Biden's January 6th speech—and the problems of running on democracy

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     January 5, 2024 President Biden has touched down in Pennsylvania, where, due to a potential snowstorm tomorrow, he's marking the third anniversary of the January 6 attack one day early. The speech is an important one to make; there's no doubt about that. But today's event is also a campaign stop for Biden, which has left me a bit uneasy. (The New York Times is even characterizing an event next week marking the [2015 massacre at a historically Black church]( as part of an effort to "redirect attention Mr. Biden’s low approval numbers and remind Democratic and independent voters of the alternative to his re-election.") Such coverage, more than simply giving me agita, has me wondering what is risked when everything becomes saturated with the lens of the 2024 election. Now, before the lectures start rolling in, please know that I know perfectly well that a conversation about January 6 can't be entirely divorced from its primary instigator. But serious limitations come with this connection. All this has me recalling [my colleague Jacob Rosenberg's terrific 2022 essay]( on the problems that arise when you run on defending democracy. (Hint: It doesn't work when democracy hasn't been such a great deal for large swaths of the electorate.) —Inae Oh Advertisement [House Donations Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [First School Shooting of 2024 Leaves One Dead, Five Injured]( Classes had just resumed at Iowa's Perry High School. BY JULIANNE MCSHANE SPONSORED CONTENT BY BANANA RERUBLICARDS LLC   Welcome to the new year. Same as the old year. While Donald Trump continues to play defense in his trials by delay, you can play poker, or Go Fish, or any of the more than 200 different versions of Solitaire. //link.motherjones.com/click/33907888.68163/aHR0cHM6Ly9iYW5hbmFyZXB1YmxpY2FyZHMuY29tLz91dG1fc291cmNlPW1qLW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJzJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWRhaWx5LW5ld3NsZXR0ZXItMDEtMDUtMjAyNA/5eb47579b01fd7378a6397ffB472da3e9[2020 Senate Impeachment Trial Acquittal playing cards](. More useful and relevant today than today’s GOP. And better at parties, too. [Trending] [You can't run on defending democracy if democracy is broken]( BY JACOB ROSENBERG   [24 climate predictions for 2024]( BY GRIST STAFF   [American myths are made of white grievance—and Trump's Big Lie is just the latest]( BY ANTHONY CONWRIGHT   [Corporate America condemned the January 6 riot—then went right back to funding election deniers]( BY TIM MURPHY Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Insurrection: January 6, up close and firsthand]( Nate Gowdy's photos bring you face-to-face with the fight for the Capitol. HTTPS://WWW.MOTHERJONES.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2023/01/010621_ATTACK-ON-THE-CAPITOL-007.JPG?W=2000 H=1124 CROP=1 [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755