when Nixon used them, their message was more or less consistent; with the Orange Peril, they risk whiplash from the constant changes. ETA: I recall the runup to the 1970 midterms, when Nixon and his cohorts went on and on that despite what the polls may say, the SM would deliver a resounding victory. What followed was a resounding defeat. Here’s hoping history kindly does the needful in that regard. ---
**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 24, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/36 "2026-02-24T17:23:51Z")
TBF I sort of get how Donnie and his fans may look at how he overperformed the polls in the past and conclude that if there were supporters who were undercounted before, there **must** be at least as many not getting counted now. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/37 "2026-02-24T17:25:41Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I’ll watch it on YT afterward. I wouldn’t want to be counted as part of the ratings he lives for. If you don’t want your viewership counted, watch it on TV. Only “Nielsen families” - households that have agreed to report their viewing habits to the Nielsen organization - are counted for television ratings. If you’re not one of them, your viewership is effectively invisible. Whereas everyone who watches a video on YouTube gets counted towards that video’s views. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/38 "2026-02-24T17:48:10Z")
Ya mean The StraightDope is not simulcasting? 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/39 "2026-02-24T17:53:08Z")
A play-by-play would require one of us to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923/40 "2026-02-24T17:55:30Z")
Not watching. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unions-in-a-state/1027923.md?page=3)