Centrists praise Biden's State of the Union pivot as overdue
By Morgan Chalfant and Amie Parnes - 03/02/22 05:41 PM EST
President Biden’s pivot to the center at his State of the Union address on Tuesday was welcome news for centrist Democrats worried the party’s leftward tilt was hurting its appeal with voters.
Democrats close to the administration said Biden looked like he was on comfortable ground rallying Republicans and Democrats alike to Ukraine’s defense at the beginning of his address, and they said they hoped it would lead to a turnaround for a White House that has been lurching.
Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, said the pivot was also vital to the hopes of easing losses in the fall midterms.
“There is a potential red wave coming in November,” he said. “Every progressive in the House is safe. They’re on high ground. The beachfront territory is all moderates. And if progressives don’t think that Biden is fighting for them enough, then I just think they’ve lost touch with reality.”
A Democratic strategist used an expletive to describe Biden.
“He was f------ true to himself,” said the strategist, who had yearned for a return of the old Biden who appealed to independents and had relationships across the aisle. “I was happy to see the return of that guy because the cater-to-everyone Joe Biden wasn’t working.”
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/596620-centrists-praise-bidens-state-of-the-union-pivot-as-overdue
