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There are moments in life that you should not miss: the final exam, the first date – or the State of the Union speech in the middle of the American election year 2024. American President Joe Biden (81) delivered the most important appearance of his more than 50-year political career.
The speech that American presidents deliver once a year to the assembled parliament and an audience of millions on the screens is routine in itself. But for Biden, who is behind Donald Trump (77) in almost all polls, it is all or nothing this time. This is evident from the fact that the most powerful man in the world withdrew to the presidential estate of Camp David for an entire weekend with some communications professionals to refine his speech.
Three things could go wrong for Biden tonight — and put enormous pressure on Democrats to replace their aging warhorse with a fitter candidate.
1
The public is against him
Biden avoids public appearances. And when he does venture out of cover, he shows himself almost exclusively to fans and friends. But at the State of the Union address, almost exactly half the audience was against him. The Republican lawmakers and politicians will not cheer him or shout encouragement.
The best case scenario for Biden is that they sit there grumpy. In the stupidest cases, however, the thin-skinned American president allows himself to be provoked and thrown off course by some bickering or derogatory gesture. For example, from Speaker of Parliament Mike Johnson (52), a Trump-loving Republican who sits less than two meters away from Biden.
Lately, Biden has repeatedly changed his tune and responded with hate. At the press conference organized at short notice in early February, for example, when he defended himself visibly emotionally against an expert’s accusation that he was a ‘forgetful older gentleman’.
In tonight’s speech, Biden cannot afford to be a little uncertain. Otherwise, the growing number of skeptics who see Biden as too old and too confused for the most powerful office on earth will finally be confirmed.
2
His great weakness is his mouth
Biden’s State of the Union address last year was 7,216 words. He spoke for exactly one hour, one minute and 50 seconds. It went well and the Democrats were clearly relieved afterwards.
But there is now equal concern about whether Biden can repeat his rhetorical performance from last year. The data contradicts him. Biden gets confused almost every day. “We are very nervous,” a Democratic politician told news portal Axios.
You can forgive the former stutterer for his linguistic stumbling blocks. But his opponents will take advantage of every mistake. Especially Trump, the gifted orator who enjoys imitating Biden and playing the confused president during his election campaign appearances.
3
He talks past people
Of course, it’s not just the ‘how’ that counts, but also the ‘what’. Jeff Zients, one of the advisors who worked on the speech with Biden at Camp David, announced that Biden would radiate a lot of optimism and would talk about, among other things, the planned reduction in drug prices.
Above all, Biden will try to present the booming American economy as his legacy and draw attention to the central role of the United States in the fight against despots such as Vladimir Putin (71) or Xi Jinping (70).
What is really urgent for many undecided voters, besides inflation, is the migration issue, which the Republican Party has cleverly taken over for itself. Democrats would be willing to enact strict immigration laws if Republicans would agree to a new aid package for Ukraine in return. But Trump’s party is blocking that and Biden has not yet found the right twist to make people believe that he is taking the migration issue seriously.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
