If you’re a betting man or woman, you might want to see if a Vegas casino will let you wager on how many traditions Donald Trump will break on Feb. 28 night when he speaks to a joint session of Congress. Based on six decades’ worth of the first remarks of a new chief executive (they’re not called “State of the Union” speeches), a “normal” address includes:
– a celebration of civic history.
– a pledge of cooperation with a co-equal branch of government and a pledge of deep respect for the separation of powers.
– a focus on domestic matters, especially economic issues, with a surprisingly detailed set of policies the new president intends to propose to the Congress.
– a near-total absence of polarizing rhetoric, even when a new president has run by assailing the policies of his predecessor.
– an embrace of at least some aspects of a liberal sensibility, no matter how much the new president identifies as a conservative.
