President ‘s State of the Union speech last night illustrated one of the major challenges facing Democrats in their quest to defeat him this November: in many cases, Trump and his GOP supporters are just plain better at messaging.
Trump largely stuck to the TelePrompTer script, defying the predictions of many who expected the waning days of impeachment procedures or the meltdown at the Democratic Iowa caucuses to entice him to gloat, rage, or otherwise go off the rails.
Instead, the narrative that is emerging from the evening is a role reversal: the same President who frequently posts hastily-composed tweets eviscerating his critics, colored within the lines all evening, delivering his scripted remarks with a serious tone and accompanied by a parade of moving, made-for-TV moments.
In contrast, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), one of the longest-standing Democratic leaders with a well-deserved reputation as a sharp and prudent strategist, is going viral for tearing up her copy of Trump’s prepared remarks as she stood behind him at the end of the speech.
Until those few seconds of video hit everyone’s screens, the story was how Pelosi had stretched out her hand to greet Trump as he arrived at the podium and he had apparently snubbed her.
Pelosi herself attempted to capitalize on the rejected handshake, tweeting about it after the speech as representing Democrats “extending the hand of friendship to get the job done.”
Democrats will never stop extending the hand of friendship to get the job done #ForThePeople. We will work to find common ground where we can, but will stand our ground where we cannot. #SOTU pic.twitter.com/ELJqR9q4xD
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 5, 2020
Predictably, most of the replies — both negative and positive — refer instead to the paper-ripping moment. Even more predictably, Republicans are already moving to capitalize on the kerfuffle.
RNC is already circulating video of Pelosi tearing up a copy of the Trump speech.
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) February 5, 2020
Speaker Pelosi just ripped up:
One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen.
The survival of a child born at 21 weeks.
The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller.
A service member's reunion with his family.
That's her legacy.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 5, 2020
I’m skeptical that this will hurt Pelosi at all in the long run — “kerfuffle” is indeed a more accurate term than scandal or gaffe — but it would be stretch to call tonight a win for her side.
Trump has enjoyed a certain level of fame and notoriety most of his adult life, but it was reality TV that made him a star, and last night’s speech had moments that would make many reality TV producers proud. From the 13-year-old boy who dreams of joining the Space Force and was seated next to his grandfather, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, to the mother tearfully hugging her young daughter who survived being born extremely premature at only 21 weeks, it was one emotional spectacle after another.
Trump’s team even managed to arrange for a surprise reunion between a service member who had been stationed overseas and his wife and two young children.
Trump just turned the SOTU into one of those soldier reunited with family moments that every American loves.
He’s just running up the scoreboard tonight
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) February 5, 2020
Meanwhile, the Democrats’ messaging efforts seemed muddled, at best. Before the speech, “Squad” members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Ayanna Presley (D-MA) announced they were boycotting the SOTU, calling it a “sham” and illegitimate.
After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution.
None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it.
Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2020
The State of the Union is hurting because of the occupant of the White House, who consistently demonstrates contempt for the American people, contempt for Congress & contempt for our constitution. I cannot in good conscience attend tonight's sham #SOTU → https://t.co/DTwG3Y7dK3 pic.twitter.com/Hres8eAFkK
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) February 4, 2020
The trouble, of course, with boycotting is that you’re deliberately retreating to a smaller stage. It is incredibly difficult to match the pomp and circumstance of a sitting President addressing a joint session of Congress, a fact bemoaned by many opposing party members unlucky enough to be tapped to deliver the SOTU response, but refusing to show up so you can tweet from your living room couch instead is surrendering any chance to have a remotely level playing field.
The messaging strategy wasn’t much better for the Democrats who did attend. The Democratic women wore white, but how many Americans watching could answer a pop quiz asking what the white outfits represented? A Time article published Tuesday evening identified multiple motivations for their attire, including “a way to show their unity and a commitment to defending the rights of women and disenfranchised groups,” “an homage to the white outfits often worn by suffragists during their fight to get women’s votes recognized,” and “to show support for the ongoing fight to achieve equality for women across the country.”
Those are all noble reasons, but none of it really fits on a bumper sticker, does it?
Even a moment of protest caused more confusion than inspiration. As Trump was discussing his wish for a bill that would lower prescription drug costs, Democrats raised three fingers in the air and began chanting “H.R. 3! H.R. 3!” referring to the “Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act,” a Democratic-sponsored bill that passed the House in December and has been stuck in limbo on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell‘s (R-KY) desk since then.
There was an immediate flood of tweets perplexed about what the Democrats were chanting, even among the many political reporters, consultants, and activists whom I personally follow. Many could not discern what precisely the Democrats were saying, and few were able to connect the chant with the legislation on their own. If even people who are highly politically engaged on a daily basis were unable to discern the message, it isn’t going to catch on with average Americans.
For all his faults and foibles, Trump is especially skilled at reaching those average Americans, and tonight further illustrated that point. It was an overtly partisan speech, to be sure, but the message was clear: good things are happening and it’s because I am fighting for you. If the Democrats hope to defeat Trump in November, they’ll need a competing message much clearer and stronger than any of them offered yesterday.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer‘s (D-MI) response had several good lines, especially the one about how “bullying people on Twitter doesn’t fix bridges, it burns them,” but was overall forgettable.
The State of the Union almost always presents a sharply uphill battle for the opposing party’s messaging, but the Democrats barely put up a fight last night.
Poor children, widows, grieving parents, a terminally ill national entertainer, a surprise reunion live on television, all of which are designed to create clips for commercials and Fox News. This is what you’re up against, Democrats. The Republicans are not taking chances here.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 5, 2020
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.