Joe Biden's Star-Studded SOTU Clip Praised by Lis Smith, April Ryan

Joe Biden's celeb-packed State of the Union address preview was a stroke of genius -- this according to political heavy-hitters, Lis Smith and April Ryan.

We spoke to both on 'TMZ Live,' Thursday ... with Lis telling us that whoever in Biden's camp came up with that idea deserves a serious raise, 'cause these speeches can be a major snooze-fest ... so making politics cool for those who might not care is a big deal!

Lis goes on to say that if more folks in politics injected a little fun and humor into the mix, maybe we wouldn't be so stressed out all the time.

She's also saying the positives of that clip and Biden's approach totally outweigh any negatives ... adding that people throwing shade at it were probably never gonna vote for JB in the first place.

April -- the White House Correspondent for TheGrio -- also backs Lis' sentiments ...  saying Joe's team dropped that video to connect with everyone and show he's in touch with people's everyday struggles despite sitting in one of the most important buildings in the world.

She also tells us it's a smart move on his part 'cause becoming the U.S. President ain't just about domestic policy issues ... it's about playing on the global stage, too.

By putting out that video of him hilariously seeking advice from former President actors Morgan Freeman, Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Michael Douglas, and Tony Goldwyn ahead of his super serious speech ... he's painting a winning picture and showing confidence, rather than highlighting setbacks.

Of course, Joe's definitely had his fair share of criticism during his presidency -- especially when it comes to concerns about his age.