Abbreviated Pundit Roundup is a long-running series published every morning that collects essential political discussion and analysis around the internet.
David A. Graham/The Atlantic:
The Most Unusual State of the Union in Living Memory
Republican members of Congress repeatedly heckled President Biden, who was happy to mix it up with them.
Few leaders have so visibly enjoyed being president as Joe Biden. That might explain why he took so long getting down the aisle of the House chamber tonight, shaking hands and taking selfies. When he finally made it to the dais, he soaked up the applause and then grinned. “Good evening! If I were smart, I’d go home now,” he said.
The joke acknowledged the stakes of the evening’s State of the Union address. Conventional wisdom held that Biden had little to gain—the speeches rarely give presidents much boost—but much to lose if he seemed lost, old, or incoherent. But Biden delivered an energetic and pugnacious speech, one of the strongest of his career.
