Biden Denounces White Supremacy in Charleston Speech
Yesterday's speech by President Biden, at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, was, of course, part of his re-election campaign. But I got a whole lot more out of it than that, by watching it, more than once, and going back to make sure I got the full effect, not only of his words, but of the whole context of his appearance there.
I've been waiting for him to come out swinging when it comes to his campaign, and especially in opposition to Trump. He speaks with clarity of purpose and with a determination that is powerful and visible. Critics of his age and mental state will be disappointed. Not only did he give them absolutely nothing with which to criticize his age and vitality or his mental state, he buried their criticism and proved them wrong. I know, that won't stop the critics, but compared to Trump, who is stupefyingly boring, bumbling and fumbling, he's so much easier to listen to, to understand, focused and sticks to the topic.
He Attacked Trump Head On
Attacking the lies and the crimes head on, up front, is the right thing to do. As James Clyburn noted in his introduction, not a whole lot is being said about Biden's achievements and accomplishments, and not a lot of emphasis is being placed on the crimes and lies of Trump. Why not point these things out directly? More people will hear, and of course, the President does have a bully pulpit. So use it.
The phrase "second lost cause" will get a lot of traction and will resonate with people. That's an excellent phrase that speaks for itself and makes the point without a lot of explanation. I can't ever recall a President of the United States saying, about his opponent in an election, "He's a loser," in a context that was so glaringly evident. I sat up straight when he said it, just a natural part of his complete thought, but wow, what a comment. Not an insult or name calling, just a fact. It must have taken the crowd by surprise, because it took a few seconds for them to take it in, and then respond with loud applause and cheers. Their chants of "four more years" were also heart warming.
He's using a strategy that the other Republican candidates are missing, except, of course, for Chris Christie. But Christie's problem is that he's still a Republican. The fact of the matter is that 60% of the voters in this country have no desire at all to see Trump return to the White House, and Biden made the case for them to give himself four more years, as the crowd at Mother Emanuel church kept chanting.
He linked everything to a few simple themes that people can easily understand. He used all of the common terminology, the "big lie", conspiracy theory and the biggest theme of all, white supremacy, used in a historically African American church in front of a predominantly African American audience
Comfortable in a Protestant, Christian Pulpit
It has been very difficult for me to understand how conservative, Evangelical Christians, most of whom are critical of the beliefs and behavior of non-Evangelical Christians and especially of Catholics, don't have any problems with an unbelieving, worldly fraud like Trump, who, when he started after their support, didn't even know enough of their beliefs, practice, or culture to use the lingo. He still has no idea what to say when he sits down with one of their celebrity media pastors or leaders for a chat, and puts them in the awkward position of having to make excuses for his unorthodox statements and gaffes.
But President Biden doesn't require a briefing. He's Catholic, and in spite of their caustic criticism of the Catholic church, its doctrine and practice, he's perfectly comfortable behind the pulpit of a historically African American Protestant church. He and Jill have comfortably worshipped there, for the purpose of bringing comfort in a time of grief, but also graciously accepting their ministry to him when he was grieving the loss of his own son.
He wasn't uncomfortable using the terminology because he's familiar with it himself and he knows what it means, and he wasn't uncomfortable speaking about it because its something he has in common with them. He was sincere. Trump never is, and that's a big difference that people can see. And you'll never find Joe Biden imposing his religious beliefs on anyone. He understands religious liberty and freedom of conscience and practices it. Trump and Republicans want to get rid of it.
Energy, Vitality, Clarity, Passion
The President does have thinning, gray hair and eyebrows to match. In some ways, that's refreshing compared to Trump, who clearly looks his age in the face and tries to cover it up with ridiculous hair color and makeup that is quite visible. Trump is also obese, and needs help getting up on and down off podiums and platforms. I wonder what the walk through the streets of Kyiv that the President took with President Zelenskyy would have done to Trump and whether he would have been able to line up at a microphone and speak afterward. But then, Trump would never have taken a ten hour train ride through a country at war, without the protection of the American military, into its capital city, even if he'd have made money doing it. He's not that courageous.
In Biden's speech to the audience packed into Mother Emanuel, there was no fumbling, bumbling, rambling lack of clarity. I could not tell if he was using a teleprompter or not, since he kept eye contact with the camera and the audience. When he was interrupted by Pro-Palestinian protesters, he kept his cool, didn't threaten, let them have their moment, and then addressed their concern. That moment alone is a stark illustration of the difference between the two men, one of them a confident, self-assured leader, the other a hothead who can't control his anger.
It was inappropriate to use this moment, during a commemoration, to protest by interrupting the President. The protesters were removed, as they should have been, peacefully, eight of them in all according to the reports of the incident, the crowd had the chance to express themselves with chants of "four more years," and then, Biden went right back to his speech. There were no threats of violence, or acts of violence in contrast to Trump rallies.
And if someone was watching for a mental slip, or some kind of indication that the President isn't mentally capable of the job, they had to have been sorely disappointed. And they're also quaking in their boots, because it's pretty clear their guy's cheese has slipped off his cracker. Trump is scared spitless to get engaged in a debate with Biden, because he doesn't have the mental capability to stay focused on the discussion and the grasp of facts with which to respond.
The Right Side of the Issue
Any American who understands the values on which this country is built got that speech. There's a lot of talk in the media about Biden's polling numbers among African Americans, Latinos and young people slipping. Slipping, where? Among groups Trump has openly stated are "poisoning the blood of our country," and whom he considers to be enemies of the country? Seriously? I'm not trusting any poll that tries to tell me groups of people who are targets of Trump's wrath are planning to vote for him in 2024.
But the President is on the right track with his campaign themes here. He attacked this right wing drivel head on, with facts, making direct references to the big lie, the stain of white supremacy and the threat to Democracy that Trump poses. Trump likes to use the words and the themes, and to him and is ilk, democracy means they get what they want and no one else does. And they narrowly define who benefits from its privileges as only those who look like them. `The President's vision of democracy is a real one, benefitting all Americans regardless of their differences.
And there isn't anyone in it who is "poisoning the blood" of this country.
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