NBC News was finally in tune with most of America Tuesday night after President Biden’s State of the Union address left them feeling unsure about the fate of Ukraine and confused by some of what was said on the House floor.
TodaySavannah Guthrie was co-host and seemed to encourage Chuck Todd, the political director of Chuck Todd, to praise Biden’s speech by suggesting that it was historic.
“Chuck, when we look back at this speech in history, and We are at the right moment, as both a country and as an entire planet. It was a distinction made by the President between democracy and autocracy.It is an actual test. Was it a real test?This is the true good against evil battle that is taking place, you know, half a world away right now,” she wanted to know.
But Todd probably didn’t give her the answer she was looking for as he suggested it already felt like the speech wasn’t going to age well in the near future. “Let me put it this way. Some ways For the good of Ukrainians, we should not say that it didn’t. I wish we could say “oh, it was just right.” But I fear this is going to feel like a speech that didn’t age well…,” he ominously said.
Todd wanted Biden to dive more into the importance of our alliances with Europe and why we’re looked at in such high regard on such matters:
Good versus Evil, as you stated, please explain more, a bit about the history and how of European defense, and what the implications are.
After 12 minutes, it felt abruptly over. It felt as though we could have done more. We had more to share. The public could have said more, I believe. This is what happened.
Todd did tout Biden for doing the bare minimum to give his fellow Democrats cover in the midterms by saying “secure our borders” and “fund our police.” “But that’s the politics of this,” he admitted.
Omitting Biden’s slip up where he talked about the “Iranian people” instead of the Ukrainian people, chief Washington correspondent Andrea Mitchell was left perplexed (as were the rest of us) by Biden’s declaration of “go get ‘em” at the end:
MITCHELL: I also think there was a strange moment at the end when he said “Go get ‘em.” The audience could hear that. But we don’t quite know what he meant. He may be referring to Vladimir Putin or the evil guys there. But it was an awkward adlib.
LESTER HOLT – His usual close friend is “God Bless the Soldiers.”
Guthrie intervened to give it a heavy dose of her opinion by suggesting “he was trying to buck up Americans and say we’re strong, the state of the union is strong, get out there, you know, remember that we are strong as Americans.”
Sure, Savannah.
You can find the transcript below. To read it, please click on “expand”.
NBC State of the Union
March 1, 2022
Eastern, 10:17:15(…)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE – Chuck, as we reflect on the speech and moment in history, it is clear that this speech has a significant impact on our current situation, both as a nation and globally. The President said democracy is better than autocracy. It is an actual test. It met the moment, in terms of the true good-versus-evil struggle that is taking place, you’d think, halfway across the globe right now.
CHUCK TODD: This is how it should be. For the sake of Ukrainians, we should not say that it didn’t. I want us to say “oh, it was just right.” This speech is likely to be a rerun of a speech from the past that was not well-received.
Good versus Evil, as you stated, please explain more, a bit about the history and how of European defense, and what the implications are.
After 12 minutes, it felt like an abrupt ending. It felt as though we could have done more. We had more to share. The public could have said more, I believe. This is what happened.
He accomplished two very important parts of politics, and I believe that he did. Saying the phrases, “secure our borders” and “fund our police.” There are a lot of vulnerable Democrats in a lot of House and Senate races that are relieved to hear the leader of the Democratic Party say those two phrases.
That’s just the politics. Ukraine was certainly not what you were looking for. I felt it had so much more.
(…)
Eastern 10:21.35
TODD: The speech ended clearly speaking to larger audiences. This is the reason we are a great democracy. Man, it was so hard to believe that we all waited for the tie — it wasn’t a Ukraine sandwich.
It’s true, you know. And so, again. I believe we are all repeating the same things, but I feel like we expected more. We’re all fearing the next week is going to be just horrifying, just horrifying as we see a cornered Vladimir Putin do some perhaps crimes against humanity in order to try to get –
[Gets gut off with talk of sanctions]
(…)
Eastern 10:22.36
ANDREA MITCHELL: I also think there was a strange moment at the end when he said “Go get ‘em.” It was clearly audible by the audience. But we don’t quite know what he meant. He may be referring to Vladimir Putin or the evil guys there. But it was an awkward adlib.
LESTER HOLT – His usual close friend is “God Bless the Soldiers.”
GUTHRIE: I think he was trying to buck up Americans and say we’re strong, the state of the union is strong, get out there, you know, remember that we are strong as Americans.
TODD: His COVID message was strong, by the way.
(…)
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