The Power of a Whisper

President Biden has given his first address to a Joint Session of Congress. It was delivered to a smaller-than-usual, socially distanced assembly.

For me, what distinguished the President’s speech most wasn’t its content — although I found that encouraging — but its volume. As veteran journalist Jeff Greenfield wrote (Politico), “His speech was delivered almost as conversation, rather than a series of declamations. He kept his voice, for long stretches, at times a near-whisper of empathy or concern — a tone that would have been completely unworkable in a full room.”…