The Real State of our Union - Top 3 Takeaways - February 8th, 2023
- An altered state of the union. From Florida to Alaska the state of our union looks considerably different than the picture painted by President Biden last night. That’s because there are two sides to stories and one side to facts and the facts are at odds with the overall picture President Biden painted. Yes, the unemployment rate is low and that’s good. No, there just aren’t as many people trying to work. That isn’t. Yes, wages are higher. That’s good. No, they’re nowhere close to rising as high as the cost of living. That’s not. Yes, talking about a “Unity agenda” is nice. No, the actual state of our politics is not. I’ve long said that you can lie to people about policy and those who’re inclined to believe you might at first, but you can’t lie to people about what is or isn’t in their wallet. That premise applies broadly to the issues at play in our society. And people are generally aware. But because facts are important, to address just the three examples I’ve touched on, which President Biden addressed last night, here’s the rest of the story. Yes, the unemployment rate is at a 53-year low. Do you know why? It’s because the labor force participation rate is at a 45-year low - that’s nowhere close to having recovered to where we were prior to the ‘vid. That’s why, despite the unemployment rate sounding as low as it has in your lifetime, it doesn’t feel as good as it's been when it’s been higher. Because in reality, it's not. Trading productive people in the workforce for a higher population of people conditioned to live off of government programs isn’t a win. As for wages in comparison to inflation, as of last month, the average American family was $7,400 poorer than they were the day Joe Biden became president. And inflation is still much higher today than wage growth is, so that number is only continuing to rise. And a unity agenda? Look, cancer research, moonshots and goals are great. But let’s get real. Joe Biden and the current congress is to curing cancer what Al Gore was to inventing the internet. And the whole reason there’s a divide over spending and the debt ceiling is because of the absolute lack of unity in our politics today. Hence...
- Our perception of the state of the union. Joe Biden’s current approval rating nationally is 38%. In Florida, just 34% of us are so confused as to look at President Biden and say – yes – give me more of that guy’s sweet political action. Currently there are only seven states in which he retains a net positive approval rating. There is quite literally not a single demographic group where he retains positive approval save one. Not with young voters, not with old ones. Not with men, not with women (no word on the gender indeterminates), Not with high school dropouts, not with postgraduates. Nope, the only demographic that currently approves of President Biden’s performance – Black voters. And what’s our view of the economy? Only 21% of us say it's getting better, while 59% say it’s getting worse. And as for the overall direction of the country, only 25% say we’re heading in the right direction, nearly two-thirds – 65% say we’re on the wrong track. Now, would I expect President Biden to step up for his State of the Union Speech and say, wow...what a mess, right? No. Though that’d be in touch with our reality. As the ‘ole saying goes, perception is reality. In this case our collective view of things is far more in touch with the actual state of the union than Joe’s perception of it. Once again, you can lie to people about policy, but you can’t lie to them about what is or isn’t in their pocket, or about why for example, illegal immigrants are treated better by the administration than Americans or why we’re being forced to pay for their accommodations when we’re having trouble affording our own. So, the question is...
- Where do we go from here? I wish I knew. But what I know is that it’s best for all of us to focus on controlling what we can control which remains far better for us fortunate enough to live in the Free State of Florida than it is for most...and that where we will be going next will be hopefully, perhaps likely, directed by a Floridian. A thought which makes dealing with the current state of our union more tolerable. Hope is on the horizon. The getting there will be interesting. But hey, we’re over halfway there, there are checks and balances in Congress and speaking of which...Kevin McCarthy has never looked so good as he did sitting behind President Biden. Prettier than Pelosi for sure. And he served as a very visible sign that our perception of the state of the union is currently being represented in Washington.