Let’s get something straight, Joe Biden is a decent guy. He wants what is best for his nation. But let’s face it, his administration is proving to be a disaster. No one can doubt how much he wants to make Washington work, but in the name of uniting people “to get things done” he has failed to try to do anything.
With an evenly divided Senate he cannot get legislation through because of the filibuster. But this just shows what a fundamentally flawed approach trying to reach across the aisle has proved to be. He can’t get 10 Republicans to support him on anything.
It isn’t Biden’s fault that legislation is failing, but it is his fault that not enough has been done to communicate to the American people why it is failing. Winning in November will mean not so much fixing all the problems that America now faces, as showing that progressives care; that we can be trusted to act in whatever way we can. If Biden had more drive he would argue more effectively that the Republicans are responsible for gridlock, that they refused his overtures; as well as how hard the Fed is working to make sure that it handles inflation as perfectly as possible. He could move toward renewable fuels even if it doesn’t provide immediate relief at the pump, explaining to the American people that there is hope for a future where they will not have to live at the whim of the oil market. What Biden isn’t is impassioned.
We shouldn’t be surprised. He is, after all, making good on campaign promises. He ran on being steady and trustworthy. He contrasted himself to a chaotic president.
But this is a moment to rally the troops, not reach across the alise. It is not that I am against bipartisanship. I want to see conservatives and progressives come together. But this is not about conservative and progressive. This is about those who wish to preserve American democracy and those who do not. An extremeist minority has undone 20 years of ensuring abortion reamains safe and passed laws making parents giving their transgender children the medical care they need child abuse.
What is needed is condemnation of what the Republican party has become. It is a moment to hope that truly passionate leadership will mobilize people–of any political stripe, to stand up and declare that the Republican party is un-American, and even more importantly, un-democratic. We need anger, a lot of it. Reaching out to fence sitters by not rocking the boat may be tempting, but it is a mistake.
Biden’s age is part of the problem. Being the elder statesman may have been an advantage when he was running for office, but once in office it became a liability. The party needs new blood. If Biden, by his nature, is not an impassioned leader, someone must step up and fill the void. Now is the time for Biden to agree not to run again.
Progressive Without Apology 