Randy D Gibson

The SOTU Spectacle: Theater Over Dignity

There was a time, when the State of the Union address felt like a sacred civic ritual. It was a moment where, for about an hour, the three branches of government sat in the same room to acknowledge that we are all, ultimately, on the same team, and offers the opportunity for the siting president to outline his agenda for the coming year.

As a moderate conservative, I prefer our politicians to be plain-spoken and firm.  However, what we witnessed in the House Chamber this past week—and in the various events hosted by the opposition—wasn’t just a disagreement over policy. It was a full-scale retreat from basic American decorum.

Let’s be honest, President Trump has never been accused of being a “traditional” statesman. He is what I consider to be a typical New York City billionaire He is brash; he rambles; and he often treats the presidential podium like a rally stage. His style is precisely what his supporters love and his detractors loathe, but there is a distinct difference between a President being unconventional and an opposition party appearing actively hostile to the American people and sadly, that is what many Democrats appear to be.

The most jarring moments of the evening weren’t the policy proposals, but the seats that remained stubbornly occupied. When the President recognized the U.S. Olympic hockey team, who just brought home the gold medal, brave soldiers, and when he recognized the mother of a 16-year-old who was killed in Texas.

Through all of those, Democrats remained seated.

Then came the most telling moment of all: the moment when congressional members were asked to stand if they supported Americans first and foremost over illegal immigrants. Again, Democrats stayed seated.

The visual was striking. Seeing members of the Democratic caucus refuse to stand—or even offer a polite clap—for Olympians and soldiers because the “wrong guy” is pointing at them goes too far for most mainstream Americans.

Disliking the man at the podium is a fine. Refusing to acknowledge the excellence and sacrifice of fellow Americans is simply poor form. It signals to the average voter in middle America that the political divide has become so toxic that even a child’s dream or a soldier’s service is now a partisan trigger. When the message sent is that you’d rather support non-citizens over the very Americans that you were hired to serve, you lose the “moderate” center of this country.

Perhaps the lowest point was the “counterprogramming” that looked more like a middle school talent show than a serious political response. Between the “dancing frogs” and the chorus of boos every time the President appeared on a screen, the opposition did more to help Trump’s election narrative than his own speech did.

For a party that hopes to regain control of Congress and the White House, this is a massive strategic blunder. By acting with such visible disdain for common courtesy, they make themselves look extreme and out of touch. It is exactly this kind of behavior that helped get President Trump elected twice. Everyday Americans want a government that functions, not a room full of people who can’t stand up for a little boy with cancer, or Olympic champions, or military heroes because they’re too busy nursing a political grudge.

If we want to heal the divide, we have to start by standing up—literally—for the things that actually unite us. If we can’t applaud a soldier or an Olympian, then what, exactly, are we even doing in that room?

This behavior is wrong and does not bode well for those seeking support of moderates and everyday Americans who are tired of political theater.

Randy D Gibson is CEO of RDG communications Group.