Trump Supporters Praise “Milder”, “Presidential” Address: Five Speech Takeaways
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Mar 1, 2017
As previously noted, while some traders on Wall Street were disappointed by the lack of specifics in Trump’s speech, many others – and certainly Trump’s group of core, faithful supporters – praised his “milder”, more conciliatory tone, in a speech that was among his most “presidential” public addresses to date.
Below, courtesy of The Hill, are five of the key takeaways political pundits were left from Trump’s address to Congress.
Trump’s speech was conventional, a relief to the GOP
The president won election while flouting every established rule of politics — a pattern that has persisted in the White House, giving heartburn even to Republican allies. By contrast, Trump on Tuesday was at his most restrained. There were no attacks on the media; no especially flamboyant claims or personal jabs; and few significant digressions from the prepared text of his speech. The night recalled the announcement of Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court — another occasion when he stayed within the orthodox parameters.
Trump is an unconventional president, but his speech felt remarkable at times for being so normal. All of that will be just fine with GOP lawmakers. They have been desperately wanting Trump to curb what they see as self-defeating impulses which distract from an effective underlying message. They are looking for leadership from Trump, and while the president provided few policy details on Tuesday night, he set out clear objectives in a way that could boost his party’s rank-and-file.
Trump’s tribute to Carryn Owens, the widow of a Navy SEAL killed last month in a raid in Yemen, was handled expertly by Trump. It provided the kind of emotional highpoint presidents often aim for in speeches like this. It also drew tributes from across the aisle, with CNN commentator Van Jones warning liberals that Trump will be in the White House for eight years if he can create other, similar moments.
Out with the grim ‘carnage,’ in with the sunny ‘new chapter’
In his Jan. 20 inaugural address, Trump talked about “American carnage” and saw a land where “rusted out factories [are] scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation.” Tuesday’s address was sunny by comparison. In its early stages, the president insisted that “a new chapter of American greatness is now beginning.” As it neared its conclusion, he encouraged his audience to “think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people.”
Trump doesn’t trade in unalloyed optimism. There were other less cheery passages, as he spoke about crime rates and what he sees as the dangers of lax enforcement of immigration laws. But the broader message — “everything that is broken in our country can be fixed. Every problem can be solved. And every hurting family can find healing, and hope” — was more harmonious than we are used to hearing from Trump. An uplifting tone on one night won’t suddenly change the minds of the millions of Americans who are vehemently opposed to the president and his agenda. But it could at least make him a more palatable figure to centrists and independent-minded voters.
Trump as an American nationalist, for better or worse
The Rest…HERE
