The Case for Reelecting President Joe Biden
The question of who the best president is, is, in a way, misleading.
President Biden would not have the experience, skills and especially the respect of the Black community without his eight years of service as President Obama’s vice president.
Nevertheless, President Biden has exceeded my expectations considering how many different crises he has had to juggle and what his administration has so far accomplished.
That is not to say that I think President Biden has gotten everything right, but keep in mind even great presidents make bad decisions.
On the economy, on foreign policy and on so much more, President Biden has more than earned my support for reelection.
Soft Landing
Thanks to supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, inflation spiked around the world, including here in the United States.Although it is likely true that the stimulus package in the American rescue plan contributed to inflation, it was either that or people facing widespread evictions, unemployment and bankruptcies, which would have done much more damage than inflation has done.
A common theme you will see is that throughout his administration, President Biden has faced situations with only bad options, including the one I am most conflicted about, Afghanistan.
Nevertheless, President Biden, with the help in large part to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, has managed to bring down inflation without causing unemployment to rise.
From an economic perspective, that should not be possible. And yet, it has happened.
Economic confidence is starting to rise within the American people, and more importantly, their spending reflects a strong economy.
Although it is important to remember that the stock market is not the sum of the economy, the Dow Jones breaking new record highs is more evidence of a powerful economy when combined with record job growth, a rise in real wages, all-time low unemployment rates and record-high levels of applications to start new businesses.
President Biden has also done a lot to eliminate junk fees and overcharge fees, inconveniences that many in his class may not think of but what many of us here at the Bar have to deal with on an everyday basis.
Vitally, this recovery has included Americans of color, especially Black Americans. Not only are Black and Hispanic unemployment levels at record lows, but there has also been a new wave of new POC-owned businesses, especially new Black businesses, along with increases in real wages.
That is not to say that there are still serious systemic gaps and problems to be solved for people of color in the economic sense, but things are moving in the right direction.
Speaking of which…
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
To be blunt, most often these three words are either bungled in execution or just treated as lip service.President Biden’s administration has actually put these words into practice, especially when it comes to the Federal Judiciary.
President Biden has centered communities traditionally left at the wayside in his decision making, not only in his appointments but in how he has designed his policies, most notably his efforts around student debt relief.
With the help of Vice President Harris, President Biden has made real progress in tackling systemic racism in this country on all fronts.
Again, systemic racism is still a big problem, but the numbers are moving in the right direction.
I suspect the overwhelming margins President Biden won in Michigan and South Carolina with Black voters have something to do with this.
Foreign Policy on Nightmare Difficulty
President Biden is expertly dealing with foreign policy situations that have sunk other presidents—mainly, Putin’s war of conquest in Ukraine and the war in Gaza started by Hamas.I am not sure why President Biden is pushing for a ceasefire considering Hamas has demonstrated over and over again that it is not interested in peace.
The only way Hamas will stop is if it is utterly destroyed. I would like it if President Biden were more public about this.
If all President Biden is trying to do is support the Israeli people in their heroic fight against Hamas while keeping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in check, then he is doing more than I even thought.
In fact, it looks like President Biden is holding the free world together, working to strengthen American positions in the pacific and Europe.
Dealing with the Worst Congress in American History
The House GOP, if I am being charitable, has become a force of chaos. Over and over again, the GOP members are more committed to hurting President Biden even if that means passing up on long sought-after policy victories for the GOP.But I think the actions of the House GOP, especially the Freedom Caucus, are so dedicated to hurting Democrats that they will condemn millions of Ukrainians to Russian tyranny just to score political points—if they are not either compromised by the Russians or choosing to help Putin out of ideological interests.
Sadly, the Senate GOP is following suit, with Senators Ron Johnson, Rand Paul and Tommy Tuberville all aiding Putin in the Senate. With Senator McConnell stepping down in the fall, whoever replaces him will be worse.
President Biden has been able to navigate this mess expertly to get legislation through and keep the lights on.
It’s concerning that just keeping the government open is a miracle. Truth be told, I can understand why investors are nervous with Republicans threatening to blow things up.
This is not to mention the traitors within the Democratic party who sympathize with terrorists and Russia.
I don’t think anyone but President Biden could navigate this Congress.
Conclusion
No one but President Biden can meet this moment.I don’t care about his age. I care about what he has been able to accomplish and hold together.
That is the case for reelecting President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
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