NEWS AND OPINION:
President Biden is to deliver the State of the Union address on March 7. Some news organizations are already wondering if the event will be a positive “reset” for the president and his public messaging in these complex times.
And some people aren’t buying it.
“Biden’s forthcoming State of the Union address is being billed as a ‘big, public reset moment’ — again. That’s exactly what they said about 2023, and 2022, and 2021,” said Jake Schneider, director of rapid response for the Republican National Committee, in a written report shared with Inside the Beltway.
“This time, Biden’s ‘reset’ aims to ‘neutralize concerns’ over his obvious cognitive decline. The problems for Biden, however, run much deeper — his widespread disapproval on virtually every issue. Americans aren’t satisfied with Biden’s economy, where they’re paying more and earning less,” Mr. Schneider said.
“They aren’t satisfied with Biden’s open border, where millions of unvetted illegal immigrants have been resettled in communities across the country. They aren’t satisfied with Biden’s foreign policy, where his weakness has made the world much less safe. They aren’t satisfied with Biden’s cognitive abilities (or lack thereof), where Biden’s ‘poor memory’ often becomes an international embarrassment,” he continued.
“The list goes on and on and on. Of course, absent a fundamental shift in Biden’s governing philosophy, nothing will change. It’s just another opportunity for Biden to crash and burn in primetime,” Mr. Schneider said.
VIVEK ON THE TRAIL
A former Republican presidential hopeful has returned to the campaign trail — but not on behalf of his own cause this time.
“Vivek Ramaswamy will deliver remarks at a Team Trump South Carolina Press Conference in Aiken, South Carolina, on Wednesday,” according to a terse announcement that originated with Donald J. Trump for President 2024 — the former president’s campaign, of course.
Wait, there’s more.
Interestingly enough, America’s Future — a nonprofit focussed on values, faith and family — will honor Mr. Ramaswamy with its “Fearless Fighter for Freedom Award” on March 28 at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. The club, of course, is owned by Mr. Trump. The event is deemed an “America’s Future Soiree.”
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, chairman of America’s Future, will be present for the event.
Last but not least, let us reexamine a single headline from The New York Times that appeared on Feb. 1, topping a column by opinion writer Frank Bruni:
“Trump’s Running Mate? It’s Gotta Be Vivek Ramaswamy.”
A MELUGIN MOMENT
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin has spent considerable time on the southern border documenting the ever-increasing stream of immigrants seeking illegal entry to the U.S. On Monday, he offered video reports posted to Twitter featuring brief exchanges with those from Ecuador, Turkey, and one other nation in particular.
A 30-second video posted to X on Monday focused on a recent nighttime encounter with four foreign nationals sitting around a campfire.
“Another group from China. My Spanish here is almost useless. Time to start learning the basics of Mandarin,” Mr. Melugin said in his post.
He was not done yet.
“There were another 208 Chinese nationals apprehended by Border Patrol in the San Diego sector yesterday. In the last 3 days alone, there have been 452 Chinese apprehended in the San Diego sector. Those 3 days are already more than all of the Chinese encountered in the entirety of fiscal year 2021 across the southern border (450),” Mr. Melugin said in a follow-up post on Tuesday.
THE COST OF ‘I DO’
“It’s evident that the wedding industry is experiencing an upward trend,” according to The WeddingReport, an Arizona-based research organization that indeed tracks the trends and the average prices for those who tie the knot.
“The average wedding cost has increased from $29,195 in 2022 to $30,119 in 2023. This rise is not confined to a single aspect but is widespread across various categories. For instance, the attire and accessories segment is witnessing a notable increase, with wedding dresses now averaging $1,633, up from $1,571, and tuxedo rentals climbing from $278 to $295,” the organization said in a report shared with Inside the Beltway.
“This isn’t just a matter of numbers but a testament to modern weddings’ increasing scale and inclusivity. Alongside the burgeoning guest lists, there’s also a shift in the geographic dynamics of these events. Couples are stretching their horizons, with the average travel distance for a wedding now reaching 57 miles from home,” the report said.
The average guest list, meanwhile, has grown to 134.
A few more numbers: That gorgeous wedding cake now costs $516, bar service $2,785, bouquets for the bridesmaids $448 and wedding favors for the guests $231. The bride’s engagement ring, by the way, averages $4,025 and the wedding ring itself $921.
And oh yes, the officiant at the wedding will cost the couple $264, while the wedding photographer will earn $2,264 for snapping those sweet and romantic images. The wedding planner, on average, will earn $3,277 for coordinating the event while the proverbial wedding band takes in $2,713. And don’t forget tips for servers and bartenders. Those will run $452.
The report itself is based on actual costs and data on 57 products, and wedding services in 17 categories.
“The latest data is based on 30,498 data samples from people getting married. This includes behavioral and survey data collected in 2023. Demographic distribution includes multiple ethnicities, education levels, occupation types, income levels, first, second, and third plus marriages, and ages 16 plus,” the Wedding Report said in a statement.
POLL DU JOUR
• 35% of U.S. adults would describe their political viewpoint as “moderate.”
• 20% would describe their viewpoint as “conservative.”
• 15% would describe their viewpoint as “liberal.”
• 11% would describe their viewpoint as “very conservative.”
• 10% would describe their viewpoint as “very liberal.”
• 9% are not sure how to describe their political viewpoint.
Source: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,671 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 11-13.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.