Presidents: Don't be Crazy/Cruel/ Corporate or Corrupt

American's Are Tired of Biden

President Joe Biden is not a popular man. This stands in stark contrast to a year ago, just after he’d taken office. At that point, riding high off the failed coup, the Covid relief package, and an ahead of schedule vaccine roll-out, America was by and large in the honeymoon phase of the Biden presidency. Approval polls were high with nearly 60% registering support for Biden’s performance, with certain issues performing much higher. There was, briefly, a sense of shared optimism, that perhaps we were emerging into a new era of leadership, with a responsible, empathetic person at the helm. Oh, what a difference a year makes; the honeymoon is over, and the relationship has soured. The past year of the Biden presidency has not been the cartoonish, and garish display blaring 24/7 during Trump’s time in office, but it has still been a disappointing and lackluster performance, even when measured against Biden’s own benchmarks. What has become depressingly clear to increasingly large swathes of the country, is that neither party, as they are currently constituted, has the ability to meaningfully address the plethora of profound challenges facing our country. This past year, America needed a major, bold and inspired transformation of our system, from our healthcare system, and our infrastructure to our schooling, our criminal justice system, and the climate crisis, Americans wanted, Americans Needed change. Instead, we got only more excuses, with little material action. Biden and the Democrats couldn’t even muster the energy to protect their own power by safe-guarding voting rights from the relentless attacks of the anti-democratic Republican party. This type of do-nothing approach to leadership has its cost, as seen in recent polling: Would you like Biden to Run for Reelection in 2024? Yes: 28% A lot can change over the next 2-3 years, but the consequences of this poor polling may be more immediate. Mid-term elections are, historically, referenda of the current party in power, specifically the President. Turn-outs are lower, with victory being determined by party faithful participation. This sort of abysmal polling will be a boon to the negative partisanship of the Republican party, but my make it difficult to bring Democrats out in numbers. Losses in Congress will kill even the faintest hope of legislative progress for the Democratic party, making 2024 even tougher. We cannot wait for leaders who’ve proven themselves time and again constitutionally incapable of rising to the moment. This type of vicious cycle must be nipped in the bud, to avoid a painful slide further into minoritarian rule. 2022 must be the year we join together in solidarity: in the workplace, in our calls for criminal justice, in our protection of civil rights, and in united power each Tuesday, building an economic cudgel to force the powers that be to take the American people seriously. With a growing, United Power Movement we can start a virtuous cycle and make a society that works for all of us! #DSOT #UPM