Trump 's SOTU Unifying Despite Nationalistic Approach
Donald Trump  gave a notably unifying State of the Union address that didn't back down an inch from  his  controversial nationalism.
This doesn't represent a contradiction  but a step toward fulfilling the political promise of his nationalism  which could appeal much more broadly than to  Trump 's devoted base.
It should believe government exists to serve the nation  not the other way around. Or as  Trump  put it: "Americans love their country. And they deserve a government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return."
To say  Trump  has often fallen short of these standards is an understatement. Nationalism is not yelling at rallies  tweeting inflammatory messages or insulting political adversaries. It is an American tradition that runs through Alexander Hamilton  Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.
"The metonymic image of banal nationalism " Billig writes  "is not a flag which is being consciously waved with fervent passion; it is the flag hanging unnoticed on the public building." To extend the metaphor   Trump  noticed the flag when other political players neglected it.
This gives  Trump  running room  and  his  State of the Union usefully trafficked in banal nationalism.
 Trump  hailed 12-year-old Preston Sharp for leading an effort to place flags on veterans' graves  saying it "reminds us why we salute our flag  why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance  and why we proudly stand for the national anthem."
How can anyone disagree  unless he has been cornered into maintaining the opposite out of outrage at  Trump 's intervention in the NFL kneeling protests?
 Trump  said  "As president of the United States  my highest loyalty  my greatest compassion and my constant concern is for America's children  America's struggling workers and America's forgotten communities."
You could hear the teeth-grinding among Democrats when  Trump  declared  in a reference to the DREAM Act  "Americans are dreamers  too." The line had all the subversive  common-sense potential of saying  "All lives matter " when the left insisted it was only permissible to say  "Black lives matter."
Immigration is such a flashpoint in the  Trump  era because it is the hot-button domestic policy issue that most directly involves the clash of world views between cosmopolitans (who care most about the interests of immigrants) and nationalists (who care most about the interests of people already here).
 Trump  took Reagan's old trope of recognizing exemplary people in the House gallery and stretched it to its maximum possible extent. The speech was almost a long disquisition on ordinary heroes  each illustrating a theme of the speech. It was a long way from "I alone can fix it."
 He  ended  his  speech hailing people from all walks of life  saying that "above all else  they are Americans. And this Capitol  this city  and this Nation  belong to them."
If  he  resolved to routinely live up to the sentiments of the State of the Union   he 'd do  himself  and our political culture immeasurable good. Politically  it isn't  Trump  the alleged tool of the Russians or Trump the budding dictator that Democrats have to fear most;  it 's Trump the nationalist unifier.
[TGT] gave a notably unifying State of the Union address that didn't back down an inch from   [TGT]   controversial nationalism.
This doesn't represent a contradiction  but a step toward fulfilling the political promise of his nationalism  which could appeal much more broadly than to  Trump 's devoted base.
It should believe government exists to serve the nation  not the other way around. Or as   [TGT]   put it: "Americans love their country. And they deserve a government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return."
To say   [TGT] has often fallen short of these standards is an understatement. Nationalism is not yelling at rallies  tweeting inflammatory messages or insulting political adversaries. It is an American tradition that runs through Alexander Hamilton  Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.
"The metonymic image of banal nationalism " Billig writes  "is not a flag which is being consciously waved with fervent passion; it is the flag hanging unnoticed on the public building." To extend the metaphor   Trump  noticed the flag when other political players neglected it.
This gives   [TGT] running room  and   [TGT]   State of the Union usefully trafficked in banal nationalism.
  [TGT] hailed 12-year-old Preston Sharp for leading an effort to place flags on veterans' graves  saying it "reminds us why we salute our flag  why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance  and why we proudly stand for the national anthem."
How can anyone disagree  unless he has been cornered into maintaining the opposite out of outrage at   [TGT]  's intervention in the NFL kneeling protests?
  [TGT] said  "As president of the United States  my highest loyalty  my greatest compassion and my constant concern is for America's children  America's struggling workers and America's forgotten communities."
You could hear the teeth-grinding among Democrats when   [TGT] declared  in a reference to the DREAM Act  "Americans are dreamers  too." The line had all the subversive  common-sense potential of saying  "All lives matter " when the left insisted it was only permissible to say  "Black lives matter."
Immigration is such a flashpoint in the   [TGT]   era because it is the hot-button domestic policy issue that most directly involves the clash of world views between cosmopolitans (who care most about the interests of immigrants) and nationalists (who care most about the interests of people already here).
  [TGT] took Reagan's old trope of recognizing exemplary people in the House gallery and stretched it to its maximum possible extent. The speech was almost a long disquisition on ordinary heroes  each illustrating a theme of the speech. It was a long way from "I alone can fix it."
 He  ended  his  speech hailing people from all walks of life  saying that "above all else  they are Americans. And this Capitol  this city  and this Nation  belong to them."
If  he  resolved to routinely live up to the sentiments of the State of the Union   he 'd do  himself  and our political culture immeasurable good. Politically  it isn't   [TGT] the alleged tool of the Russians or Trump the budding dictator that Democrats have to fear most;  it 's Trump the nationalist unifier.