His ranting State of the Union address had nothing to say to ordinary Americans.
US president Joe Biden appeared before both houses of Congress for the annual State of the Union address, but decided to give a campaign-rally speech instead. He attacked Donald Trump early and often, although not by name, referring to his political opponent as ‘my predecessor’ multiple times. In an event that traditionally has a dignified air – a single heckle from the audience is usually greeted with gasps – Biden repeatedly taunted Republicans, and engaged with those calling back from the floor. Democrats broke out into chants of ‘four more years’. It was not like any State of the Union before.
Biden’s delivery style was the most striking aspect: he shouted for the whole 68-minute address. Much of the media tried to put a positive spin on it, calling it ‘forceful’ and ‘fiery’. But more apt terms would be ‘angry’ and ‘shrill’. While his base of Democrats may have loved to see it, there’s no doubt Biden’s shouting would have been off-putting to many Americans watching.
Indeed, Biden’s protest-too-much presentation had a strong air of desperation about it. Namely, he was desperate to try to prove he was up to the job of president for another four years. Even though he is sure to win his party’s nomination – after Super Tuesday primaries earlier this week, he is on a clear path to gaining sufficient votes – reports are that Democratic higher-ups want him to stand down.
You can understand why. Multiple polls in the past week show Biden losing to Trump, and he is viewed more unfavourably than his Republican rival. Moreover, most Americans say the country is moving in the wrong direction. They say Biden’s policies, including his massive spending on Covid handouts, green initiatives and other things, have ‘hurt’, not benefitted, them. Never has so much public money been spent to so little positive political effect.
Most of all, it’s Biden’s age and mental abilities that scare Democrats. After a series of confused statements, the 81-year-old Biden is trying to shake off the impression that he is ‘an elderly man with a poor memory’, as special counsel Robert Hur recently described him. Even three-quarters of Democrats believe Biden is too old to run.
It was clear that last night Biden was going out of his way to try to show that he had the energy and wits to do the job. But he was so determined to prove his doubters wrong that he over-compensated with a rant. The vibe was ‘Grandpa’s really mad because we told him he shouldn’t be driving anymore’.
