March 9, 2024

I grew up watching Pro Wrestling. In every episode, a number of wrestlers would come out into the ring to build the crowd up into a frenzy. One of the wrestlers with a great schtick was Rick Rude. He would come out, sing his own praises, gyrate his hips, and then insult those in the crowd whom he deemed unworthy of looking upon his greatness. His intros riled up the crowd. Some cheered. Some booed. Either way, they were ready to watch Rude wrestle. The intros from the wrestlers were an important part of the spectacle and often more interesting than the matches themselves.

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Those wrestling intros came to mind while I was watching the State of the Union. Biden made a point to stick it to his political opponents in the audience during the speech. He suggested that those who didn’t like his infrastructure initiative should let him know if they didn’t want the money in their district. At one point, he mocked those who reacted negatively to a bipartisan bill he had supported. He even stole Ricky Bobby’s line (played by Will Ferrell in Talladega Nights) when he critiqued the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson “with all due respect.”

Some in the audience added to the sports entertainment vibe. For instance, Marjorie Taylor Greene was dressed in full MAGA “merch” reflecting her support for Donald Trump. She, as well as various others listening to Biden’s speech, weren’t shy about interjecting during what has traditionally been considered a monologue. In the midst of the boos, mini rants from the floor, and heckling from various members of Congress, I kept thinking Trump might swagger into Hulk Hogan’s theme song (“Real American”) for an impromptu bit of wrasslin’.

The spectacle was revealing. If the angst and anger evident in the room are reflective of the way the broader American public feels, it seems clear that the United States is headed toward a battle royale. While the frustration is troubling, the most disturbing aspect of the State of the Union address was that many of our elected officials have decided to drop the façade of decorum. They don’t seem to feel the need to present a nonpartisan fiction to the American people. Presenting some sense of unity or even a measure of respect for those across the aisle has, evidently, been deemed unnecessary for some of those representing the United States.

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While I’m not in a position to fact-check the content of Biden’s speech, it seems difficult to believe that we have reached a golden age of employment, economic strength, and international respect given the frustration in the room (and the nation!). The stats and figures may be headed in the right direction, but the feelings of most Americans don’t care about (or understand) those facts. We just know it costs more to make it to the grocery store only to buy more expensive groceries when we get there.

Despite Biden’s optimistic portrayal of where we are as a nation, the State of the Union suggests that the “union” is not particularly stable at the moment. While Biden may well be right to suggest that we are facing threats to democracy like those we haven’t seen since the Civil War, he doesn’t seem to have a good sense of what those threats are or how to minimize them. In fact, he seemed to be willing to exacerbate the problem. Rather than seeking to bridge the gaps between Republicans and Democrats, he made comments at the expense of his detractors and advocated for positions, like the reinstitution of Roe v. Wade, with which many Americans have opposing opinions.

I’m no particular fan of Biden’s “predecessor.” Trump is polarizing in an entirely different way. Biden’s assertions that we can’t love our country only when we win and that there has been an erosion of trust in American institutions brought about by questioning the results of the 2020 election are pointing to certain ongoing challenges. Yet, arguably, Biden contributed to the erosion of trust. His assertion that “Roe v. Wade got it right” suggests that the sitting Supreme Court got it wrong. His consistent mockery of his opposition and the derogatory references to his “predecessor” didn’t scream “let’s come together.” They highlighted his interest in being elected for a second term.

It is unfortunate that the everyday problems Americans face are going to be solved by rivals who can’t get through a speech without taking shots at one another. While I realize there were many in the room who maintained their composure, it seems clear that, despite the various bipartisan efforts Biden cited, there are many on both sides of the aisle willing to diminish, degrade, blame, and mock those with whom they don’t agree. Rigorous debate has given way to the sort of combative speech more suited for the WWE than the Congress or Senate.

Sadly, it seems unlikely that rigorous debate will be reintroduced regardless of who wins the 2024 presidential election. As citizens, we need to recognize that U.S. politics are getting out of control. We need to begin looking for leaders who hold strong convictions and are willing to work toward the common good of American society. But that is really the problem, isn’t it? We no longer have a shared understanding of the common good. Because we’ve lost a shared conception of the common good, our political leaders aren’t capable of appealing to it. Competing notions of the good are not new. That doesn’t make them less problematic. Given what we saw in the State of the Union, it doesn’t seem that our political representatives are capable of agreeing on the common good. If that’s what we are really after, we are going to look beyond the political realm to find it.

Dr. James Spencer currently serves as President of Useful to God and President of D. L. Moody Center. His newest book titled Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics, and the Art of Bearing Witness is available on amazon.com. He previously published Christian Resistance: Learning to Defy the World and Follow Jesus, Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody, Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Mind, as well as co-authoring Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology.