Joe Biden delivered his maiden State of the Union address this week. His speech was hugely wide ranging and ambitious, and it should be noted that these speeches are not necessarily intended to change the minds of those in attendance.
We often talk about presidents having the power of the 'bully pulpit' - that is to say that they are visible above all others, and the State of the Union is a great opportunity for presidents to speak directly to the nation. It is one of what we describe as an 'informal' power of the president. (Formal powers include, for example, vetoing legislation, or appointing judges)
Biden has had a year punctuated by high level domestic failures, such as his huge Build Back Better bill, and on voting rights, both of which failed to win the support of all 50 Democrat and Democrat-aligned senators in the face of unified Republican opposition. The State of the Union, therefore, is a highly staged and scripted opportunity to get the president beamed directly into the homes of Americans, looking presidential.
You can read more about Biden's SOTU here.
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