JOE BIDEN’S LEGACY
He Should be Praised, Not Censured
A decade from now – maybe sooner – I expect that historians and political commentators will look back on Joe Biden’s presidency and rate him among the most effective leaders to ever hold that office. He stepped into a government in shambles, with an economy that was universally expected by economists to be headed for a recession, and without the benefit of a normal transition period to get his administration ready to work on day one. He then took actions that not only avoided a recession but created the world’s most robust economy.
Joe Biden may not be the smartest of presidents, but he is aware of his limitations and humble enough to surround himself with a team of brilliant and experienced staff and advisors. He then followed FDR’s playbook and initiated programs to bolster workers and struggling families. The result has been record employment, reduced inflation, higher wages, and a dramatic drop in childhood poverty. The stock markets more than doubled during the Biden administration and are today at an all-time high. His appointees fixed the gridlocked supply chain of imported materials and goods at our ports and brought the rate of inflation back to normal.
During the first year of Biden’s term, the Democratic congress enacted infrastructure legislation that is now rebuilding bridges and highways and expanding high speed internet service into rural areas; legislation that Trump repeatedly promised but never delivered. At the same time congress adopted incentives that have brought manufacture of computer chips and other key industrial products back to this country. Nearly all of the new factories are being built in predominantly Republican states, bringing jobs and investment to those areas. Republican senators and representatives who voted against that legislation are now claiming credit for it.
When Putin invaded Ukraine, it was Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken who pulled NATO together and rallied international support for sanctions against Russia. Biden immediately sent arms to Ukraine to defend itself, an action that bolstered U.S. defense contractors who are making replacements for those arms. Biden and Blinken have been less successful in their efforts to protect the civilian population of Gaza. As they did with Ukraine, they built a coalition of aligned nations but have been unable to stem Netanyahu’s determination to take over both the Gaza strip and the West Bank.
I have been appalled at the constant criticism of Joe Biden by the mainstream media. I think the timing of his announcement to step down was perfect, coming immediately after the Republicans had officially nominated Trump and Vance. And I was truly impressed by the campaign that Kamala Harris ran on such short notice. Neither of them deserves the drubbing they have been getting from their own party and from the media. They were not responsible for Trump winning the election. They lost because the Republicans succeeded in suppressing the black vote, and Russia’s social media operatives succeeded in feeding misinformation to Hispanics and poorly educated young men.
And don’t get me started on the backlash to Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter for convictions that would not have been prosecuted if he were not the president’s son. Joe stuck to his word to respect the rule of law until Trump nominated Kash Patel to head the FBI. Patel appears to be obsessed with relitigating allegations of wrongdoing by Hunter that have been dismissed by multiple congressional investigations. I would not be surprised to see the Trump administration go after both Biden men with multiple bogus lawsuits and investigations that bankrupt them with legal fees.
In a seemingly unrelated note, I suggest we pay close attention to what is happening in South Korea. An unpopular leader invoked martial law when his legislature opposed his authoritarian programs. That action immediately provoked such an uproar that mobs of ordinary people stormed government offices and legislators climbed over walls and barricades to overturn his decree and immediately institute impeachment action. By this time next year, the new Trump administration will be similarly unpopular and struggling to remain in power. Trump is likely to also invoke martial law in order to stop the mid-term election in 2026 that will most certainly give the Democrats a strong majority in both houses of congress.
That is when the press might fondly recall the economic and diplomatic successes of the Biden administration and begin to give Joe the credit he is due. It could take decades to repair the damage already done to our international trust and reputation, and to rebuild our economy after Trump and his busload of deplorables destroy it, but I believe the bipartisan model of governing for the benefit of workers and families that Joe Biden created will set the pattern for future administrations that represent the majority instead of solely benefitting the very wealthy.