The year in review: 46 is the least of our problems
“U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks in South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, D.C.” Sept. 27, 2021. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
Zach Donaldson is a freshman studying political science and an opinion writer for The New Political.
Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.
Beginning with the aftermath of an insurrection on the Capitol and ending with a deadly resurgence in the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden’s first year in office has been defined by much of the turmoil and strife his campaign sought to combat.
Grappling with massive off-year election losses to the tune of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and company, a blunt reality has become abundantly clear: The United States is far from united.
The anniversary of President Biden’s inauguration poses critical reflection and questions. How can we define his performance with a current approval rating of 42%? What does the future hold for the ensuing culture wars between Republicans and Democrats? Is it fair for us to expect one administration to redirect all the anger and pain crippling our country, or are our wounds far deeper than any vision could heal?
On the policy front, the White House’s agenda has seen its fair share of wins and losses, as to be expected from paper-thin majorities in both the House and Senate. The President’s first week consisted of 22 executive orders. These were a range of Trump-era cleanup chores such as withholding funds for the border wall, establishing a mask-mandate on federal properties and canceling the Keystone XL pipeline.
His major policy accomplishment was the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which passed through Congress and clocked in at $1.2 billion. National indicators would suggest America is recovering, giving credence to the administration’s efforts. Unemployment has fallen below 4% for the first time in almost two years, over 75% of Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and wages have increased 4.7% year over year.
Yet, these positive signs have been overshadowed by scathing criticism from his political opponents and frustrated cries from members of his party. The administration’s flagship agenda item Build Back Better and its efforts on voting rights have been halted by the party's conservative wing, much to the chagrin of the president and his allies.
Meanwhile, the GOP has coined the term “Bidenflation” and unilaterally condemned the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan to take digs at Biden’s foreign and economic policy. Republicans have also begun to hit Biden on COVID-19, the issue that likely cost Trump a second term in 2020.
While nuance is undoubtedly present, most of these criticisms are mired in what the president cannot do instead of what he has failed to do. Struggles to pass key legislation are not a result of the inadequacy of the administration but the contested nature of the current Democratic party. All the White House can be expected to do is continue negotiations, an avenue Biden has relentlessly pursued.
A withdrawal from Afghanistan was always going to be full of turmoil, and while its imagery is far from pretty, it is a better long-term move and reflects the will of the majority of Americans. Rising inflation numbers result from a plethora of external factors and moving parts and can only be partially accredited to federal spending. Most ridiculous, however, is criticism of the administration’s response to COVID-19. While the rise of new variants has certainly taken the public by surprise and warrants skepticism, the burden falls on those who would rather ignore a solution abundantly available for them: getting vaccinated. The president cannot enforce rational behavior when vaccine hesitancy has become an epidemic of harm that prominent Republicans concede is a problem.
These supposed failures are not a reflection of incompetent leadership but the reality of arguably one of the most challenging social and political climates a president has ever been forced to inherit.
Biden grabbed the torch two weeks after domestic terrorists stormed the Capitol to try to overthrow a democratic election. Several people died for the candidate that continues to spit poison and propagate falsehoods. Donald Trump may no longer be in office, but his reach is in full force as his party continues to reward conspiracists and spineless loyalists while ousting the few who tell the truth.
He is expected to lead a Democratic party with a razor-thin majority, while half of the elected officials at the federal level live entirely detached from reality. He is expected to get a once-in-a-century pandemic under control when a large chunk of Americans who oppose him couldn’t care less to follow basic safety guidelines.
The burden of leadership unquestionably falls on the president. Biden’s term has been far from perfect, and his administration should continue to be held accountable for their choices. However, I simply fail to buy the predominant public sentiment that Joe Biden’s first year has been an unmitigated disaster; that he is too old, too weak or too incompetent to uphold his oath of office. 46 is the least of our problems; he cannot be expected to swoop in on a golden chariot and save America when so many of our problems, Democrats and Republicans alike, are ones we refuse to solve ourselves.
