A look at the Biden problems….
And a review of those things he HAS accomplished ….
But remain buried…..
The story of the Biden years is one of both genuine accomplishment and profound exasperation — a malaise that was, in retrospect, entirely predictable. When Biden ran for president a third time, he vowed that “nothing would fundamentally change” and promised to govern with the sort of sangfroid that would be sorely needed after four years of chaos. He made a political bet that was essentially correct: Democrats, largely, didn’t long for the deep structural change Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were promising and couldn’t trust an unproven commodity like Pete Buttigieg in an existential showdown against Trump. Biden pitched himself as the most electable Democrat, the trusted sidekick to Barack Obama, and a man who could restore order and make American politics work again. He was a vessel for the rage of millions. Even party elites didn’t seem to think too hard about how he’d govern.
Great hopes were invested in Biden as the 2020 election drew near, because many believed that the anti-Trump wave would crest high enough to elect large congressional majorities for Democrats. For a moment, Biden appeared in position to benefit from a surge of support akin to 2008, when his ticket with Obama rode into office with almost 60 Democratic senators. Instead, Democrats were massacred down the ballot and the first promise of the Biden years was broken: Historic turnout didn’t do much beyond electing Biden himself. It took two long-shot bids in Georgia by Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in January 2021 to give Democrats their 50-50 Senate majority. The House Democrats, meanwhile, had seen their advantage narrow.
Before enumerating Biden’s failures, it’s worth reflecting on his achievements. With a virtually deadlocked Senate and recalcitrant Democrats such as Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema attempting to thwart progressive priorities, Biden worked with Chuck Schumer to pass another COVID rescue package that delivered much-needed funding for state governments (and $1,400 stimulus checks) and later delivered a major infrastructure bill that garnered support from moderate Republicans. Although the Afghanistan withdrawal was chaotic, Biden was the president who finally ended the war there, a goal neither Obama nor Trump could meet. If Biden loses his reelection, he can say credibly that he accomplished more than most — if not all — one-term presidents.
But the failures are glaring for a president who is now as unpopular as Trump used to be. Some of them are in style and messaging rather than in substance. Biden seems incapable of meeting the moment and articulating a vision that can inspire voters. He has pitched few compelling or workable solutions for the inflation crisis or other logistical failures — like the baby-formula shortage. He allowed, along with Democrats in Congress, a potentially transformational child tax credit to expire after just one year. His reaction to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade was strikingly detached and listless, with aides oddly unprepared for the generation-defining court decision. There was no subsequent plan of action, no federal strategy or detailed calls for local governments to mobilize for abortion rights. He belatedly called for the end of the filibuster to codify Roe. By then, few were even listening…..
image….The Daily Beast