We left the TV in the living space on overnight, tuned to Fox News. (Smudge likes it.) When I stumbled out of the bedroom toward the coffeemaker this morning, I heard some pollster opining that the State of The Union address was “one of his best speeches.” Then she noted, with a straight face, that there were just two problems:
“First, his delivery. And second, his credibility.”
It’s the equivalent of, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?”
I didn’t sit down and watch the speech last night. What little I caught was exactly what I expected — a frail, slurring, insipid old man who couldn’t read the words put in front of him. The address was punctuated by reflexive approval from squealing, shrieking Democrats, fawning over failure.
In terms of actual substance (if a thinking person can even call it that) this State of The Union was appallingly dishonest. It was damned hateful. These were the rantings of an anti-American ideologue — or, to be more accurate, a meat puppet for an army of progressives who loathe this country. Within the chamber and beyond into the woke provinces, we all could hear wailing adoration of a man who’s bent on unmaking the greatest country the world has ever known.
He declared himself an enemy of the People. Those terms are acceptable to my fellow Patriots and me. Bring it.
And then came Sarah. The newly inaugurated governor of the state we now call Home took an axe to the Democrat agenda:
“[The current occupant of the Oval Office] inherited the fastest economic recovery on record. The most secure border in history. Cheap, abundant, home-grown energy. Fast-rising wages. A rebuilt military. And a world that was stable and at peace. But over the last two years, Democrats destroyed it all.”
She drew clear distinctions:
“I’ll be the first to admit, [the current occupant of the Oval Office] and I don’t have a lot in common. I’m for freedom. He’s for government control.
“At 40, I’m the youngest governor in the country. At 80, he’s the oldest president in American history.
“I’m the first woman to lead my state. He’s the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can’t even tell you what a woman is.
“In the radical Left’s America, Washington taxes you and lights your hard-earned money on fire, but you get crushed with high gas prices, empty grocery shelves, and our children are taught to hate one another on account of their race, but not to love one another or our great country.
“Whether Joe Biden believes this madness or is simply too weak to resist it, his administration has been completely hijacked by the radical Left.”
She put the sharpest point possible on what we face:
“The dividing line in America is no longer between right or left.
“The choice is between normal or crazy.”
And the payoff:
“With God as our witness, we will show the world that America is still the place where freedom reigns and Liberty will never die.”
It was brilliant throughout. Equally important, it was honest and accurate — Sarah is a born communicator, and she shamed the address she rebutted.
This morning I heard Newt Gingrich call Sarah’s response “the best values speech since Ronald Reagan in 1964.” That’s a high bar, a jewel of American rhetoric which has become known, simply, as “The Speech.” She echoed the same themes, however, and she showed us the same unapologetic, unequivocal love of Founding Principles and the American Ideal.
I say she deserves the compliment.
It’s raining again today in northern Arkansas. With no good reason to venture out into the muck, we’re taking a low-key catch-up day here in the campground (which itself is pretty mucky). Deb ordered a few provisions from a local grocer, and I went out to meet the delivery mid-morning.
The driver, a friendly older fella, got out of his sedan and popped the trunk. As he handed me our half-dozen bags, we chatted a bit. He’s a long-term RVer, too, staying at a park several miles north. I told him our story and he, as an Ozarkansan, extended a heartfelt welcome.
“We’re in a bit of a ‘bubble’ here in The Ozarks,” he advised. I assured him that we do indeed love the bubble, to which he replied, “Y’know, we sure have ourselves a great governor right now.”
I laughed, asking if he’d heard Sarah’s speech last night.
“You bet I did!” he said. “The difference between normal and crazy!”
There’s a lot of pride ’round here today. People know what they stand for. This is America.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB