Virginia Democrats, Republicans lay out predictions for tonight’s State of the Union

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., told reporters today it’s important for President Biden to “show energy” in tonight’s State of the Union speech.

“There’s a lot of good news to talk about,” Warner said on a conference call, noting the decline in inflation, and the success in staving off the recession that the vast majority of economists had been insisting for the first three years of Biden’s term in the White House was coming.

“Combine that with the fact that we’ve got record highs in the stock market, record lows and unemployment, that we’ve seen enormous job growth, particularly the fastest-growing group of new businesses being started or being started by women of color, that is something we ought to celebrate,” Warner said.

So, that’s one perspective.

Here’s another, from the excommunicated Fifth District Republican Congressman Bob Good.

“The only thing President Biden really needs to say tonight is “I’m sorry” to the American people. Shortest State of the Union address ever,” Good tweeted,

Which, yeah, hahahaha.

This is your daily reminder that Good is on the outs with disgraced ex-president Donald Trump because Good endorsed Ron DeSantis for president, and you remember how that worked out for everybody.

Trump’s inner circle has made it clear that it will do what it takes to unseat Good in the Fifth, backing a newly-elected state senator, John McGuire, for the Fifth District Republican congressional nomination.

Good, taking a potshot at Biden, is trying to get back in the good graces of the MAGA people.

It won’t work.

Ben Cline, the Republican who represents the Sixth District, was his usual generic self in his comment on the State of the Union.

“Americans have had ENOUGH of Biden’s deceit & deflections. We’re engulfed in multiple crises – border, energy, economy & crime. Tonight, Biden needs to speak on actual solutions in the State of the Union, not continue to mislead the American people,” Cline tweeted.

This is the same Ben Cline whose response to actual solutions on the border is to march lockstep with Trump to block billions of dollars in proposed federal money to beef up security so that Trump can complain about the lack of action on the border in the 2024 campaign.

Fun fact there.

One more perspective, in the name of balance, comes from Susan Swecker, the chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia.

“In just three years, the Biden-Harris administration has accomplished more for Virginians than many presidents have accomplished in two terms – defending freedoms, protecting democracy, helping to create millions of jobs, lowering costs and more,” Swecker said. “Where Donald Trump failed to improve the lives of anyone except himself and his ultra-wealthy friends, President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered historic results for working communities across our state. Virginians are looking forward to watching President Biden lay out his vision for continuing to strengthen our country and are fired up to send him to the White House for four more years so he can finish the job.”