Political experts claim that Joe Biden has adopted a dangerous tactic by demonizing “MAGA Republicans” ahead of the midterm elections. They claim that although the escalation in language may energize the Democratic base, it alienates the ordinary voter.
In his final push to save Democrats‘ seats in Congress, Mr. Biden has abandoned his pledge to be a “president for all people” and increased his use of campaign rhetoric characterizing his political opponents as anti-democratic extremists. He is fighting against persistently low approval ratings, a faltering economy, and rising crime.
According to political pollster and commentator John Couvillon, the plan disregards moderate voters who are more likely to be influenced by policy ideas and the status of the economy.
The tactic, he added, might harm the Democratic party in the long run, even though it may lessen some Democratic losses in the midterm elections.
Mr. Couvillon remarked, “It appears like what you have is a win-at-all-cost attitude, which is to do everything possible to please your base. But I believe that is an unsustainable short-term plan. He may believe he is now winning battles in the near term, but he still has two years to lead. And I believe that will lose him votes in 2024 if voters believe that all you’re doing is continually bashing the opposition.
Mr. Biden doesn’t appear to be doing much to calm the simmering political tensions. During a DNC event, the president referred to former President Donald Trump‘s “Make America Great Again” political platform as “semi-fascism,” kicking off the Democrats’ autumn campaign drive.
Days later, Mr. Biden described this year’s midterm elections as a never-ending struggle for “the spirit of America” in a prime-time speech delivered in front of the brightly lighted Independence National Historical Park backdrop in Philadelphia.
“A lot of what is occurring in our nation right now is abnormal. The radicalism that Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans stand for undermines the fundamental core of our nation, according to Mr. Biden.
He charged that “MAGA Republicans” were seeking to frustrate “the will of the people,” refusing to acknowledge free and fair elections, threatening violence in reaction to political measures they disagree with, and advocating for violence. Trump supporters who won’t accept the results of the 2020 election came under fire from Mr. Biden. Under their kind of thinking, “Democracy cannot exist,” he declared.
The president claimed that he wasn’t criticizing all Republicans but rather focusing on Mr. Trump’s supporters who, in his words, “dominated” and “intimidated” traditional Republicans.
Republicans in MAGA have chosen their side. They enjoy being angry. They benefit from turmoil. They do not live in the light of truth, but rather in the shadow of falsehoods, according to Mr. Biden. After being criticized by Republicans and others of utilizing the bully pulpit to spew hyperpartisan animus, Biden walked back some of his comments.
When questioned last week about whether he believed all Trump supporters should be classified as dangers to the nation following his words in Philadelphia, Mr. Biden said he drew the line at those who refused to recognize the results of the 2020 election and those who urged for the use of violence.
Mr. Biden stated, “I don’t believe any Trump fan to be a threat to the country. “People supported Donald Trump when he ran for office. They were not supporting an assault on the Capitol. They weren’t casting their ballots to annul an election. They were supporting the viewpoint he had advanced by voting.
The president’s attempt to defend his statements hasn’t really quieted the criticism.
“I don’t consider any Trump supporters a threat to the country,” said Richard Vatz, a professor of rhetoric and communication at Towson University. “It’s utterly paradoxical to suggest on one day that MAGA Republicans are a threat to equality and democracy.” “Those two statements cannot be reconciled,” said the speaker.
Following Mr. Biden’s address in Philadelphia, the Trafalgar Group conducted a national survey. Of the respondents, 56.8% said the speech was a “risk escalation in language aimed to create discord among Americans.”
In an election year, just 35% of those surveyed thought the rhetoric was “appropriate campaign messaging.”
62.4% of independent and third-party voters thought the speech was harmful, compared to 31.2% who thought it was appropriate campaign rhetoric.
The White House has nevertheless supported the rhetorical escalation.
When questioned about Mr. Biden’s statements in Philadelphia on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded, “It wasn’t contentious.” “Based on how we saw the speech, he was addressing the majority of Americans who concur that our democracy has to be protected.
He spoke of a minority, a small collection of individuals, who have extreme beliefs and pose a threat to the fundamental foundation of what makes our nation unique, she added.
During this week’s Labor Day campaign addresses, Mr. Biden continued to criticize. He warned Mr. Trump and his supporters that they pose a threat to their freedoms while speaking to supporters in swing states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The president reminded a crowd of steelworkers gathering at his union hall speech in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, “This is not your father’s Republican Party.” “Man, this is a completely different party. These men are unique. The new MAGA Republicans have made their positions quite apparent. They go to extremes. And there’s a serious threat to democracy.
While Mr. Biden ran for office on a platform of bringing the nation together, his rhetoric stoked concerns that under his leadership, America has grown even more polarized.
According to Mr. Couvillon and Mr. Vatz, the rise in partisanship in the run-up to the midterm elections is a sign of a more general hollowing-out of the middle in political debate.
Joe Biden has changed as drastically as few politicians in my memory, according to Mr. Vatz. “I don’t perceive any distinction between Trump and Biden’s statements right now. They appear to be supporting each other’s statements, in my opinion.
Nevertheless, Mr. Couvillon asserted that no politician can succeed without garnering a wide audience. Without actually understanding that politics is all about forming and preserving coalitions, he continued, “you have a bunch of people in politics who only contemplate playing to the base and demonizing the opponent.” “Presidents perform at their best when they remain out of the battle.”
