On Tuesday, February 7th, 2023, President Biden spoke in front of Congress as part of what we call the State of the Union Address. Although George Washington and John Adams had contributed to something along the lines of the address, Woodrow Wilson is credited with having given the first televised—what we know today—State of the Union Address. The purpose of this widespread event is for the President to personalize with viewers at home, and to reflect on the “state of our union” or the state of the United States of America, and what we could do better or what we’ve been doing correctly.
This year, for Biden, it was important that he established a foothold with the Democrats in order for him to be eligible to run again in 2024. Democrats are looking for other candidates to represent the party in next year’s election, and Biden’s ultimate goal with this address was to prove his competence (given claims of his weathering mental state and old age) and to become popular with voters so that his shot of being the democratic pick is secured. President Biden kept a casualness about him throughout the speech, no doubt taking a page out of FDR’s Fireside Chats. Being relatable is seemingly important for new pools of younger democratic voters, and attention was paid to making some jokes and poking fun at the situation minimally. Biden addressed important topics such as regulation of insulin prices, building of infrastructure, production in America (keeping it in the states), and police reform and criminal justice. There were some topics that he neglected to mention, such as the rising issues with China, and a possible WWIII brewing with Russia’s advances on Ukraine.
Most notably, many have gathered opinions about the reactions of the Republican party to Biden’s speech and how that will shape voting for the 2024 election. Republicans can be heard yelling in the background at some of the left-leaning comments Biden made throughout the speech. People watching the speech could take it one of two ways—either that they’re saying what everyone’s thinking, or that it was disrespectful to yell when Biden was making the speech. Either way, Biden was able to bring up points that both parties agreed on, and he ended the speech with his confirmation that he believes the State of the Union is good, and that he believes in America and its capabilities.