- 3,712
- Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
I am sure we're all aware that the state of Joe Biden's presidency is not very good right now, for factors which he can and cannot control. With every day that passes, Biden's presidency seems to be in an even worse state of peril. His approval rating is plummeting, the headlines about him are growing more negative, less and less people want to see him run again, and even many democrats, especially young democrats, no longer support or trust him. I am making this thread beacuse I feel that serious, thoughtful discussion about Biden is all but absent. We have constantly pointed out how extreme and dangerous the GOP and modern conservatism has become, and rightfully so, but I do not think there is enough discourse about how the Biden administration is acting, the overall state of his presidency, and what can best be done about it, which seems equally as important.
It is clear that Democrats are in for a rude awakening in the 2022 midterms and possibly 2024, and a good deal of this is caused by the Biden administration's legislative failings and perceived lack of leadership. A big chunk of Biden's policy agenda- and let's be honest, a moderate and practical one at that- has failed. Build Back Better, voting rights, the PRO Act, exceptions to the filibuster, a $15 minimum wage, climate change initiatives, and even mild healthcare reforms, did not succeed. Although Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema are obvious culprits, it can reasonably be argued Biden's lack of fortitude and savviness in persuading them is also to blame. The more progressive/left wing base like myself were always skeptical of Joe Biden's policy agenda and ability to effectively govern, but most of the Democratic base, in spite of these failures, had faith in Biden. Though, much of this changed once Roe v. Wade had been overturned. The Biden administration has made no efforts to secure fundamental womens' rights, other than the largely symbolic EO 14076, nor did it do so before it being overturned, which had been impending since the death of RBG. Although this has caused Democrats' prospects of winning in 2022 and 2024 to improve, it has only worsened Biden's approval rating, as even mainstream Democrats are losing faith in Biden's ability to lead and solve critical problems.
Why are democrats losing faith in Biden? Many headlines are attributing his advanced age as a key factor, and the woes that accompany it such as Alzheimer's, but I disagree with this analysis. Simply, many are realizing that there's just not much real fight in Biden, and it didn't seem like there ever was as president. He is too much of an institutionalist, and seems to merely accept existential failures as opposed to being innovative and taking bold action. As cliche as it sounds, these are unprecedented times right now; given how dangerous the GOP is becoming, especially by completely doubling down on Trumpism, it is clear that the American political climate is no longer a battle between liberalism and conservatism, but instead democracy vs fascism. And what the Democratic party needs is the candidate best suited to make the threat of fascism as irrelevant as possible. But Biden isn't that guy. Biden ran as the "unity" candidate, one who strived to bring back stability and bipartisanship to Washington, the latter which sounds great on paper but terrible in practice. Biden was not the leading Democratic candidate in any way- not on policy, his ability to command a crowd, or political savviness, and for much of the primary, popularity. But, the Democratic base compromised, and accepted him as the nominee, buying into the notion that his long governmental experience and institutional knowledge, as well as his history of being more moderate and reaching across the aisle, would be the best recipe for, as Biden puts it, building back better.
There are some seriously damning poll numbers coming out about Biden lately, and it's only worsening with time. Last week's polls show that just over 30% of Americans approve of his job as president, worse than any point under Trump. 71% of Democrats, including 90% of Democrats aged 18-28, want someone other than Biden to run in 2024. And over 90% of Americans claim they do not feel optimistic about the direction the country is heading in. Reliable democratic constituencies such as Hispanic Americans, young Americans, and Asian Americans, have lost Biden's support the most. And many Democratic candidates in midterm elections are not even seeking Biden endorsements or mentioning his agenda. All of this has led many to question whether Biden will ultimately run in 2024. The obvious argument in favor of no is that there are far better candidates, both in terms of policy and ability to beat the Republican challenger. But by not running Biden, especially when Trump, who was impeached twice and is currently under investigation pending Jan. 6 revelations, is still not seen as futile by the Republican party, having Biden primaried, or not run at all, is a tacit admission that his strain of governing has failed us. Such a thing happening is absolutely unprecedented. But is it really a bad thing?
All presidents have a legacy and are judged as "good" or "bad" both by historians and the general public for how they have governed and what they have accomplished. Biden's legacy will be, more than anything else, marked by what he did to uphold American democracy and prevent the rise of fascism. Doing so will require bold, unprecedented, possibly radical action. Relying on established institutions and whatever the legislature and courts decide simply is not enough. If Biden isn't up to task to solve this existential problem, which his actions or lack thereof in the last year and a half have suggested, then it is time for him to step aside. But it is important not to be pessimistic. Biden has been moved in the right direction on a multitude of issues throughout his political career, starting out with busing, then abortion rights, LGBT rights, and even criminal justice reform to a certain extent. If Biden is made to understand what a precarious state the nation is in right now, and that his current course of action- all in spite of his heart being the right place- is failing us, he could very well change that as well. Though only time will tell, and time is quickly running out.
