Leave it to Democratic strategist James Carville to succinctly summarize his advice to President Joe Biden at the one-quarter point of his term: Instead of bemoaning what has not been done after the first year, Carville recommends the Biden White House team “gloat and promote” that which has been accomplished so far.
Lately, that has not been easy, as the domestic agenda has stalled in a fifty-fifty Congress. Liberal Democrats blame a few moderate senators for blocking passing of the Build Back Better bill, along with voting rights and election legislation, contending that they refuse to budge on filibuster reform. But those senators are not real problem for Biden; rather, I see it as Democratic congressional leaders in general, who seem to be steering Biden rather than the other way around. Maybe it’s time for Biden to do what President Franklin D. Roosevelt once instructed his staff to do, despite overwhelming majorities in Congress of his own party: “Bring me a bill I can veto.”
Joe Biden needs to return to his roots: He is a moderate and a conciliator. There should be no more letting congressional liberals hold up bills for months, while angling for better deals. If he ends up being a one-term president, it will have been more due to perceived weakness within his own party than to a Republican resurgence.
Despite the roller coaster of pain inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants, the Biden administration succeeded in backing the $1.9 trillion relief bill. If not for that, the U.S. share of world deaths from the virus would have certainly exceeded the 20% range. Despite reticence by citizens, fully 80% of adult Americans have received an initial dose of the vaccine. Though the recent “reboot” was accompanied by needless confusion, the new strategy of relying on testing, along with vaccine access for children, will improve things.
When it was finally moved by the House, the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill quickly passed, garnering some Republican support. This is a once-in-a-generation achievement. President Biden’s advisers should be lining up appearances from now to midterm elections in November to demonstrate the improvements made because of this legislation. A case in point is the $27 billion just released to repair the nation’s bridges: Go and promote the law as a physical reminder of what government can and should do for citizens.
On the economy, there is every expectation that inflation will wither once global supply chain challenges are resolved. Meanwhile, the nation is enjoying a watershed in job growth, and unemployment is less than 4%.
Where are the trumpets on this?
Though the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle seriously eroded Joe Biden’s reputation as a foreign policy statesman — and many potential crises loom (read: Iran, Russia, China, North Korea, etc.) — there is hope for a turnaround based on American presidential history. John F. Kennedy (Cuba), Gerald Ford (Vietnam) and Bill Clinton (Somalia) each withstood foreign policy fiascoes during their first year in office and recouped thereafter.
Unfortunately, President Biden’s public support has fallen 20-plus points from his inaugural numbers. While some movement was inevitable, the downward spiral must be reversed. That doesn’t mean capitulating on principles or ideals. It does mean defining what is important and leading from front.
Memo to Joe: Stop whining and start winning. Sure, some victories may seem minor, but the issues are out there for the taking, including support for criminal justice reform, conservation and expanding civics education, to name a few. It’s time for the Biden White House to demonstrate the legislative reputation which the president ran on. If not, the midterm losses will mirror those of Biden’s Democratic predecessor in the Oval Office, and his administration — and the country — will flounder.
Dr. Samuel B. Hoff is a George Washington Distinguished Professor Emeritus of history and political science at Delaware State University.
