The Return of Dark Brandon
Thoughts on the State of the Union -- and what it might mean for Joe Biden's reelection campaign
President Joe Biden on Thursday gave a State of the Union address as remarkable for its delivery as it was for its substance. Amid all the concerns about Biden’s age and mental capacity, he made a case for his presidency -- and against a restoration of Donald Trump’s -- that was sharp, lively and at times downright pugnacious.
Biden talked about his record and what he’d like to do next for the country, covering a range of topics from prescription drugs to Ukraine. At every turn, he made clear the contrast between his vision for America and Trump’s, even if he never said Trump’s name. When Republican lawmakers talked back, as has now become customary, Biden talked right back at them. And at one point, Biden even singled out the Supreme Court — addressing the justices directly — for their rollback of reproductive rights.
Biden’s feisty energy was impossible to miss, as a quick look the headlines confirms:
“In-Your-Face Biden” (New York Times)
“Biden the Boxer” (Axios)
“Biden’s Blazing SOTU” (Semafor)
“Show of Strength” (CNN)
And at HuffPost? Our front page editors came up with this:
Still, the most telling response may have come from Biden critics like Fox News host Sean Hannity, who said Biden “sounded like a hyper-caffeinated, angry old man,” and Trump advisor Jason Miller, who on X/Twitter described Biden as “partisan, bitter, unhinged, yelling.”
The takes from Hannity and Miller weren’t particularly charitable. And whether you found Biden’s approach thrilling, reassuring or unsettling is a highly subjective matter.
But that kind of a reaction, even the negative kind, may be exactly what Biden and his supporters need.
Why? And could one speech really make a difference in the campaign?
Very good questions!
My latest HuffPost article addresses them. And it does so by using a historical analogy I took from my last book.
Here’s a link to the HuffPost article:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-state-union-memorable_n_65eb6841e4b0dce30d24221e
Thank you for reading!
P.S. If you are not familiar with the headline’s “Dark Brandon” reference, here’s an explanation.