JON GABRIEL ON THE STATE OF THE UNION: “The Democrats faced the night in a sorry state. The party that wants to take over healthcare was incapable of counting votes in a small state.”
Plus:
Instead of lofty words, Trump opened with a litany of facts and figures. Lowest unemployment in 50 years. Unemployment rates for African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans at the lowest level in history. African-American poverty at the lowest rate ever recorded. Female unemployment the lowest in 70 years.
Democrats sat stone-faced, grumbling amongst themselves as the good news piled up. Most impressive was that these are verifiable facts, not spin or vague promises.
Much of the first 30 minutes kept returning to the success of Black Americans over the past three years, pointing to heroes in the gallery, and insisting this is only the beginning. Despite ubiquitous accusations of “racism,” Trump’s detractors can’t argue with the data. The President is making a strong appeal to African-American voters, not with rhetoric but numbers. The Democrats have to be very nervous as even a five percent shift would wreak havoc in the Electoral College.
A lot of commenters here think that black voters won’t shift, and maybe they’re right. But as I’ve learned in fundraising, you have to make the ask, and Trump is doing that in a way other GOP presidents haven’t. But in typical Trump fashion, this works for him two different ways: By attracting black voters to whatever degree, but also by reassuring suburban women voters that no matter what The View says, Trump’s not believable as a racist.
CHANGE: Record economic optimism under Trump, better than Reagan, Clinton, Obama.
h/t GR