Biden’s “Soul of the Nation” Speech Tonight

The President is trying to protect “democratic values,” but unless Republicans join him in speaking out, Trumpism won’t break.

Between May and August, something shifted in the minds of a lot of American voters. They got a lot more worried about what is happening to our democracy. Tonight in Philadelphia, President Biden is expected to address that issue head on. The slow boil that is political conflict in America is about to get a lot hotter.

First, what changed? In May, the NBC News national poll asked registered voters what the most important issue was facing the country, gave them a list of possible responses, and then combined their first and second choices. At the top was the cost of living, with 36% mentioning it as their first or second biggest worry. Second came jobs and the economy, with 33%. A distant third with 20% was “voting rights and election integrity.”

In mid-August, the top issue had changed radically. Now, according to NBC News, 29% of registered voters say “threats to democracy” is the biggest issue facing the country, with 21% listing that as their first choice. The cost of living was tied at 29%, but only 16% made it their first choice. Jobs and the economy wasn’t far behind, at 28%.