I’ll be liveblogging tonight’s speech as usual. Hit me with your opinions in real time at our main site email address – now just under the site logo or ping me on Twitter at @joshtpm.
Here are key excerpts the White House has made available from tonight’s speech. And here’s a look at what the GOP’s designated response will say, from Joni Ernst.
And if you’re not at a TV or maybe just one of those youngs who does it that way, here’s a live video stream of the speech.
For myself, I’ve decided to watch tonight on CSpan. (Now I’ve switched to NBC’s feed.) I go back and forth about the best way to view it. Without any of the cable news nonsense to filter it for me? Or one of the big channels? In many ways, the nonsense is the show in terms of reaction and impact. Because that is what the overwhelming majority of people watch. But I’ve decided my nonsense tolerance is low. So I’m watching tonight on CSpan.
9:00 PM: Looking over Joni Ernst’s response I’m reminded of what I wrote just after the November election: the big problem for Democrats is that they do have a clear policy prescription for the chief domestic ill of our time: stagnating wages for most of Americans. But if Democrats don’t have an answer, or good policies, Republicans has no policy prescriptions whatsoever. Ernst’s speech leads with the challenge of “stagnant wages and lost jobs” but then prescribes spending cuts, tax simplication and tax cuts and more free trade agreements.
