In his third State of the Union address, presented last Thursday evening, President Biden mentioned three former presidents by name: Roosevelt, Lincoln, and Reagan. Another went unnamed as his predecessor 13 times—the 900-pound elephant in the Chamber.
For a little more than an hour, Biden delivered a blistering unsparing attack on his “predecessor,” and at the same time, presented his accomplishments that stood in direct contrast to Trump’s.
Each former president provided Biden a lead into framing incidents connected to his predecessor. Roosevelt’s challenges occurred during World War II with Hitler on the march, i.e., Putin’s invasion of Ukraine; Lincoln had the Civil War, i.e., the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6; and Reagan’s demand that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall, i.e., another reference to Putin and Trump’s statement that he would do whatever he wanted to the NATO nations that refused to pay their debts.
Yes, Biden discussed the State of the Union—the economy, infrastructure, employment, immigration, reproductive rights, etc.—but the domestic issues paled in comparison to the foreign problems, and he gave a considerable amount of his “campaign” speech to Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict, with a promise to build a pier to facilitate the distribution of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Toward the middle of his address, Biden singled out Latoya Beasley, a Black social worker from Birmingham, Alabama, who “14 months ago tonight…welcomed a baby girl thanks to the miracle of IVF. She scheduled treatments to have a second child, but the Alabama Supreme Court shut down IVF treatments across the state, unleashed by the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
“She was told her dream would have to wait. What her family has gone through should never have happened. And unless Congress acts, it could happen again. So tonight, let’s stand up for families like hers!”
Biden devoted much more time to voting rights, with an informative dive into history again in Alabama. “A transformational moment in our history happened 59 years ago today in Selma, Alabama,” he said. “Hundreds of foot soldiers for justice marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, named after a Grand Dragon of the KKK, to claim their fundamental right to vote. They were beaten, bloodied, and left for dead.
“Our late friend and former colleague John Lewis was at the march. We miss him. Joining us tonight are other marchers who were there, including Betty May Fikes, known as the ‘Voice of Selma.’”
A daughter of gospel singers and preachers, Fikes sang songs of prayer and protest on Bloody Sunday to help shake the nation’s conscience. Five months later, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. But 59 years later, forces are taking us back in time.
“Voter suppression,” Biden stated. “Election subversion. Unlimited dark money. Extreme gerrymandering. John Lewis was a great friend to many of us here. But if you truly want to honor him and all the heroes who marched with him, then it’s time for more than just talk. Pass and send me the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act!”
It was the kind of speech many voters have been waiting to hear—for Biden to stress his accomplishments, place his record next to his “predecessor’s, and make it official that the battle for the White House is underway.
If nothing else resounded from his 2024 State of the Union rhetoric, Biden put his foot to the pedal and possibly woke up the flagging attention of his base.