On Feb. 5, President Trump delivered his annual State of the Union address from the halls of Congress. Stacey Abrams was chosen for the honor of giving the Democratic response to his speech. The Commander in Chief finished his Presidential address, leaving Stacey Abrams with the nation’s eye. Most media outlets were broadcasting the words she was saying to millions of Americans. She called for unity in a divided America in a very articulate way. Most people that watched her speech heard a very impassioned voice. While there was passion, it was controlled in a manner that wound up being extremely effective. Even though she belongs to the Democratic party, she laid off overly attacking him, and instead, brought policies to his attention that could still be bettered. This approach to politics is one that is increasingly diminished in today’s society.

In a time in politics where respect remains largely unused, Abrams provides a different perspective. In her response to the President, it would have been very easy to insult Mr. Trump over policies that he has or has not enacted. Instead, her calm, civil approach to her speech was one that made her thoughts come across in an easygoing way. Her facial expressions and poignant statements made her seem as a person who is an everyday American. This down to earth approach to politics makes her very different from other government leaders in the United States today. It is one that other politicians should start using once again.

Stacey Abrams is not new to politics. She started as a Deputy City Attorney for Atlanta. After that she moved on to be a part of the Georgia General Assembly, even serving as the minority leader for the Democratic party from 2011 to 2017. She gained national acclaim when she ran for governor of Georgia in 2018. Even though she wound up losing the election, it allowed her to go on to be invited to give the State of the Union response.

I am sure that both sides of the political spectrum can agree that verbally attacking political opponents has become much more common during the Trump era. The jabbing worked for him and he edged his way into the nation’s highest seat. Since then, both parties have stooped to new lows over their agendas. This mess in our government has led to such occurrences as the government shutdown earlier this year.

Abrams’ words were well thought out and intriguing. This leaves some questions remaining: can politicians start bridging together to better America once again? Can our top leaders start to have civil conversations that show a way forward for America? Time will tell how we will move on as a country, but politicians who encourage bipartisanship, like Stacey Abrams,  should produce the best results in the United States.