US President Joe Biden delivered his traditional State of the Union address on Tuesday night, a message before both houses of Congress, ministers, Supreme Court justices and senior military commanders. Biden highlighted the main achievements of his administration, but also outlined them the guidelines of what is to come. Some keys to your message.
1- A clear electoral speech
The president has not yet formalized his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections. He has said he will finalize it early this year and has left the door open to definitively opt out of re-election. But the general tone of his speech was country. In fact, he said several times: “There is a lot of work to finish”, a veiled way of doing it apply for support for another four years.
Polls seem complicated. According to a survey by Washington Post AND abc, 62% of Americans believe Biden “has done little” or “almost nothing” since taking office two years ago. Additionally, the poll revealed that although 78% of Democrats and independents approve of the president’s handling, 58% would prefer another candidate next year.
Although the polls are not favourable, there is no other democrat who surpasses his image today. Vice President Kamala Harris has failed to gain a foothold in the White House and she is not seen as her natural successor, even by Democrats.
Throughout his speech, Biden sought to reinvigorate his image. He has defended various policies since his early years in government and has reviewed the main achievements of his administration.
Although ultra-conservative FOX said Biden’s speech was “full of lies” and “divisive,” 71 percent of respondents in a quick poll from progressive CNN said the country was headed in the right direction. Before the message, only 52% had expressed their support. Biden seems to have liked his base. It’s not little.
2- Attention to the middle class
In another sign that he’s on the campaign, Biden has focused most of his speech on signals to the middle class, a key sector when it comes to winning elections. AND the economic message was fundamental. He highlighted the economic trend in recent years, with predictable self-celebrations. He highlighted the record 12 million jobs created and revised the bills he signed to invest in infrastructure, low-carbon energy sources, as well as reduce the cost of prescription drugs and insulin.
The president also dwelt specifically on the parts of his agenda that he believes would help blue-collar workers, many of them in parts of the country that have been left behind in the shifting global economy.
He emphasized spending that will create high-paying jobs that don’t require a college degree, a clear message to the large swathes of undecided voters in states like Pennsylvania and Michigan who haven’t graduated from college.
Biden also devoted a good portion of his speech to another issue that affects the middle class. You have called for the so-called “Junk Fare Prevention Act” to be passed, which would eliminate some irritating situations such as airlines charging extra for families to sit together; the high commissions charged by the company that sells the concert tickets and the transfer fees of the media companies, among others. “Americans are tired of being thought crazy,” she said.
“My economic plan is to invest in places and people who have been forgotten,” who “were left behind or treated as if they were invisible” over the past four decades, he said, in a message that momentarily echoed that by Donald. Trump.
“No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter,” said the president, who also highlighted the promotion of “Made in America,” another of Trump’s emblems.
3- Message for the democratic base
Biden touched on several issues affecting his Democratic supporters. He has been emphatic that he will not allow Republicans to change social or health benefits. He also spoke about the rights of the LGTBQ community. And he devoted several minutes to police brutality, one of the most emotional moments of his speech.
“Imagine losing a child to the law,” Biden said after pointing to the parents of the young black man killed weeks ago by police at the compound. However, the president was careful not to go further and ask for the defunding of the police, as claimed by the more radical left of his party. He has also asked for additional resources to train forces.
4- Units? Difficult
Biden will govern for the first time with the opposition-dominated House of Representatives. In his speech he asked his “republican friends” for a unified agenda, on the subjects of the fight against opioids, aid for veterans and the low cost of some drugs.
But, beyond his words, Biden has shown with his attitude that he is willing to face the Republicans if necessary.
When the president began to rebuke the conservatives for their proposals to end some social programs, the tension within the enclosure went up and some started shouting: “Liar!”.
The president stepped out of his prepared message and dismissed, “I’m enjoying this conversation.” “Come to my office,” he continued.
Despite these bitter exchanges, which showed the division of the country, Biden wanted to present himself as a leader capable of reaching agreements with the Republicans. “I’ve never been so optimistic about the future of the United States. We just have to remember who we are,” he proclaimed.
5- Passed the image test
At 80, Biden is the oldest president in US history. Were he to win a second term, he would finish at 86 and there are many doubts about his ability and energy to govern. Social media is full of memes with the president arguing with words or getting lost in speeches.
With Tuesday’s message, Biden He tried to reverse that image of weakness, which also have many of his Democratic supporters.
He worked for several weeks on writing the speech. She read it aloud several times and took strategic breaks to avoid the stutter he has had since he was a child and which occurs often. He is not a great speaker, nor does he have enormous charisma. Nobody expected too much and just had to avoid mistakes. He accomplished that task.
While it started with a few setbacks, it solidified and showed over the course of the message energetic and combative and even got a few flashes of offhand humor when he was yelled at “liar” by Republican benches and snapped back. Your advisers will breathe a sigh of relief.
6- The republican reaction
When she finished her speech, Arkansas Gov. Sandra Huckabee Sanders, 40 and a former Trump spokesperson, led the Republican response, who railed against Biden’s “radical left” and what he considers an attack to “freedom and peace”.
“The Biden administration seems more interested in ‘woke up’ (politically correct) fantasies than in the harsh reality Americans face every day,” he said. Under the rule of the radical left, he added, the population is “crushed” by the high fuel prices and empty supermarket shelves, and children are taught “to hate each other because of their race, instead of loving each other” or their “great country”.
Ultra-conservative Ted Cruz called the president’s speech “divisive, angry, unrealistic and dishonest.”
The same Donald Trump who appeared with a message on his Truth Social platform in which he called Biden “the most corrupt president in US history”.
The tycoon concluded with a promise that he will put an end to the “destruction” of the country when he wins the 2024 presidential election, for which he ran in November.
However, he surprised the president with a compliment: “I disagree with him on most of his policies, but he put into words what he felt and ended the evening much stronger than it started. Give him credit for that,” she said.
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Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.