The September 1, 2022 speech presented as the “Continued Battle for the Soul of the Nation” was a necessary speech but we shouldn’t be surprised that it was never going to be universally accepted. We are too polarized.
I wasn’t moved by the speech but the president did an excellent job of distinguishing the old republicans I knew and liked from today’s more radical republicans. As I stated in my previous blog, I have been looking for the label that separates the Republicans that I knew and respected from the current vocal republicans who don’t mind considering secession, dismiss the need for a January 6 commission, and continue to think that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. In the back of my mind, I will label them MAGAs. I won’t apply President Biden’s semi-fascist because that requires me to define fascism.
I have to repeat what I have been posting all week. “They created the “let’s go Brandon” chant and then they get their fee-fees hurt when Biden calls them semi-fascist MAGAs. Let’s get real MAGAs, if it wasn’t for name-calling, you would not have anything to say. The other irritating comment is “he’s supposed to be the uniter.” You cannot unite those who refuse to take any steps towards uniting. From the books and articles, I have read, Joe Biden is an uniter at heart. During the first months after the financial crisis and during the push for the Affordable Care Act, a lot of time and key parts of necessary legislation were lost because Biden wanted a lot of his GOP friends to buy in but it was never a reality.
I know the White House said it was not a political speech but I respectfully disagree. The speech had to be given before Labor Day when the political races officially begin. This speech targeted the Independents who think Dobbs was wrongfully decided, democracy is at risk and that the insurrection and the attempted coup were wrong. It was the perfect time because who would have thought that 57% of Americans fear the loss of our democracy? The speech had tailwinds following a string of legislation victories, some were bipartisan, and good jobs report. Biden’s job approvals are rising, so why not?
The likelihood of a civil war is less and less with each passing day because the courts are sending the insurrectionists to jail and the J6 committee will expose those who attempted the coup. The fake electors and those who were involved will also face the consequences. In recent days Mark Meadows came out of hiding after Mar-a-Lago and turned over additional texts and emails. The next January 6 Hearing should be a doozy.
I said I don’t see a civil war brewing but I think the divisiveness will continue and CNN is banking on it. CNN’s new CEO Chris Licht has decided to embrace more republicans as hosts and guests to improve their ratings. The network called Biden’s speech hateful. They also thought the two marines stationed behind the president should not have been there. I don’t remember the criticism after George W. Bush in a full-flight suit landed on the USS Lincoln to give his “Major combat operations in Iraq are over” speech. I won’t even mention Trump’s misuses because the list is too long. Then in other news, a right-wing German conglomerate bought Politico for $1 billion.
That brings me to trust. It’s disheartening for an institutionalist to hear that the FBI, Secret Service, and Homeland Security deleted their 2021 January 5-6 texts warning them of a possible threat to Nancy Pelosi. It’s equally disheartening to hear “he/she was appointed by Trump, Obama, Clinton, or Bush.” That should not matter, the law is the law. I heard the pundits say “if DOJ appeals it will go to a conservative court of appeals where it is likely to lose.” What duh! This has to stop if democracy is going to prevail.
Trust always comes in small steps but take notice: A prominent GOP judge from Ft. Worth is endorsing Mike Collier for Lt. Governor and so is a state senator. A judge ordered New Mexico County Commissioner Couy Griffin removed from office under the 14th amendment because of his engagement in the January 6 insurrection.
Don’t succumb to or spread conspiracy theories, we can win at the ballot box and hopefully fix the broken pieces and restore democracy. Hopefully in a bipartisan fashion.