President Biden began losing support when he allowed the unvetted, unchecked, unsustainable migrants into all areas of the U.S. That act alienated multi-millions. The Democratic left alienated much of the population. There was no logic to the Democratic direction, giving pardons for select debts that didn't make sense. The Democratic left was responsible for the dumbing down of schools (despite the absurd collection of jaw-dropping costs per student) & the favor of the criminals over law-abiding individuals, It appeared that the long-term planning of the Republicans in power (behind the scenes) and the trillions of $ spent long before 2016 were successful.
The corporate fawning over an empty suit connected to malevolence, criminal behavior, greed, self-interest, & more is the new norm. How long will it take for Trump to corrupt every single thing around, continue the tax cuts that reward the rich, & contribute massively to the national debt? Incompetent criminals will replace all within the government with dangerous results. Will the health system collapse? Will Trump finally succeed in killing Obamacare & letting millions of people go down the tubes?
One thing I can't figure out is the Republican denial that Trump did anything wrong. If he didn't commit crimes (which we all know he committed many crimes & moral failings) why did the law-subverting SCOTUS judges give him immunity for those acts? And what of those pos Republican pols who confirmed Trump's treason only to recant 2 days later (we know why they recanted, just not why they weren't horsewhipped by those who failed to tolerate acts of supporting treason).!!!!
Biden's biggest fault is that he never recognized that 2025 is different than 1985, 1995, 2005, even 2015! He lived in his universe and never joined the present, and he believes he KNEW BETTER. He did not live in the now, he lived in his imaginary world that no longer exists. His job was to save our Democracy. Instead, he gave it away. For this all the good he did matters not.
I love The Bulwark, but could you give it a rest on dumping on Biden for a few days? I know there were problems with the way he governed, but he did some terrific things, beginning with stopping the daily catastrophe of COVID deaths. No, he shouldn’t have tried to run for president again, but could we have just a day or two of celebrating a man who did so much good? I am not a Biden super fan. I am a Democrat and an American who is aware that all presidents fail, but I would like to take a few days to celebrate the efforts of a good man before I begin raging and weeping about the corruption and idiocy of an evil man.
Susan, absolutely NOT! Keep it up! It is not dumping on Biden, is explaining why we are here. We need this. I need this. I am personally grateful for their analysis. KEEP IT UP! THANK YOU!
History will look back favorably on Joe Biden in the years to come. This country needed the empathetic Joe Biden the first two years to get this country out of the COVID mess and onto the right track after FOTUS 1.0 f*cked things up. This country needed a Reagan-like Great Communicator for his 2nd two years to preach his accomplishments and to use the bully pulpit; that is not Biden's strength. We are now stuck with FOTUS 2.0 (mysognist, narcissistic, add your own description here).
I just feel sad, for so many reasons. Somebody on the Bulwark characterized Biden as a tragic figure, in the classical sense. Sorry, I forget who it was at this point (JVL? Bill K?) - apologies. He did some great things, the greatest of which was saving us from Trumpism/MAGA in 2020. And then amazingly passing so much monumental legislation in a bipartisan fashion and in this polarized environment. Nothing short of astonishing and testment to his ability to navigate the ins and outs of Washington. But Biden's failure to step aside in time for the Democratic Primary process to kick in so that we could identify a solid candidate has tarnished his legacy, perhaps irretreivably. Biden is simultaneously the reason we avoided Trump in 2020 but is also the reason Trump is back, more powerful than ever, like a bacteria that was treated with only half a course of antibiotics. It will be interesting to see how Biden's presidency is viewed by historians, assuming that we'll still be doing institutional things like trying to write accurate histories of presidencies in the future.
I think President Biden accomplished more domestically than any President since LBJ, and was our best foreign policy President since Carter or maybe Eisenhower. The problem was he, like President Carter, was too good for the institutions and people of this country today. To borrow the old chestnut applied to doctors, his operation was a success, but the patient died. I don’t know if anyone could have saved it from the combination of the morbidly rich, the ignorati, the bigots and the indifferent that make up our lovely polity today. At nearly 77 and in health not declining fast enough, I will be glad to leave it all. I saw its best years, and the start of its worst in a very long time, and don’t care to prolong the agony. So thank you, President Biden and VP Harris. You were and remain real Americans. Those following you are traitorous, felonious scum who sully this country by their very existence.
His foreign policy from the beginning was disastrous, for Afghan women, for Ukraine, way too little hardware way too late and they should have been allowed to fire into Russia from the start. They have always been fighting so bravely with both hands tied behind their back. Then he allows Bibi to get away with war crimes while Bibi’s far-right delinquent cabinet members were taking more and more of the West Bank by force and the murder of Palastinian farmers. I support the State of Israel but Biden’s way is/was the wrong way.
As a fan of Biden’s ascendancy and accomplishments, I spent 4 years pulling my hair out over his inability to effectively communicate the challenges we faced and his significant achievements in battling them. I don’t even know exactly who I should have been most frustrated with — Biden, his communications apparatus, Congressional leaders, the media — but ultimately the accountability lies with Biden that his message did not break through in a sufficient way for him, and then Harris, to retain the White House.
