A second-term pitch

Joe Biden used his State of the Union speech to build on his achievements and lay the basis to seek a second term. “Let’s finish the job,” Biden urged Congress. Biden’s tone and substance were aimed at overcoming the gap between his view of his administration’s record and doubts suggesting he may face a tough sell in seeking reelection.

Still, a post-speech poll showed Biden’s audience likely contained more supporters than critics. Immediate reaction was predominantly partisan, as fellow Democrats often cheered while Republicans led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy mostly sat on their hands.

But Biden may benefit politically from the contrast between his substance and the frequent heckling of some Republicans. Loud jeers erupted from the GOP’s most conservative members when he said, in discussing the budget, that “some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset.”

He got a standing ovation when he concluded, “Social Security and Medicare is off the books now, right? We’ve got unanimity.”

For the most part, Biden appealed for a bipartisan approach to tackle problems as immigration and the debt ceiling, repeatedly noting how much Republicans helped pass the significant legislation in his first two years.

“Let’s sit down together,” he said to McCarthy. “Speaker, I don’t want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward to working with you.”

Many of the president’s comments seemed to recognize his difficulty in getting through to voters.

In discussing his massive infrastructure program to rebuild the nation’s roads, bridges and sewer systems, he said, “Already, we’ve funded over 20,000 projects, including at major airports from Boston to Atlanta to Portland… . we’re just getting started.”

The president also sought to counter the view that the country is either in an economic recession or likely to enter one later this year. He said that unemployment is at “a 50-year low,” noted 12 million new jobs have been created since his administration took office, and added that inflation has come down for the last six months.

His speech spent just five of its 70 minutes focused abroad. He noted that “in the past two years, democracies have become stronger, not weaker,” and hailed the West’s help for Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s aggression. “We’re going to stand with you as long as it takes,” he said, as the country’s ambassador stood in the gallery.

In a combative Republican response heavy on social issues, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders charged Biden is “more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day.”

Sanders, who was Donald Trump’s press secretary, did not mention the former president by name but sought to contrast the fact that, at 40, she is the nation’s youngest governor and reflects “a new generation of Republican leaders” while “he’s the oldest president in American history.”

For at least one night, however, Biden looked vigorous and sharp, a demeanor he will need to maintain if he is to win reelection.