Standing before the majestic backdrop of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. addressed the nation on Sept. 1, saying that “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” In a speech that lasted just a bit of over 25 minutes, Mr. Biden spoke of how “MAGA Republicans don’t respect the Structure…. They don’t imagine within the rule of law. They don’t recognize the desire of the people.”
The president will get no argument from me there. It is obvious that we face an unprecedented threat from inside, one which’s been metastasizing for years. Partisanship begat polarization, which begat contempt, which now threatens violence. In line with a recent survey by the Institute of Politics on the University of Chicago, “across party lines, over 1 / 4 of voters—28%—agreed that ‘it could be crucial in some unspecified time in the future soon for residents to take up arms against the federal government.’”
That is clearly no abnormal time, and the president’s extraordinary message at Philadelphia—part warning, part exhortation—was subsequently welcome, but additionally demonstrated why he’s an imperfect messenger.
That is clearly no abnormal time, and the president’s extraordinary message—part warning, part exhortation—was subsequently welcome. But Mr. Biden also demonstrated why he’s an imperfect messenger and why his words will likely fall on deaf ears. For starters, he must have denounced the members of his own party who’re cynically supporting MAGA candidates with a purpose to gain a bonus within the autumn election. That he didn’t undermined the moral force of his argument. However the speech was also an unwieldy twofer. By attempting to mix a statesmanlike appeal to our higher angels with a partisan appeal to his policies, Mr. Biden did neither fully. His eloquent appeal to the American spirit was quickly followed by a pedestrian recitation of what he views as his policy achievements. Most Americans could have applauded the primary part. Some could have applauded the second. He needed to deliver a speech that the majority everyone could applaud throughout.
To be certain, every president has to wear several hats: head of state, head of presidency, head of party. That’s why it will be significant that a president be clear in his or her own mind—and that she or he make it clear to the audience—just which hat she or he is wearing at a given moment. At times Mr. Biden seemed to be talking to all of us; at other times he seemed to be talking only to his base. This just confused things, as in passages like this one: “MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards,” Mr. Biden said. “Backwards to an America where there isn’t any right to decide on, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you like.”
MAGA forces will probably want to restrict access to abortion and contraception, and so they may oppose same-sex marriage—but that’s not why they’re an existential threat to the constitutional order. There are lots of Americans who hold similar views and yet should not attempting to overthrow the republic. I fear that Mr. Biden’s failure to make such distinctions is why half the country could have tuned him out. That’s a missed opportunity. We all know that almost a 3rd of those that voted for Donald Trump in 2020 are willing to think about a distinct candidate in 2024. Did this speech persuade any of them to do this?
At times Mr. Biden seemed to be talking to all of us; at other times he seemed to be talking only to his base.
To be fair, Mr. Biden did make it clear that he was not lumping together all Republicans: “Not every Republican, not even the vast majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans,” he said. “Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology.” This can be a useful and crucial distinction, but seven words, even when spoken by a president, should not enough to undo the damage already done. As Eve Fairbanks recently observed in The Washington Post, Democrats in recent times “have called Trump supporters bigots, cultists, ‘psychotic’ and developmentally injured, ‘pathological,’ tormented by ‘mental shortcomings,’ and ‘akin to drug addicts.’” It’s not only Democrats who engage in name calling, in fact, but their name calling is more consequential. That’s since the Democrats need to really change minds. They should persuade the 30 percent of oldsters who voted for Mr. Trump, but may not vote for him again, that the Democrats actually care in regards to the things that these voters care about.
Most people who voted for Mr. Trump should not the MAGA maniacs Mr. Biden is apprehensive about. They should not intent on bringing down the republic. Additionally they distrust parties and politicians, and so they are subsequently more more likely to discount Mr. Biden’s warning. But those voters should not the Trump voters interviewed by the media or those we see in our newsfeeds or in our imaginations. The Democrats and never-Trumpers are obsessive about the loud and visual element of Trump voters who can never be persuaded. They ought to be focused as an alternative on those that could possibly be. I wish President Biden had delivered a speech that really spoke to all of us, but I especially wish he had delivered a speech that spoke to them. For the stakes are high and the time is brief.
