The Legacy of President Biden’s First Year in Office - “The Sunday Political Brunch”
Sunday, January 23, 2022
They may call it the White House, but I call it a glass house. In some respects, we get to see (and judge) everything that goes on there. Is it fair? Probably not, but every president, regardless of party, gets judged by the ups and downs of what goes on there. As with many presidents, Mr. Biden has had a first-year roller coaster ride. Let’s “brunch” on that this week.
“The Approval Ratings” – The public often complains about us pundits, who rely too much on polling. I get it and even get tired of it myself. For some who analyze politics it can be a crutch. I think of it like salt and pepper. You cautiously sprinkle it on the steak, but you don’t just dump the whole bottles on a prime piece of meat. It’s supposed to accentuate the dish, not smother it. That said, ultimately politics comes down to the only poll that really matters, and that’s on Election Day. Today, the Real Clear Politics composite poll of many surveys puts Biden’s approval rating at 41 percent, while disapproval is at 53 percent. Last February 4, it was reversed. His rating was 55 percent approval to 36 percent disapproval. That’s quite a flip.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
“The Filibuster” – Late Wednesday night the U.S. Senate voted down an effort to end the filibuster so the voting rights bill could move forward. Sen. Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia says it’s important for the minority party to have some leverage in the Senate, and that Democrats may find themselves out of power in November. "Eliminating the filibuster would be the easy way out,” Manchin said. “I cannot support such a perilous course for our nation. It's time we do the hard work to forge the difficult compromises that can stand the test of time," he added.
“Voting Rights” – Of course, the overarching issue on the filibuster, was to move it aside, so Democrats could pass a sweeping voting rights bill. Manchin, who once served as West Virginia Secretary of State (and was the state’s chief elections officer), wanted a more moderate bill than leadership, and wanted time to craft a bipartisan measure. Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) New York said, “We sent our best emissary to talk to the Republicans. That was Joe Manchin. And we gave him months,” Schumer said in an interview on Wednesday. “The epiphany that occurred on a rules change? He didn’t even get any bites.” Ouch!
“The Lingering Ghost of Trump” – One of the most fascinating items coming from the Biden news conference Wednesday were his comments about former President Trump’s lingering and seemingly effective pressure on the political scene. “I've had five Republican senators talk to me, bump into me ... or sit with me, who have told me that they agree with whatever I'm talking about for them to do. ‘But Joe, if I do it, I'm getting defeated in a primary,"' he says they told him. It’s no secret that Trump is running his own slate of candidates, and is targeting select Republicans in federal and state offices whom he does not like. Yes, he’s still a wild card and could be a big factor in this year’s midterm elections.
“Blaming Mitch McConnell” – Trump aside, Biden also blamed one of Trump’s archenemies for the Democrat’s woes. "I actually like Mitch McConnell, but his prime objective is to try to block my policies. That's OK, I'm a big boy, I've been here before," said Biden, a six-term U.S. Senator. And that’s where a lot of political watchers criticize Biden, saying he is trying to be a “president-senator,” and who really can’t co-exist in two branches of government.
“Afghanistan & “Inflation” – No, these two disparate issues have nothing in common, other then they will likely be the two main campaign themes Republicans use against Biden allies in the November election. Images of both will likely be in many GOP campaign ads for House and Senate races, and even in races where a Democrat governor might be a big Biden ally.
“Putin’ on the Ritz” – The political wildcard could be Russian President Vladamir Putin and his possible plans to invade the now surrounded Ukraine. Biden promises an immediate and tough response (most likely economic sanctions, and not military). Biden, who ran for president three times touting his expertise in international relations, is now being pushed to the brink to prove himself. It’s one thing to run for president; it’s a whole other thing to be president, as almost all of his predecessors have found out with varying degrees of success.
‘Trump Gets No Pass” – Despite the hiccups Biden was having this week, it was certainly no vacation week for Trump. The New York Attorney General says she found alleged false filings in some of his real estate records, and discrepancies in financial and tax records The hint was she might file criminal charges. Then, the January 6th committee announced it was seeking information and testimony from more Trump allies, including his daughter Ivanka. Committee members believe Trump’s daughter was there when her dad tried to pressure Vice President Mike Pence into not certifying the election. Stay tuned!
“Breaking Up Build Back Better” – It is probably more a reflection on his 36 years in the Senate rather than his years in the Executive Branch. Wednesday Mr. Biden admitted that he needs to break up his $2 trillion dollar “Build Back Better” social infrastructure plan into “big chunks.” Congress could then vote on individual items that might pass, such as childcare help for parents trying to return to the workforce, that enough Republicans can back. But the president admitted two of his pet projects: extending the monthly child tax credits and providing free or low-cost community college tuition, are likely dead.
What do you think President Biden’s priorities should be as he enters his second year in office? Just click the comment button and let us know!
Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations serving West Virginia, its five neighboring states and the entire Washington, DC media market. He is a MINDSETTER™ contributing political writer for www.GoLocalProv.com and all of its affiliates.
