I think Biden is a good president
I think Biden is a good president |
|
|
I just don't understand why Biden is not liked. For his domestic policy -- not his foreign policy -- he is perhaps the best president in my lifetime. His progressive actions are often remarkable and enlightened, more so than I ever expected.
NYT March 5, 2024 Joe Biden's Superfans Think the Rest of America Has Lost Its Mind: To these I would add good management of the pandemic, unlike the disasters of the previous chump. And there is also regulation of pharmaceutical prices, especially insulin. No previous administration has dared tackle that powerful industry, Trump's unfulfilled campaign promise notwithstanding. And there are more subtle ones with nuance not comprehensible to most voters but crucial for their economic health such as Biden's vigorous antitrust enforcement. Compare that to Trump's economic policy which was all about reducing taxes for the rich. We libtards excoriate working-class right-wingers for voting against their own economic self-interest... and they do, but that's not the only driver of voting decisions. There is also climate change, abortion, guns, crime, education, immigration, foreign policy, etc. The wedge issue being exploited by Trump and Republicans is the southern border and immigration policy. Their refusal to sign a bill implementing a bipartisan plan is, in effect, causing a problem and then blaming the other side. They cynically prolong the crisis for political advantage. To them, politics matters more than progress. The duplicity is stunning. The part of Biden's policies that's awful is our lockstep support for genocidal Israel. There need to be restraints attached to military assistance. Killing and maiming children and non-combatants mustn't be countenanced. Ukraine, too, is a disaster; victory over Russia was magical thinking. We lured them with promises of EU membership (if not NATO) that Russia could never accept, leaving war as the only option. We made bad mistakes and the outcome will not be good, with Ukraine subjugated and destroyed. A third flashpoint is Taiwan. It's hard to say what our policy should be; all the options are terrible. Many predict war there, too. A war with China is equally unwinnable, with China's geographic proximity and it not being existential for us. As is happening in Ukraine, we support Taiwan fighting as our war proxy, until we get bored and leave them twisting in the wind. If Biden's foreign policy were as enlightened as his domestic, he would be hands-down the best president in my lifetime. Even failing that, I fervently hope for his re-election. The other guy doesn't even come close. -- February 2024
|
Despite even Jonathan Freedland's articulate plea in The Guardian, Take another look at Joe Biden. His is the presidency progressives have been waiting for. Yes, Biden's has been "...a truly consequential presidency, even a transformational one... the most transformational president since Reagan."
Joe, choose your successor. Amy Klobuchar or Gretchen Whitmer would be great! Voters would be excited! We could win! If you don't, we won't.
Back to Dan's home page
The age thing is just ageism -- let it go, idiots! Like racism, it's prejudice -- simplistic and plain wrong. Yes, he's old. So what? It doesn't prevent him from getting his work done. I'm old, and it's not slowing me down, either. And anyway a president is merely a figurehead; the real work is done by legions of functionaries. Even if Biden dodders, they can do their work. Enough with the ageism!
...he deserves more credit for a substantive first-term record. Passing an infrastructure bill. Canceling some student loan debt. Protecting the environment with a sweeping climate measure. Capping the cost of insulin and other drugs. Supporting unions and abortion rights. Putting the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.