The SOTU post

Stylistically, it was an interesting mix of quintessential VSG means of expression (on Iran: "They do bad, bad things") and actual soaring rhetoric that was obviously written by someone else ("I am asking you to choose greatness"). One line toward the end was a mixture of both that was effectively inspirational ("We do the incredible. We defy the impossible. We conquer the unknown").

What's not to love about the thunderous bellow "America will never be a socialist country!", especially as the camera panned to Bernie Sanders, whose face looked like it might explode?

There were plenty of VSG-esque ad libs, some pretty gratuitous, such as saying "You weren't supposed to do that" after Dem women cheered about how most of the recent jobs gains have been experienced by women. It was kind of funny the way he followed that up with "Don't sit yet! You're going to like this!" as the way to announce that more women than ever are serving in Congress.

Plenty for conservatives to be pleased with. The way he made sure to characterize pulling out of the JCPOA as a very good thing. The portion dealing with unborn Americans - which caused a temperature drop among those Dem women who had just leapt up in exaltation over the economic and political gains he'd mentioned.

It wasn't all conservatism, though. There was a hefty dose of populism as well, mainly manifesting itself in the portion juxtaposing "global elites" and the working class. The faint hint of protectionism was wafting off that one.

The attempt at a comity-and-reset tone will probably, sooner rather than later, be seen as not so successful. After all, at a luncheon earlier in the day, he'd referred to Chuck Schumer as "a nasty son of a bitch." Schumer had a few divisive words of his own just before the speech.

Stacy Abrams' Dem response started out fine. I went several minutes nodding my head, saying, "Sounds like a vision I can share." But then she started in with all that identity-politics, gun control and climate change crud and I was shaking my head instead of nodding it.

DNC Tom Perez was his usual venomous self, diving right into crud about "vague platitudes . . .punctuated by lies, fear mongering and empty promises." He reminded us that his own chops as a liar are in good working order with that dog vomit about people getting their health care taken away.

And I've really had it up to here with this Ocasio-Cortez creature and her virtue signaling. Stand up with your colleagues, you self-congratulatory little dimwit.

I think this year's SOTU will be seen as a clarifying moment. These people stand for this, and these other people stand for that, and however we proceed, it's from that basis.

But the VSG mostly behaved himself, which he does when he knows the moment calls for a really good speech.