ABC’s Good Morning America set the table on Thursday for President Biden’s fourth (and possibly final) State of the Union address by doing what ABC and chief Biden apple polisher Mary Bruce do best: polish apples for the regime. Between her two liveshots, Bruce offered all the usual talking points about Biden needing to “sell skeptical voters on his accomplishments” and “tout his record” vs. a possibly “rowdy” GOP.
In the first hour, co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos set the table by touting the “a critical moment for the President” and “[h]is best chance with the biggest audience to make his case for four more years and the defeat of Donald Trump.”
An eager Bruce then bragged:
Well, this is a pivotal moment for President Biden and this White House. And his campaign know [sic] it. President Biden now with the general election kicking off tonight, has to sell skeptical voters on his accomplishments and show the American public that, despite those concerns about his age, he is up for four more years on the job.
Huffing about Biden’s “most important speech yet,” Bruce insisted this will be well-crafted to have Americans get a grip on all he’s done for them: “He spent days preparing, huddling with his closest advisers at Camp David, rehearsing, fine tuning his message up until the final moment....[T]he President will tout his record, from his bipartisan infrastructure bill to tackling prescription drug costs and fighting for freedom, including access to abortion.”
She then cheered on newfound abortion activist Kate Cox as a guest in First Lady Jill Biden’s box and callously phrased issues like the border and the economy as “real political challenge[s]” (click “expand”):
That theme [of abortion] driven home by the guests in the First Lady’s box including Kate Cox, the Texas mother denied an abortion under the state’s strict ban despite life threatening complications. And women impacted by Alabama’s Supreme Court ruling that forced some IVF clinics to close. Just as important as the substance of the speech will be Biden’s delivery, facing persistent concerns about his age.
Over 80 percent in our latest poll believing he’s too old to serve another term. The address a chance to show voters he’s up for the job. He will also take on issues at the top of voters’ mind, like immigration and economy, that are proving a real political challenge to his campaign. The President running behind Trump on both. Now, still unknown whether the President will call out Donald Trump directly by name. What is clear, Biden is likely to highlight their very different visions for the future of the country.
Bruce closed with a word about Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) being selected to give the Republican response, calling her “an interesting pick”, knocking both her as somehow a fake representation of the GOP because she’s “intended to show the next generation of the aging-male-dominated Republican Party”.
The Biden tool also suggested Republicans will misbehave:
BRUCE: Republicans are also a bit concerned about what’s going to go on in the room tonight. Look, this address has become increasingly rowdy. Republicans last year booing the President, even calling him a liar. Speaker Johnson has actually told his members that, “decorum is the order of the day.” George, we will see if that holds.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yes, we will.
In the second hour, Bruce offered a condensed version of her spin (click “expand”):
[N]o question, this is a pivotal moment for President Biden, trailing in the polls to Donald Trump and facing those persistent concerns and questions over his age. The President tonight has to sell skeptical voters on his accomplishments and show the American public that he is up for another four years on the job. Now, I’m told the President is going to reflect on his record, tout those accomplishments, and also hit on some of the issues that pose the biggest challenges to his campaign, like the economy and immigration.
It is still unclear whether he will go after Donald Trump directly by name. But what is clear is that the President is going to highlight and lay out their very different visions for the future of this country. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican nominee, is also gearing up for a fight. He’s already challenging the President to debate anytime, anywhere, any place. But the bottom line here, George, and guys. This is the biggest audience that the President is likely to have this year, his best chance to try and change perception ahead of the general election, as that fight kicks off...[T]he pressure’s on.
CBS chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes engaged in the same antics during CBS Mornings on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On the former, Cordes insisted Biden needs to “remind the American people what he has accomplished” as polls show “people still don’t know exactly what he’s gotten done over the past three years, so he’s got to talk about...the infrastructure bill” and “the climate change bill”.
And, on Wednesday, she argued Biden needs “a strong performance” that “lay[s] out what he has accomplished” since Americans “don’t realize what he has gotten done” and instead believe “the economy is that great, and so he needs to make the argument that inflation is down, unemployment is down, job growth is up, wages are up.”
Ah, the rubes route. Always works well for the group seen as out of touch!
To see the relevant ABC transcript from March 7, click here. To see the relevant CBS transcripts, click here (for March 5) and here (for March 6).
