Another year, another State of the Union address. Of course, this year's State of the Union is unintentionally more consequential than most others—not just because it's happening in an election year, but because Joe Biden has to pull it off without a hitch.
Joe Biden has been slaughtered in the polls because of his advanced age and cognitive decline. Worse yet, it's not a partisan issue. Americans on both sides of the aisle don't think he's up for the job. So, it's not an exaggeration to say that a lot in on the line Thursday night. He could destroy any remaining confidence in his ability to serve, or survive another day.
The question is: What role will Republicans play in that process?
Make no mistake about it, as long as Joe Biden doesn't drop dead in the middle of the speech, the media will praise his performance as the deathblow to the "Biden is too old to be president" narrative. Lord knows that any time he manages to put two sentences together, they praise him like he's a toddler using the potty for the first time.
Biden has been resting up all day and practicing repeatedly, so there's a good chance that if he sticks to the script, he'll probably make it through without flubbing too hard. But, can Republicans force him to stumble?
Democrats think they might.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) told Axios that he thinks Biden will "get interrupted many times by my colleagues across the aisle" in an attempt to force gaffes. "It's going to be early, in my opinion. And it's not going to be one or two members. I think they're looking to turn it into a mess."
Cheers and jeers are commonplace in State of the Union addresses, with each side not being shy about expressing approval or disapproval about a particular theme or issue. Sometimes, the protests are silent. During President Trump's 2020 State of the Union address, Democrats refused to cheer when Trump touted record low black unemployment, and Nancy Pelosi infamously ripped up her copy of the speech.
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Of course, there's a double standard. Last year, the media blasted Republicans for interrupting Joe Biden's State of the Union address—the horror! John Harris of Politico accused Republicans of “putting the spotlight on themselves — through extraordinary rudeness. With boos, taunts, groans, and sarcastic chortles, the opposition party effectively turned themselves into prime-time props for President Joseph Biden.” CNN’s Jake Tapper claimed that Republicans made themselves look bad and “really allowed [Biden] opportunity to look vigorous.” Did it matter that Democrats routinely broke decorum during President Trump’s State of the Union addresses? Nope. In addition to booing, hissing, and jeering at Trump, some Democrats actually walked out before Trump concluded his speeches.
Republicans will never win in the eyes of the media when it comes to the behavior of the opposing party during the State of the Union. So, what should they do? Over at our sister site RedState, Bonchie argues Republicans should sit on their hands and just let Biden be Biden. "The heavy odds are on him having numerous issues delivering his speech," he points out. "Let that be the story. Let Biden's senility be what Americans remember. Don't help him out by taking the attention off him. There will be time to garner clicks and likes later. Do the smart thing: Sit down, shut up, and let the president self-destruct."
It's a fair point, and perhaps in this case that makes sense. However, why is it that Republicans always have to play nice when Democrats not only play dirty, but get away with it?
