“WE GOT YOUR BACK, JOE!” — Katherine Schaefer Reports that Motown Was Joetown at Biden’s Rally on Friday
Bette member Katherine Schaefer reports live from Detroit on the excitement of Joe Biden’s rally on Friday
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Bette member Katherine Schaefer describes the exciting scene at Joe Biden’s Detroit rally on Friday in this guest op-ed, part of a Gal Suburban-inspired series of Democrats doing a better job at showing how we’re winning!
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MOTOWN IS JOETOWN by Katherine Schaefer
Joe Biden in Detroit, Michigan, July 12, 2024
I attended the Joe Biden rally in Detroit last Friday, and I would like to share how it felt to be there. Joe had a tough couple of weeks after his disappointing debate performance so I wanted to see for myself how he was doing. I was so glad that I attended — I came away with strong confidence in President Biden as a leader, who has not only delivered on many of his promises for our state and our country, but also laid out his plans for the first 100 days if re-elected with a Democratic Congress.
As I was waiting for the rally to begin, I looked around at the crowd and felt the strong energy of excitement, love and support that Detroit feels for Joe. There were several union groups there and their members were wearing matching shirts designating which union they belong to.
Music was playing which included a lot of Motown and at one point Martha Reeves, who was in attendance, stood up and began dancing to her hit “Dancing In The Streets,” which happens to be one of the songs I play in my yoga classes when we take a dance break! One of the new Biden theme songs is Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”
The campaign was extremely well organized with many staffers and volunteers who were recruiting more volunteers to join the re-election effort. They handed out rally signs that said We Love Joe on one side and Motown is Joetown on the other and everyone was smiling and upbeat. This felt like a campaign that was fired up, and ready to go!
Several local and state officials spoke before President Biden took the stage. The chair of Michigan Dems Levora Barnes, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II (our amazing governor Gretchen Whitmer was in Idaho so she was unable to attend).
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson fired up the crowd talking about her time as a civil rights lawyer in the South. She spoke about the death threats she has endured since the 2020 election and the protesters who showed up at her house shouting and threatening her when she was home with her small child. She promised not to quit defending democracy and voting rights.
Mike Duggan, The Mayor of Detroit, reminded everyone how Joe Biden has come through for Detroit, recalling when Joe attended the auto show in 2014 when he was Vice President. The Mayor requested new buses and Joe delivered. As President, Joe has delivered for Michigan by bringing new manufacturing jobs; jobs training money; infrastructure funds for roads, bridges, and water systems; funding for small, black-owned businesses; and more new buses are on the way.
Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer spoke in strong support of President Biden and his administration’s accomplishments over the last three and a half years. She reminded everyone that Democracy itself is at stake if Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Democrats don’t win in November.
We waited with anticipation as Joe made his way from another event in Northville (a suburb west of Detroit) where he spoke (unscripted) to a crowd of supporters in a restaurant. When he finally made it to the Detroit rally, he first stopped by an overflow room to address folks there before hitting the stage. The crowd spontaneously started chanting “Don’t you quit!” He was introduced by an AME (American Methodist Episcopal) Church pastor who inspired the crowd even more.
An invigorated Joe greeted the crowd, including those seated behind him. President Biden’s speech was energetic, feisty, and on point. He spoke about what his administration accomplished (too much to list here) and what he plans to do in his first 100 days if he is re- elected along with a Democratic House and Senate.
Joe vowed to make Roe v. Wade “the law of the land,” expand Medicare and Social Security, raise the federal minimum wage, ban assault rifles again like he did in 1994 (Republicans let that bill expire in 2004), create a permanent child care tax credit (which Republicans let expire last year), raise taxes on billionaires, protect voting rights, and more. He spoke about his support of unions and proudly said he was the most “pro-union president in our nation’s history.”
President Biden eviscerated Trump, who he called an enemy of democracy and a friend to authoritarians. Joe warned about the danger of a Trump administration and their plans to enact The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which would upend the federal government, civil service, the Departments of Education and Commerce. It would give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans while raising taxes on the middle class. Project 2025 is 900-pages long and includes taking freedoms away from women, immigrants, communities of color and the LGBTQ+ communities.
Joe used the strongest language I have heard him use yet as he described Trump as a convicted criminal, fraud, liar and adjudicated rapist. He spoke with disgust about him attempting to overthrow a fair election by inciting an insurrection.
This was the Joe we all needed to see! His voice was strong and he even pushed back on the press in the back of the room who he said were giving Trump a “free pass” on his speaking blunders and rambling nonsense.
The speech was interrupted several times by the audience chanting “We got your back!” Four more years!” and once by a Gaza war protester who he paused his speech for to address her concerns. He promised to continue his work to end the war. He showed her compassion and empathy.
Joe addressed concerns about his age head on and said “Hopefully, with age, comes a little wisdom. And here’s what I know! I know how to tell the truth! I know right from wrong! I know how and have demonstrated how to do this job. And I know Americans want a president, not a dictator!”
I left the rally feeling hopeful, energized and inspired to get to work to re-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris!
Onward!
Reported by Katherine Schaefer, who lives in the Detroit suburbs and is a yoga and massage therapist, and a pro-democracy activist
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I think Joe could not have responded better to the shooting in PA. He is clearly a statesman and cares about the whole country, even those who hate him. I'm praying he recovers quickly from COVID, the news just broke.
Thank you for your report, Katherine! I so wanted to attend Biden's rally in Detroit- I received an email and phone call about it- but I was traveling and had to decline.