Thread by @JessicaHuseman

Biden is taking the stage in Atlanta for his speech on voting — lots of activists important to this movement declined to be here today, citing their frustration that this is too little too late.

The speech Kamala Harris is giving now could have been given one year ago, with no changes. As far as I can tell.

Kamala Harris says there is a "danger" of becoming accustomed to these laws, and becoming "complicit." But let's keep in mind that the Texas legislature, and many others, have been restricting voting rights every legislative session for more than a decade.

Hearing nothing new in this speech. Am I missing something.

I don't think I missed anything, but here's Biden.

Biden says his speech is to "make clear" what should happen after Jan. 6, which again, was a year ago.

"Hear me plainly: The battle for the soul of America is not open," says Joe Biden, who still has not presented a battle plan of any substance.

Biden ticking through the successes of the activists in Georgia, who have done tremendous work registering to vote. There are lessons there for federal Democrats, who have been comparatively completely unsuccessful.

This speech is going to frustrate the very activists who chose not to attend this speech: There is nothing in this speech that could not have been said, identically, months ago.

So far the most notable part of this speech is that Biden says the H word, which I assume will be among the most circulated clips, because there is nothing else in here to clip.

"Pass the freedom to vote act," says Biden, who has yet to say even the word "filibuster."

Honestly I'm quite tired of all of this stuff about not having water in the voting line. The bill also required polling locations that had long lines to be split, and the average wait time in Georgia in 2020 was 3 minutes.

I can think of maybe 12 other things in the bill that no one talks about that are three times more problematic, but we always hear about the water thing. Always.

How many times do we think Fox News will play clips of Biden coughing after this.

Nearly 20 minutes in, Biden has finally said the word "filibuster."

Changing the senate rules "whatever way they need to be changed" is hardly - hardly - a specific plan.

Scranton. Drink.

"Let's spread the faith and get this done."

Biden presented more full throated support for reforming the filibuster than I've seen so far, but - as far as I can tell, and I can hear fine - he presented no specific plan to get that done.

Anyway, the point of that speech is still basically unclear to me. I do not think that it will address the obvious and long stated concerns of activists in the space who see (and still see) no plan for practical, forward looking action.