It is clear that Democrats are in for a rude awakening in the 2022 midterms and possibly 2024, and a good deal of this is caused by the Biden administration's legislative failings and perceived lack of leadership. A big chunk of Biden's policy agenda- and let's be honest, a moderate and practical one at that- has failed. Build Back Better, voting rights, the PRO Act, exceptions to the filibuster, a $15 minimum wage, climate change initiatives, and even mild healthcare reforms, did not succeed. Although Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema are obvious culprits, it can reasonably be argued Biden's lack of fortitude and savviness in persuading them is also to blame. The more progressive/left wing base like myself were always skeptical of Joe Biden's policy agenda and ability to effectively govern, but most of the Democratic base, in spite of these failures, had faith in Biden. Though, much of this changed once Roe v. Wade had been overturned. The Biden administration has made no efforts to secure fundamental womens' rights, other than the largely symbolic EO 14076, nor did it do so before it being overturned, which had been impending since the death of RBG. Although this has caused Democrats' prospects of winning in 2022 and 2024 to improve, it has only worsened Biden's approval rating, as even mainstream Democrats are losing faith in Biden's ability to lead and solve critical problems.
Why are democrats losing faith in Biden? Many headlines are attributing his advanced age as a key factor, and the woes that accompany it such as Alzheimer's, but I disagree with this analysis. Simply, many are realizing that there's just not much real fight in Biden, and it didn't seem like there ever was as president. He is too much of an institutionalist, and seems to merely accept existential failures as opposed to being innovative and taking bold action. As cliche as it sounds, these are unprecedented times right now; given how dangerous the GOP is becoming, especially by completely doubling down on Trumpism, it is clear that the American political climate is no longer a battle between liberalism and conservatism, but instead democracy vs fascism. And what the Democratic party needs is the candidate best suited to make the threat of fascism as irrelevant as possible. But Biden isn't that guy. Biden ran as the "unity" candidate, one who strived to bring back stability and bipartisanship to Washington, the latter which sounds great on paper but terrible in practice. Biden was not the leading Democratic candidate in any way- not on policy, his ability to command a crowd, or political savviness, and for much of the primary, popularity. But, the Democratic base compromised, and accepted him as the nominee, buying into the notion that his long governmental experience and institutional knowledge, as well as his history of being more moderate and reaching across the aisle, would be the best recipe for, as Biden puts it, building back better.
There are some seriously damning poll numbers coming out about Biden lately, and it's only worsening with time. Last week's polls show that just over 30% of Americans approve of his job as president, worse than any point under Trump. 71% of Democrats, including 90% of Democrats aged 18-28, want someone other than Biden to run in 2024. And over 90% of Americans claim they do not feel optimistic about the direction the country is heading in. Reliable democratic constituencies such as Hispanic Americans, young Americans, and Asian Americans, have lost Biden's support the most. And many Democratic candidates in midterm elections are not even seeking Biden endorsements or mentioning his agenda. All of this has led many to question whether Biden will ultimately run in 2024. The obvious argument in favor of no is that there are far better candidates, both in terms of policy and ability to beat the Republican challenger. But by not running Biden, especially when Trump, who was impeached twice and is currently under investigation pending Jan. 6 revelations, is still not seen as futile by the Republican party, having Biden primaried, or not run at all, is a tacit admission that his strain of governing has failed us. Such a thing happening is absolutely unprecedented. But is it really a bad thing?
All presidents have a legacy and are judged as "good" or "bad" both by historians and the general public for how they have governed and what they have accomplished. Biden's legacy will be, more than anything else, marked by what he did to uphold American democracy and prevent the rise of fascism. Doing so will require bold, unprecedented, possibly radical action. Relying on established institutions and whatever the legislature and courts decide simply is not enough. If Biden isn't up to task to solve this existential problem, which his actions or lack thereof in the last year and a half have suggested, then it is time for him to step aside. But it is important not to be pessimistic. Biden has been moved in the right direction on a multitude of issues throughout his political career, starting out with busing, then abortion rights, LGBT rights, and even criminal justice reform to a certain extent. If Biden is made to understand what a precarious state the nation is in right now, and that his current course of action- all in spite of his heart being the right place- is failing us, he could very well change that as well. Though only time will tell, and time is quickly running out.
Last edited:
