Biden's SOTU struck the right tone...

...but Republicans blew it and our government is still a circus

Soapbox

Biden's SOTU struck the right tone...

...but Republicans blew it and our government is still a circus

Kiyah Willis

Six months ago I wrote an article responding to President Biden's Soul of Our Nation Speech. I was disappointed  he accused half of the nation of being “extremists” after his initial presidential promise to unify our country. I and many others who have not been supportive of his policies felt attacked and alienated by his divisive language.

As the State of the Union approached, I was ready for the insults to continue, but I was surprised. While he did take some jabs at his political opposition the speech felt tamer as if he learned from the negative feedback he received last year. 

The speech started on a fairly positive note. President Biden opened by summarizing the positive achievements the country had faced in the last year and called America a “story of progress and resilience.” After a quick jab at how democracy was “bruised” he continued by celebrating “300 bipartisan pieces of legislation” passed by Congress.

And to my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there's no reason we can't work together and find consensus on important things in this Congress as well. I think—folks, you all are just as informed as I am, but I think the people sent us a clear message: Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict gets us nowhere.

His tone here was very different from his Soul of Our Nation Speech. During his previous speech he acted as if America was on the brink of collapse due to the existence of the Republican Party. This time around his insults such as “semi-fascists” were absent and he seemed happy that both parties could get along and be productive.

In addition to not directly attacking his opponents, he had a very “America First” approach to his policies for the first few minutes of the speech.

For decades, the middle class has been hollowed out in more than—and not in one administration, but for a long time. Too many good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Factories closed down. Once-thriving cities and towns that many of you represent became shadows of what they used to be. And along the way, something else we lost: pride, our sense of self-worth [...] For too many decades, we imported projects and exported jobs. Now, thanks to what you've all done, we're exporting American products and creating American jobs.

Despite disagreeing with all of Biden’s proposed policies, I was relieved to see an attempt to bridge the gap with MAGA voters. It seemed like he was trying to reach out a hand and assure that we are all on the same team, even though we disagree on some things. 

Even as he shifted into more traditionally Democrat policies things seemed to be civil…until he brought up a controversial proposition by the Republicans in Congress to limit Social Security.

So my—many of—some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage—I get it—unless I agree to their economic plans.

From this point forward, the room’s attitude changed drastically. Republican Congressmen booed and screamed at him as he continued to speak about issues such as Medicaid and the fentanyl crisis. The worst moment of the night came when Republican Representative, Marjorie Taylor Greene, repeatedly shouted that he was a “liar” as he talked about the debt ceiling. 

This moment exposed what I feared: our country's political division was still loud and clear and not going anywhere soon. 

The bar of expectations is so low I was impressed that Biden did not call Republicans “fascists.” Yet the Republicans somehow managed to crawl below it and disappoint me with their overly emotional and disrespectful behavior. Politicians are unwilling to put “America First” and have meaningful dialogue about issues. Instead, they have turned our government into a circus where both parties try to out-asshole each other for cheap and meaningless reactions.

While everyone running our government is an adult who can and should take responsibility for their actions I partially blame the voters for the state of our politics. We incentivize our representatives to act this way by reelecting people whose goals are viral video clips and clicks, not determining what’s best for the country. 

Votes and campaign donations should be rewards for meaningful change, not going viral on TikTok. Instead, politicians grow their bank accounts by fueling the fire of our division. They have tricked their bases into believing the most confrontational person in the room is the one who is most passionate about solving problems. This has never turned out to be true.    

So, we end up where we are now, with presidential speeches that feel more like reality TV than a representation of our country’s best. By watching politicians fight each other, we are distracted from the real issues. It is up to us to consciously consider who we want to run our country and vote based on policies and track records of legislative success instead of how loud one can scream at the other side. 

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Kiyah Willis is a fellow at Objective Standard Institute focusing on cultural trends and their causes and consequences. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kiyah worked as a data analyst before transitioning to philosophy. You can find her advocating reason, individualism, and liberty on Twitter and TikTok and on her Substack.