The GOP reaction to Biden's speech shows that his anti-MAGA strategy is working

[LetMyPeopleVote]

President Biden's plan to separate sane republicans from the MAGA republicans is working. The fact that MAGA republicans are so upset makes me smile

Link to tweet

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/09/05/biden-speech-gop-reaction-hysteria/

Now that Biden has gotten so much of his agenda enacted, and with the midterm elections looming, he has switched to a more combative mode. His Thursday speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia was billed as a salvo in the continuing battle for “the soul of the nation,” but it was really a well-justified expression of rage and despair about what the Republican Party has become. The president is finally telling Democrats what they want to hear: “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” This comes only a few days after he described the MAGA philosophy as “semi-fascism.”

As if on cue, Republicans screamed bloody murder, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) accusing Biden of choosing “to divide, demean and disparage his fellow Americans.” So does this mean that Biden’s previous commitment to working with Republicans was merely transactional and has now been discarded in the heat of the campaign?

That is certainly the right-wing interpretation of his speech, with conservatives accusing Biden of discarding his campaign pledge to “unite our country” and not stoke “division.” (Republicans demonstrated their own commitment to unity and uplift after the speech by comparing Biden to Hitler and accusing him of being a “raving lunatic.”)

But note that Biden wasn’t calling out all Republicans — he was not, contrary to the GOP talking points, attacking “half the country.” He was careful to differentiate between normal Republicans and MAGA Republicans. “Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans,” he said. “Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology.”

What Biden is doing is smart, if difficult to pull off: He is attempting to draw a dividing line between those Republicans who threaten U.S. democracy and those who don’t.

[vanlassie]

1. Doing Mitch's job for him.

[Claustrum]

2. One correction. The "MAGA" brand was always toxic and trash.

Biden is not turning it. He is just stating the obvious and facts.

[crickets]

3. Good job, President Biden!

No paywall: https://archive.ph/4B0z2

[Bayard]

4. Divide and Conquer

[gratuitous]

5. Can't quite bring themselves to call it a "wedge" issue, can they?

I like Max Boot, but isn't it curious how media pundits can't quite bring themselves to call MAGA a wedge issue? They certainly recognize it in the rural/urban split, the big state/small state divide and other divisions Republicans love to exploit.

But Democrats can't quite be given credit for hitting a Republican wedge issue right between the eyes.

[KentuckyWoman]

6. Aunt busybody

When I was a kid we had a lady in town that just loved her mean gossip, spreading lies, manipulations and holier than thou judgements. Now and again someone would get sick of her and tell her about herself.

Her reactions were comedy gold. We never knew if she would just pearl clutch or fake faint or go full on Foghorn Leghorn but it was always worth the time to watch the show.

MAGA , same thing.

[Wounded Bear]

7. When you throw a rock at a herd of pigs, the one that squeals is the one you hit...

[littlemissmartypants]

8. A barking dog is a nervous dog. ❤️