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Here We Go Again: Democracy, Biden, Persuasion and the 2024 Election
The State of the Union Presidential address is usually given in February. This year, Joe Biden will give the address on March 7th. I can’t figure out why it’s going to be delivered later this year. Maybe he needs more time to strategize. Take a look at any poll and…if you’re a progressive, a liberal, a moderate, or a lover of democracy, you won’t be reassured. By now we should know not to trust polls — especially those that are over nine months away from the big day. Still — with the Republican primaries in full swing and with no doubt as to who will represent them, it’s time to wake up and somehow accept this reality of uncertainty yet again.
In November 2016, the U.S. chose a non-politician as president. His campaign thrived on that outsider status. The country dealt with the ripple effects of that choice directly for four years, but we’re still dealing with all of the indirect consequences. I won’t attempt to analyze the ways in which it shaped our collective awareness of the role of leadership (no trust), of how our federal government actually functions (hollowed out departments, people leaving positions left and right), the declining strength of our institutions (from Federal departments to schools, local journalism…even the Post Office was threatened), and the overall negative global impact. The idea of democracy is…
