© Reuters / Pool
Even on the back of the longest government shutdown on record, the vast majority of viewers approved of President Trump's State of the Union speech. However, partisan sniping was still rife among viewers and in Congress.
Trump's speech, which clocked in at 90 minutes, struck a conciliatory tone from the get-go, with the president asking America to "choose greatness" and "embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good." The address went down well with the audience. A CBS poll found that 76 percent of viewers approved of the president's message, while even a CNN poll also put the figure at 76 percent, with 59 percent having reported a "very positive" reaction.
Some 56 percent of CBS respondents said the speech would do more to unify the country. However, 36 percent felt that things would remain the same, and 64 percent felt that Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will continue their standoffish relationship afterwards. CNN's viewers were slightly more pessimistic, with 53 percent thinking that Trump would not succeed in increasing cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.
Talking policy, Trump touted the US' strong economy, record employment, and record female participation in politics and the workforce as success shared by both parties. He also praised the bipartisan effort to reform federal prisons, and agreed with the frequent Democrat talking point about criminal justice often being unfair to African-Americans. Two of his guests in the gallery were ex-convicts
Alice Johnson and Matthew Charles, both of whom are black.
Comment: The new normal has its signs everywhere. When exactly will life be perfect?