Progressives responded to U.S. President Joe Biden’s Wednesday night speech by agreeing with his warning that “democracy itself” is at stake in the November 8 midterm elections.

“Biden is right,” declared a statement from the advocacy organization Stand Up America.

“With less than a week until Election Day, President Biden sounded the alarm that this is not a typical midterm election,” said the group’s president and founder, Sean Eldridge. “MAGA Republicans are running up and down the ballot, including for election administration positions, to undermine our democracy and the will of voters.”

“At the end of the day, this election is not just about Democrats versus Republicans,” he added. “Democracy itself is on the ballot, and Americans across the political spectrum must come together to defeat election deniers and preserve our fundamental freedoms, including our freedom to choose our leaders.”

Biden’s speech was hosted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He spoke at Union Stations, a few blocks away from the U.S. Capitol:

Biden began by addressing the recent attack of Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), at their San Francisco home. David DePape, who was allegedly looking for the speaker, has been charged with attempted kidnapping and assault. The president connected the incident to the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Former President Donald Trump’s “Bie Lie” that he won the 2020 election has “fueled the dangerous rise in political violence and voter intimidation over the past two years,” Biden said, echoing his September speech in Philadelphia. “In this moment, we have to confront those lies with the truth. The very future of our nation depends on it.”

“My fellow Americans,” he continued, “we’re facing a defining moment—an inflection point—and we must, with one overwhelming, unified voice, speak as a country and say there’s no place… for voter intimidation or political violence in America, whether it’s directed at Democrats or Republicans.”

“I know there’s a lot at stake in these midterm elections, from our economy, to the safety of our streets, to our personal freedoms, the future of healthcare, Social Security, Medicare—it’s all important,” the president said. “But there’s something else at state: democracy itself.”

Biden’s message to the nation comes as several Republican candidates running for various public offices—including roles that could impact future elections—continue to spread Trump’s Big Lie and push for policies that undermine the will of voters.

“President Biden is right to raise the alarm about threats facing our democracy,” the ACLU tweeted late Wednesday. “The real threat to democracy is those who would discourage participation through myths of election fraud and baseless and dangerous theories that deny the outcome of valid election results.”

“Politicians are using these unfounded claims to try to undermine confidence in our democratic process. But we know our rights,” the group added. “Access to the ballot is the cornerstone of democracy—and come Election Day, we will vote.”

Republished with permission from Common Dreams, by Jessica Corbett