Living there, you’ll be free, if you truly wish to be.” ~Gene Wilder, Pure Imagination
The frigid breeze gusting through downtown Des Moines, Iowa, did little to help the Democratic Nominee for President, Joe Biden, as he struggled to project his aging voice over the cacophonous sounds of traffic. It was October 30, 2020, just two months after he secured the nomination, and coronavirus protocols and public image management dictated that the audience for his speech remain in their cars, safely distanced from each other, and from Biden himself. Barred from clapping and shouting, the eager crowd instead honked their horns at his applause lines, giving the combined impression that a used car lot had attained sentience and developed an interest in national politics. The Biden campaign, perhaps not trusting his voice over the wind and car horns, left little to chance by printing his central message on their campaign banners, on his podium, and behind the dais, leaving even the hardest of hearing in the audience informed that Biden thought that we are in a “Battle for the Soul of the Nation.”
Login to read more
Sign in or create a free account to access Subscriber-only content.
Topics:
