The Atlantic

Biden Tries to Build Back the Center

In his first State of the Union address, the president sought to rescue his dismal approval ratings by avoiding stark partisanship.
Source: Saul Loeb / Reuters

If it’s not quite morning in America, President Joe Biden tried to persuade Americans during his first State of the Union address, we might be starting to see glimmers of the dawn.

“There’s something happening in America,” Biden said tonight. “Just look around and you’ll see an amazing story.” . Polls show that Americans are not happy about what they see around them—or how the president is governing. Large majorities believe the country on the wrong track, and the president’s approval rating continues to sink. Even as COVID-19 numbers recede in the United States,

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