What Democrats DON'T Stand For.

by
Julio Gonzalez, M.D., J.D.
 
I must admit I've become disenchanted with the State of The Union Address.  I guess it began with Obama's presidency.  I found him so repulsive and dishonest that I couldn't stand to listen.  Additionally, I was unmoved by the long litany of summary statements he was making, many of which were disingenuous, yet openly celebrated by his conspiring band of cronies. 
 
When President Trump took office, naturally, my enthusiasm over the State of the Union Address blossomed once again, but even still, I can't get over the fact that the Address has become a recitation of a long list of projects a particular President wishes to accomplish interlaced with precontrived talking points and moments of self-adulation.  
 
The State of the Union report is constitutionally prescribed, but not the Address.  In my view, when the President takes to the podium to deliver his State of the Union Address, he is speaking more to the people than he is to Congress.  Yes, members of Congress will cheer, or not, at certain line items, but in reality, it is the people of the United States to whom the President speaks.  
 
For once, I wish the President would acknowledge that.  
 
In my view, a State of the Union Address should be no more than 20 minutes in length, or perhaps 30 if the President inadvertently dwells on a point here and there. He should speak only about two or three issues gripping the nation at that time.  He should share with us his views on the importance of these issues, how we got here, and what he wishes to do to address them.  The discussion should be laced with observations regarding the strength of the nation, its people, and the unlimited potential of what can be accomplished if we all work together.  
 
That would be a great speech, and it is a shame that the speechwriters have strayed into a framework of having the President deliver a series of bullet items.  Their approach retracts from the purpose of the speech and minimizes the opportunity to have the President truly shine.
 
Still, there is some value to the State of the Union Address, not the least of which is observing the opposing party's reactions to the President bullet points. Last night was no exception.  In particular, I was struck with what the Democrats did not stand for in last night's speech.  Here is a list of bullet items that the Democrats did not stand for interspersed with some of my thoughts on the various statements they made by remaining seated.
 
  
1.  Wages are rising.  Specifically, they are growing for blue-collar workers. 
The Democrats did not stand.  
I was confused here.  Does that mean that they don't like blue-collar workers, or is it the improvement in their wages that Democrats oppose?
 
2.  Five million Americans have been lifted off food stamps. 
The Democrats did not stand.  
Again.  Confused. Five million people are no longer getting food stamps.  That means that they are doing better.  They are providing for themselves, probably because they have jobs now.  Is that not a good thing?  Apparently not, or at least not worth standing for.
 
3.  The US economy is growing twice as fast today as when I took office.  
The Democrats did not stand.  
Do the Democrats not like that the economy is growing, or is it the implicit shaming of Obama they resent?
 
4.  Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in over half a century.
The Democrats did not stand.  
That's a good thing, right?  According to the Democrats, maybe it's not.
 
5.  Asian, African American, and Hispanic unemployment rate at lowest level ever recorded.
The Democrats did not stand.  
Neither did Speaker Pelosi. I thought the Democrats were all about the racial divide and correcting the injustices being purposefully perpetrated against minorities in this country.  Shouldn't we therefore be celebrating an improvement in the economic standing of members of minority groups?  
Nope, say the Democrats.
 
6.  Americans with disabilities unemployment rate at an all-time low.
The Democrats did not stand.  
Who doesn't cheer accomplishments by disabled Americans?  Democrats.
 
7.  More people are working now than at any time in the history of our country.  
The Democrats did not stand.  
Is people having jobs not a good thing?
 
8. Right to try.  
The Democrats did not stand.  
Okay.  This one has to be bipartisan.  The Right to Try law allows people with fatal conditions to try certain curative treatments despite not being approved by the FDA.  It's the legalization of the Hail Mary Pass in pharmacology.  Surely, everyone is in favor of cutting through the bureaucratic nonsense to save a life, right?  Apparently not the Democrats.
 
9.  Companies are coming back in historic numbers.  
The Democrats did not stand.  
I got nothing.
 
10.  The US is the number one producer of oil and natural as in the world.  
The Democrats did not stand, although Manchin did. 
They can't stand this one!  The President of the United States just exalted the destruction of the planet through the greater production of lethal green gases.  Gases that will kill the earth!  Never mind that those products keep our homes warm, help us cook our meals, or keep our biodegradable products cold so they won't rot.  Nope.  We can't have that!  Shame on you, Mr. President.  
On the other hand, who cares?  According to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, the planet is ending in 12 years anyway.
 
11.  The US is now a net exporter of energy.
The Democrats did not stand.  
Horrors!  Pelosi clapped!!!  
Otherwise see #10.  
 
12.  America is again winning each and every day.  
The Democrats did not stand.  
Of course.  The Democrats will perpetually root for anyone against the Patriots, and they're still sore from their defeat in the Super Bowl at the hands of a Trump-loving quarterback against a team that, by its very name, celebrates patriotism.
 
13.  The state of our union is strong. 
The Democrats did not stand, and Pelosi smugly shook her head.  
I understand that we have a fundamental disagreement regarding the direction we believe the country should be headed, but to deny that the state of the union is strong, particularly when the economy is buzzing, the unemployment rate is down, and (let's face it) people are risking life and limb merely to be a part of us is disingenuous to say the least.  
We should be celebrating the state of our union today, not dismissing it. And yes, always fighting for better.
 
14.  Another 304,000 jobs were added in the latest job numbers, almost double the number expected.
The Democrats did not stand.  
All I can say is that they didn't stand for this because a strong working force is a threat to the future of the Democratic Party.
 
15. And the granddaddy of them all, America will never be a socialist country!!!!  
The Democrats did not stand.  
A telling testament to the true intent of this crop of Democrats.  They want to dismiss our foundational principles, destroy everything we've accomplished, and take us in the same direction as other nations with consistently calamitous results.  
 
On second thought, forget all I've written. It's okay Democrats.  Just stay seated and brood while the rest of us continue to protect our freedoms and strive for greatness.
 
 
Dr. Julio Gonzalez is an orthopaedic surgeon and lawyer living in Venice, Florida. He is the author of The Federalist Pages and served in the Florida House of Representatives. He can be reached through www.thefederalistpages.com to arrange a lecture or book signing.
 
 

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