Biden fails to turn the tide with State of the Union speech

Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address, which he delivered to Congress last week, offered a great chance for the US president to reinvent himself. He scored a degree of success by delivering most of his talk on domestic issues. However, many Americans got the impression that a great deal of what Biden talked about was still unfinished business.

Biden spoke at length about American families. For example, he said that the average cost of childcare for a single child is $14,000 a year. This is a huge burden for the average American family. Therefore, he focused on the American Rescue Plan Act, which was passed last year, because it includes a child tax credit of $3,600 for every family with a child aged five years or younger.

The president was also right to address inflation, particularly the rising cost of food. He was also very enthusiastic about the ability of America to manufacture electric cars. And he referred to the US as being able to produce more semiconductors. He alluded to this not just because of America’s ability to take the lead in the production of this critical industrial product, but also in terms of edging out China’s dominance.

Biden tried his best to radiate optimism to the American people at a time when there is a sense of a malaise sweeping over the US and Europe. He quoted a steel factory worker from Pittsburgh who hoped that the American states long hurt by economic decline would no longer be called the Rust Belt. He did not suggest a new name, but he hoped that the depression would end soon.

The Democratic president mentioned some progressive policy plans, such as how to improve voting rights. This is a reference to making laws that do not discriminate against minorities. He also totally refuted all suggestions of defunding the police. This places him in opposition to a big constituency on the American left, which equates justice with limiting the power of law enforcement agencies. And in a sign that American culture and politics have become more tolerant of things that were once taboo, Biden projected himself as a champion of transgender freedoms and rights. He also loudly stated his support for abortion rights. This will complicate his relations with many conservatives, especially conservative Democrats.

Biden also showed political pride in advancing several key liberal policy items, such as protections against climate change, the passing of the COVID-19 relief bill and in getting bipartisan approval for his infrastructure bill. But the speech’s emphasis on the centrist policy stances espoused by Biden failed to attract a good response from much of the American public. The US electorate may want to move to the center, but it also wants the president to take decisive actions, not just try to endlessly balance things. For instance, Biden did not declare any new policy on how the US will end its coronavirus restrictions. He did not provide good guidance on how Americans should conduct their personal and business activities as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to decrease. He urged the American people to “fill our great downtowns again.” However, he added that “I cannot promise a new variant won’t come. But I can promise you we will do everything within our power to be ready if it does.”

Biden promised to release more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. But he left many questions about how that will keep the price of gasoline low. He also did not elaborate on how the use of the strategic oil reserve will impact the global energy market.

For sure, Biden was aiming to find a middle ground, stressing what is known as a unity agenda. This is why he emphasized fighting the opioid epidemic and the need to beat cancer. Ultimately, the speech did not improve his bad polling numbers and may not rescue the Democrats from big losses in the midterm elections this November.

The speech did not improve Biden’s bad polling numbers and may not rescue the Democrats from big losses in the midterm elections this November” – Maria Maalouf

The conditions facing America and the world right now created this speech. Biden was very sensitive to every development taking place in global and American politics. However, he could not capture the moment to give his audience assurances that things are under control. With the crisis in Ukraine and the economic troubles Americans are facing, many people think that things are out of control.

Biden’s somewhat frail appearance during his State of the Union address may have given the impression that his personal influence is being downgraded in US domestic and foreign policy. The Democrats are already losing the support of the Latino population, which could be very detrimental for them in the November elections. This is due to many factors, including Republican attacks accusing them of being the party of socialism and extreme-left politics. In addition, many people, Latinos included, are confused over the system of semi-chaos on the border between the US and Mexico. Biden lost big when he sent Vice President Kamala Harris there, since her visit did not do anything to solve the messy situation.

Many Americans doubt the economic benefits of the Green New Deal that Biden and the Democrats have been talking up. Some fear it could be a throwback to the old accusations of the Democrats by the Republicans of their policy being one of tax and spend. In general, the American people are less receptive to the messages of the Biden administration and the Democrats in general than they were in 2020.

Maria Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist, broadcaster, publisher and writer. She has a master’s degree in political sociology from the University of Lyon. Twitter: @bilarakib
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News’ point of view

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