At the U.S. Capitol,for the SOTU display of wit, where the viral Biden humorous impromptu response to extreme right MAGA GOP hecklers will raise his numbers: Surprisingly, the GOP hecklers brought out the best in him: i call it the Biden Quickening of the Blood: Look at it again
This post is just about public speaking 101 – bago magalit ang ibang “aktibista” dyan na ayaw makarinig ng comparison ng GOP-Dems kasi magkapareho raw ang mga ito at hindi dapat paghiwalayin churva: US elections na naman, magagalit na naman ang mga “aktibista” sa mga nagko-comment sa GOP-Dems.
This is only about public speaking and the conduct of their state of the nation addresses, we might learn something from it.
Unlike in the Philippines, at this year’s U.S. State of the Union (SOTU) address, during the in-session SOTU itself, the GOP legislators (Republicans), or those in the extreme right among them, wore their most rabid MAGA slogans literally on their bright red shirts, suits, baseball caps, pins, when the U.S. President entered the halls. During the speech, the most rightwing of them heckled the U.S. President by yelling at him at the top of their voices while he was speaking about the border control bill that won BIPARTISAN support – BIPARTISAN, but they screamed at him anyway, cursing him, calling him names: Because elections are in eight months in America.
And the more principled among the audience raised up black ceasefire-Gaza posters. Meaningful in their solemnity.
No such space for differing opinions in the Philippine State of the Nation Address. In any State of the Nation Address (SONA) of any year and in any administration, any legislator who as much as make a peep during the SONA is usually “escorted” out by the House security. All legislators, except for a few partylist representatives, behave like leeches in their standing ovations and beso-beso with the President… After all, they don’t want to jeopardize their expected hundreds of millions in pork barrel (from the President’s DBM, commissions in govt infra that they endorse). In fact, the Philippine SONA is nothing more than a red carpet fashion event except for members of people’s organizations who are able to present the real state of the nation on the streets, and the partylist representatives who usually try to express their calls in their literal fashion statement but are usually threatened with being roughed up by the House security and are forced to change clothes before coming in. That’s how the House treats any kind of disagreement during the Philippine SONA.
Here’s the U.S. SOTU: It was substantive, vibrant, and with every expression of disagreement fully ventilated inside and outside the halls of the Capitol – no legislator was required to remove any statement sash or barong or threatened with being physically “handled” out:
With the star of the show showing us a watch-and-learn moment in building bipartisan rapport and repartee.
Look at this: It’s a case study.
All of a sudden, U.S. President Biden got a rekindling, in a good and controlled way, when the MAGA GOP trolls yelled curses at him in the middle of his speech on a border control bill that BOTH PARTIES had supported, and he responded spontaneously with humor, charm, and intelligence.
Fortunately or unfortunately, this isn’t a basic thing, it’s beyond Public Speaking 101 — it takes years of experience, giftedness, confidence, and a deep conviction in one’s cause.
US President Biden spoke about the economy, wars, Putin, the insurrection, women’s rights, but the part that went viral, in his favor, was when he sportingly and smilingly engaged the MAGA GOP rowdy, rude, and irrational hecklers — irrational because they were heckling a BIPARTISAN bill. Did you see how the Biden team crafted that part of the speech — how does one disagree with bipartisanship? You’ll lose here if you heckle him. And see how Biden himself smiled dazzlingly at the hecklers when he addressed them. Masterclass.
Let’s look at another viral moment:
This clip and Biden’s facial expression here, went viral, when he entered the hall and extreme right MAGA GOP heckler Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was only one foot away from him, was yelling at him…
The MAGA GOP-influenced media said Biden was “shocked”. Wrong: he wasn’t shocked, look at it again: The half-smile and mocking wide eyes — he was making faces, it was a gentle, smiling mocked-incredulity face : THIS went viral — in his favor. Charm School.
Can you check the numbers right after the SOTU (but BEFORE the off-the-record hot mic “come to jesus” huddle and BEFORE the airport tarmac ambush interview) ?
The MAGA mal educado hecklers unexpectedly brought out the best in Biden because it contrasted him with the boorish and ill-mannered crowd of the GOP MAGA section.
… i’ll bet my devalued bottom-peso in our shrink-flated economy that his numbers went up — it is a quickening of the blood, and in full control.
In addition to being the US President, today, Joe Biden is the new Dean and President of Charm School, a post formerly held by Barack Obama — until today. Here it is again:
Credits: As embedded in the videos and photo, used here non-commercially for academic purposes.
