With all due respect

I hope Jon Stewart, who devoted most of the opening segment of his return to The Daily Show to how old (too old, apparently) Joe Biden is, has something positive to add next week after the latter’s performance last night in the state of the union address.

Yes, I watched it. I don’t usually. Well, maybe during the Obama years. Certainly not between 2017 and 2020. But I did last night, prompted at least in part by all this talk about his age. (From you, Jon Stewart, when you know what the stakes are?)

Yeah, okay, before you’ve finished thinking it, yes, Biden seems a little fixated on shrinkflation and the size of Snickers bars. Bit of a cringe there. But, let’s be honest, shrinkflation is bloody annoying.

No, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the ad libs. Anyone (other, it often seems, than the Wankmaggot) can read a teleprompter. Not everyone can successfully go off script.

Obviously, he was going to talk about abortion (although he never once said the word) and the overturning of Roe v Wade. What wasn’t obvious was him looking the Supreme Court Justices in attendance in the eye while he did it “with all due respect”.

You only have to go a minute and a half into this clip to see it. The rest is mostly some guy talking, although the clip does include Biden’s off script home run from last year’s state of the union.

I love those four words, the use of which clearly implies that no respect whatsoever is due. And, confirmed by commentators afterwards, who had the speech in front of them, those four words were not included. 

This clip is also worth watching.

Mainly for Mike Johnston’s face. Right at the beginning, when Biden is talking about the miracle of IVF, there’s a little smile and nod from the speaker of the house, before he quickly remembers he’s not supposed to agree with anything the president says and returns to his stony expression. (That and the side look Kamala Harris gives him.)

I didn’t notice it while I was watching (well, I wasn’t really watching – I was listening while playing backgammon on my tablet), but, as one commentator pointed out afterwards (and showed clips to confirm), there were multiple occasions when the camera angle revealed that under the desk Johnston was quietly applauding some of Biden’s remarks (whilst maintaining that stony face). Suspect he’ll be getting some grief for that from Republicans today. Particularly from batshit crazy Marjorie, who would have been told to leave the chamber if she didn’t take off her bloody MAGA hat if Johnston wasn’t so terrified of being ousted.

So, Jon Stewart, like it or lump it, 2024 is going to be a rematch of 2020 with two old guys on offer. One of them can barely string a coherent sentence together, talks of nothing except revenge and, if (god forbid) elected, will surround himself with dangerous toadies. The other can still, when called upon to do so, knock it out of the park and surrounds himself with the best and brightest in the clear hope that, given half a chance, he can take measures to make life better for the average American. With all due respect, got anything to say about that?