WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the one year anniversary … of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, during a ceremony in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol on January 06, 2022 in Washington, DC. One year ago, supporters of President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol Building in an attempt to disrupt a congressional vote to confirm the electoral college win for Joe Biden. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
After his election in November 2020, Joe Biden said he would be “a president who seeks not to divide, but unify’’ the country. As I noted at the time, the task of unifying the country would be easier said than done. That turned out to be an understatement of historic proportions.
Since Biden’s election, the political crisis he faces has steadily worsened, morphing from challenges in unifying the country into an existential crisis about the future of American democracy.
In a speech to the nation Thursday marking the first anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, President Biden described the crisis that is now facing the nation in stark and memorable terms.
What’s At Stake
Speaking from Statuary Hall in the Capitol, Biden said, “At this moment we must decide what kind of nation we are going to be. Are we going to be a nation that accepts political violence as a norm? Are we going to be a nation where we allow partisan election officials to overturn the legally expressed will of the people? Are we going to be a nation that lives not by the light of the truth but in the shadow of lies? We cannot allow ourselves to be that kind of nation.
“For the first time in our history, a President had not just lost an election. He tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob reached the Capitol,” Biden said. “But they failed. They failed. And on this day of remembrance, we must make sure that such an attack never, never happens again.”
Inflection Point
Biden said, “Make no mistake about it: We’re living at an inflection point in history. Both at home and abroad, we’re engaged anew in a struggle between democracy and autocracy, between the aspirations of the many and the greed of the few, between the people’s right of self-determination and self—the self-seeking autocrat.
“I believe the power of the presidency and purpose is to unite this nation, not divide it. To lift us up, not tear us apart,” he concluded.
Trump’s False Claims
Reuters reported that Biden “accused his predecessor Donald Trump of posing a continuing threat to American democracy and warned that Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud could unravel the rule of law and undermine future elections.
“We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie. Here’s the truth: A former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He’s done so because he values power over principle,” Biden said.
Biden added that “for the first time in our history a president had not just lost the election he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.”
Trump Responds
Immediately after Biden’s remarks, the AP reported that Trump responded with a statement of his own, saying that the president “used my name today to try to further divide America.”
Analysis
Setting The Right Tone
Jeffrey Swartz, a constitutional law professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, said ‘’The speech was necessary to set the tone for what may be coming [and] trying to avoid claims of political retribution.
‘’This was not a unification speech. It was a warning. It served to show that Biden can be a president of purpose and forcefulness.”
Biden Got It Right
Communication consultant Spencer Critchley is the managing partner of the Boots Road Group. He observed that, “President Biden needed to speak forcefully, and he did. Too often, we forget that there’s a difference between a leader and a manager.
“Leadership is more mystical than many modern-day rationalists are comfortable recognizing: a matter of strength of character, not just technocratic skills; communicated through actions and symbols, not just facts and logic,” he said.
“So, more important than anything Biden said was the way he said it. It’s the same with democracy. It can’t just be a machine for delivering services. It turns out there needs to be a ghost in the machine after all: the ‘soul’ Biden talks about, as old-fashioned as that may sound to modern, cynical ears. Democracy requires us to be rational, but we can’t only be rational. Ultimately, democracy is a civil religion, as Robert Bellah argued,” Critchley commented.
No Words Can Likely Bridge The Gap
Nicholas Creel is an assistant professor of business law at Georgia College and State University and a political scientist. He said that, “After reviewing Biden’s speech today, it seems as clear as ever that no words can likely bridge the political gap in today’s America. Only time will heal these wounds of ours and when our political figures being discussing events like January 6 each side will only further retreat to their already hardened positions, continuing to view the opposition as an enemy.
“This illustrates that there are some things we must all accept as being outside our ability to repair, or else we risk doing more damage with our actions despite our best intentions. Inaction can at times be the best action to choose,” Creel concluded.
Advice For Business Leaders
Why Brand Loyalty Is Critical
Stacy Rosenberg is an associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. She said, “Business leaders can extract from this political crisis that once stakeholders have made a decision, changing minds proves difficult. This is why focusing on brand loyalty is so critical.
“The success of the Republican party in maintaining devoted members despite countless crises, like the violent attack on the Capitol, can be attributed to building an ideological tribe through communication tactics. Businesses similarly need to build their tribe, yet must do so with integrity,” she advised.
Take A Stand
Debra Caruso Marrone is the owner of PR firm DJC Communications. She thought that, “President Biden’s speech today stood out and may be remembered as historic. Rather than pulling punches, the president was direct, unwavering and strong.
“Business leaders can learn from the speech that being direct, strong and unwavering -with the facts on one’s side— signals leadership. Leaders should not shrink from making their opinions known when they’re straightforward and honest. It pays to go out on a limb and take a stand when there’s a lot at stake,” Marrone said.
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