Joe Biden Is Succeeding

[George II]

DAVID BROOKS

Joe Biden came to the White House at a pivotal moment in American history. We had become a country dividing into two nations, one highly educated and affluent and the other left behind. The economic gaps further inflamed cultural and social gaps, creating an atmosphere of intense polarization, cultural hostility, alienation, bitterness and resentment.

As president, Biden had mostly economic levers to try to bridge this cold civil war. He championed three gigantic pieces of legislation to create a more equal, more just and more united society: the Covid stimulus bill, the infrastructure bill and what became Build Back Better, to invest in human infrastructure.

All of these bills were written to funnel money to the parts of the country that were less educated, less affluent, left behind. Adam Hersh, a visiting economist at the Economic Policy Institute, projects that more than 80 percent of the new jobs created by the infrastructure plan will not require a college degree.

These gigantic proposals were bold endeavors. Some thought them too bold. Economist Larry Summers thought the stimulus package, for example, was too big. It could overstimulate the economy and lead to inflation.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/18/opinion/biden-infrastructure-stimulus-bill.html

[Lovie777]

1. Left wing bullshit and Afgan withdrawal . . ..

all of which were and still is positive as well. What does the GQP have - fear, hate, steal, cheat, gerrymander, CRT, less civil rights, less voting rights, lunatics running the farm, racism, conspiracies to name a few . ..... rinse and repeat.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Yeah for Joe

Link to tweet

[Wounded Bear]

3. K & R...nt

[PatSeg]

4. From David Brooks?

That is pretty impressive and unexpected praise.

[George II]

7. I was surprised myself. Of course there are a few negative lines in that piece, but....

....for the most part it was a glowing column for a change.

[PatSeg]

9. Yes, I noticed the few negative digs

but I was not surprised. It was to be expected from a conservative.

"Sure, there have been failures — the shameful Afghanistan withdrawal, failing to renounce the excesses of the cultural left. But this administration will be judged by whether it reduced inequality, spread opportunity, created the material basis for greater national unity."

He had to get that dig in there about the "cultural left" and of course, Afghanistan. He wasn't going to give Biden a free ride, but overall, it was extremely positive and upbeat. Then that led me to the piece by Frank Bruni:

"Think Biden’s a Bust? Check Your Cynicism."

But the oft-repeated assertion that Biden and the party are flat-out failing isn’t fair. I myself fell prey to excessive negativity and overstatement when, in a newsletter a month ago, I wrote that he was lurching about in a manner that called his administrative and legislative competence into question.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/18/opinion/biden-infrastructure-inflation.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article

Another excellent article acknowledging Biden's successes in such a short period of time, while correcting his own cynism. The media needs to wise up. The reason I have tuned out the news in recent months has been the unnecessary and often obligatory negativity.

[FakeNoose]

5. It's coming together nicely

[mcar]

6. Brooks?

David Brooks?

[brer cat]

8. Wonders never cease. nt

[George II]

10. Yes. When you've won him over you're winning big.