Joe Biden Is Losing Authority at a Remarkable Pace*
Published in Handelsblatt
(Germany) on 3 November 2021
by Annett Meiritz (link to original)
(Germany) on 3 November 2021
by Annett Meiritz (link to original)
Translated from
by Kirsty Low.
Edited by Michelle Bisson.
The election disaster for the Democrats on the East Coast reveals the full extent of the government’s crisis. Biden no longer impresses — he is at risk of losing power.
The first test of the voters’ mood during Joe Biden’s term in office has ended in catastrophe for the Democrats. They were forced to relinquish Virginia, a state that they believed to be safe, to the Republicans. A swing to the right even took place in the Democratic bastion that is New Jersey.
The government crisis in Washington that is enabling the Republicans’ unexpected comeback is to blame. If the Democrats do not find a galvanizing issue soon, they will lose their hard-fought congressional majority next year. In the autumn of 2022, hundreds of seats will be contested.
Biden’s poor track record is having repercussions. Currently, Republicans do not need to do much, as the Democrats’ chaos provides the best possible boost to their election campaign. Just this week, Congress once again postponed a vote on two trillion-dollar packages.** The longer the Capitol Hill deadlock lasts, the more embarrassing it will be for Biden.
The last four months have completely altered his presidency: The hopeful man who promised a new start after Donald Trump has become an enfeebled president. Each one of his predecessors faced crises, but Biden's biggest problem is his diminishing credibility.
Left-wing, grassroots movements that helped Biden to victory in 2020 are now starting to turn away from him in frustration. Biden had promised a large-scale redistribution of wealth. His ambitions have been crushed in Congress.
Arrogance Does Not Win Elections
The Virginia election will give renewed fuel to the political infighting. Are the Democrats being too tentative, or are they too far to the left and no longer understand their electoral base?
It is up to the party to find answers to these questions. But instead of attempting to do so, they took an arrogant approach to the Virginia election campaign. Contentious debates revolving around racism and schools passed the Democrats by. Instead, they chose to zone in on Trump as the enemy. That is no longer enough.
The Democrats are failing in the most crucial areas. It is true that they managed to get a $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill approved by Congress in March. As a result, the U.S. economy recovered faster than all other developed countries.
But this was a temporary emergency measure, and its effect is already wearing off. The $3 trillion bill planned for infrastructure, climate and social welfare is Biden’s only chance of turning the tide. After that, the window of opportunity remaining for major political projects will have closed — the midterm elections will overshadow all else.
’America is Back’ Is Dead
Biden’s credibility abroad has also suffered. His mantra of “America is back” has come to nothing. It could be stated that the much-heralded comeback of the United States is a misnomer.
The U.S. government’s more professional and constructive presence on the world stage compared to the Trump era represents a large step forward. But Western countries are rightly skeptical about whether Biden is the catalyst for progress that many thought him to be — and as he portrayed himself.
Perhaps modern America only knows two political modes: populism à la Trump and weak governing such as that from Biden. Without a reasonable congressional majority, the stalemate is unlikely to be broken, but that is just one part of the problem.
If the Democrats wish to impress again, whether at home or abroad, they will have to do a lot of work to convince people that it is still worth believing in the party, and in Biden as president.
*Editor’s Note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
**Editor’s Note: This appears to refer both to the $1 trillion infrastructure package, which has since been passed by both houses of Congress, and the pending $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan.
The first test of the voters’ mood during Joe Biden’s term in office has ended in catastrophe for the Democrats. They were forced to relinquish Virginia, a state that they believed to be safe, to the Republicans. A swing to the right even took place in the Democratic bastion that is New Jersey.
The government crisis in Washington that is enabling the Republicans’ unexpected comeback is to blame. If the Democrats do not find a galvanizing issue soon, they will lose their hard-fought congressional majority next year. In the autumn of 2022, hundreds of seats will be contested.
Biden’s poor track record is having repercussions. Currently, Republicans do not need to do much, as the Democrats’ chaos provides the best possible boost to their election campaign. Just this week, Congress once again postponed a vote on two trillion-dollar packages.** The longer the Capitol Hill deadlock lasts, the more embarrassing it will be for Biden.
The last four months have completely altered his presidency: The hopeful man who promised a new start after Donald Trump has become an enfeebled president. Each one of his predecessors faced crises, but Biden's biggest problem is his diminishing credibility.
Left-wing, grassroots movements that helped Biden to victory in 2020 are now starting to turn away from him in frustration. Biden had promised a large-scale redistribution of wealth. His ambitions have been crushed in Congress.
Arrogance Does Not Win Elections
The Virginia election will give renewed fuel to the political infighting. Are the Democrats being too tentative, or are they too far to the left and no longer understand their electoral base?
It is up to the party to find answers to these questions. But instead of attempting to do so, they took an arrogant approach to the Virginia election campaign. Contentious debates revolving around racism and schools passed the Democrats by. Instead, they chose to zone in on Trump as the enemy. That is no longer enough.
The Democrats are failing in the most crucial areas. It is true that they managed to get a $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill approved by Congress in March. As a result, the U.S. economy recovered faster than all other developed countries.
But this was a temporary emergency measure, and its effect is already wearing off. The $3 trillion bill planned for infrastructure, climate and social welfare is Biden’s only chance of turning the tide. After that, the window of opportunity remaining for major political projects will have closed — the midterm elections will overshadow all else.
’America is Back’ Is Dead
Biden’s credibility abroad has also suffered. His mantra of “America is back” has come to nothing. It could be stated that the much-heralded comeback of the United States is a misnomer.
The U.S. government’s more professional and constructive presence on the world stage compared to the Trump era represents a large step forward. But Western countries are rightly skeptical about whether Biden is the catalyst for progress that many thought him to be — and as he portrayed himself.
Perhaps modern America only knows two political modes: populism à la Trump and weak governing such as that from Biden. Without a reasonable congressional majority, the stalemate is unlikely to be broken, but that is just one part of the problem.
If the Democrats wish to impress again, whether at home or abroad, they will have to do a lot of work to convince people that it is still worth believing in the party, and in Biden as president.
*Editor’s Note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
**Editor’s Note: This appears to refer both to the $1 trillion infrastructure package, which has since been passed by both houses of Congress, and the pending $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan.
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