I agree he should have used the bully pulpit more but the trade off might have been not getting so much legislation past. On the foreign policy front, he did rebuild NATO in a manner of months. So while i am willing to see where there are failures in the Biden administration, I think we need to have a broader discussion about what we want the role of the presidency to be. We have decided a performance is better than improving the lives of Americans. And I'm not sure we're ever going to be able to have that discussion.
I’m getting really tired of hearing people claim that Trump’s bullying is somehow more effective than Biden’s diplomacy. Every time we elect an exemplary man like Carter or Biden, a portion of media commentators complain that he’s somehow “weak.”
I don’t see thoughtful, ethical behavior as weak any more than I see Trump’s blatant lies and reckless threats as strong. Remember that despite his kindly nature, Biden is the only politician who ever beat Trump — and he did so resoundingly.
It’s also worth remembering that the American public turned out in record numbers in 2020, many to vote AGAINST Trump. Trump’s ignorance of government paired with his lack of honesty and use of the presidency for personal financial gain wore the public’s patience very thin by the end of a single term.
Biden came out of a well-earned retirement to take on the most difficult job in the world — righting the American ship of state after Trump’s poor management ran it into the ground. Biden not only had to steer us through a dreadful pandemic and a worldwide recession but also had to clean up the mess Trump left behind.
In fact, the extremely knowledgeable and diligent Biden quietly dedicated 16 hours a day to containing the pandemic, rebuilding infrastructure neglected for decades, creating a record number of jobs to prevent the worldwide recession from spreading to the US, relieving our massive student debt burden, expanding healthcare programs, increasing domestic oil drilling while simultaneously stimulating the transition to clean energy, and rebuilding damaged international relationships with our allies.
On top of all that, Biden pulled us out of Afghanistan, ending our longest war and putting the US at peace for the first time in the 21st century. Under Biden, we had the strongest economy in the world.
So, I don’t want to hear Monday morning quarterbacking about how it would have been better if elder statesman Biden had been more like callous, crass, cruel and arrogant Trump.
My only regret is that Biden ran the country so efficiently that people forgot the chaos of Trump’s first term. Biden made recovery from disaster look easy, erasing the fear in many people’s minds of what would happen to America if Trump were reelected.
We are really going to miss Biden. America’s greatest mistake was failing to elect Biden years ago, before the pressures of the presidency could ruin his health.
With Trump’s inauguration upon us, I fear for our country’s future. I’m bracing for another 4 years of calamity marked by shrinking freedoms, economic distress, and alienation from our allies.
I think some people expect the president to be in their faces all day, every day and being performative .They don't understand the nuances and complexities of being chief executive. They want a television president.
Sam, this might be the best Biden legacy recap I've seen: balanced, nuanced, insightful and accurate. It's easy to say that Biden's legacy is wholly one of failure simply because he contributed to Trump's return. Maybe it's true that it takes a thug to beat a thug and that's simply not in Biden's nature. Maybe there's truth in Leo Durocher's saying, now cliche, that nice guys finish last. But it's really refreshing to look at Biden's successes as well as failures through the lens of him being a decent, nice person.
Is decency and being nice a fatal flaw? In Biden's case it was, at least ultimately. But because his nature, style and good intentions resoundingly beat the thug the first time around, and succeeded in accomplishing so much after that, I'm going to continue looking for decency in my leaders. I'd like to believe that most of us feel likewise, despite a plurality of Americans voting for a strong thug as their leader.
President Biden began losing support when he allowed the unvetted, unchecked, unsustainable migrants into all areas of the U.S. That act alienated multi-millions. The Democratic left alienated much of the population. There was no logic to the Democratic direction, giving pardons for select debts that didn't make sense. The Democratic left was responsible for the dumbing down of schools (despite the absurd collection of jaw-dropping costs per student) & the favor of the criminals over law-abiding individuals, It appeared that the long-term planning of the Republicans in power (behind the scenes) and the trillions of $ spent long before 2016 were successful.
The corporate fawning over an empty suit connected to malevolence, criminal behavior, greed, self-interest, & more is the new norm. How long will it take for Trump to corrupt every single thing around, continue the tax cuts that reward the rich, & contribute massively to the national debt? Incompetent criminals will replace all within the government with dangerous results. Will the health system collapse? Will Trump finally succeed in killing Obamacare & letting millions of people go down the tubes?
One thing I can't figure out is the Republican denial that Trump did anything wrong. If he didn't commit crimes (which we all know he committed many crimes & moral failings) why did the law-subverting SCOTUS judges give him immunity for those acts? And what of those pos Republican pols who confirmed Trump's treason only to recant 2 days later (we know why they recanted, just not why they weren't horsewhipped by those who failed to tolerate acts of supporting treason).!!!!
Biden's biggest fault is that he never recognized that 2025 is different than 1985, 1995, 2005, even 2015! He lived in his universe and never joined the present, and he believes he KNEW BETTER. He did not live in the now, he lived in his imaginary world that no longer exists. His job was to save our Democracy. Instead, he gave it away. For this all the good he did matters not.
I love The Bulwark, but could you give it a rest on dumping on Biden for a few days? I know there were problems with the way he governed, but he did some terrific things, beginning with stopping the daily catastrophe of COVID deaths. No, he shouldn’t have tried to run for president again, but could we have just a day or two of celebrating a man who did so much good? I am not a Biden super fan. I am a Democrat and an American who is aware that all presidents fail, but I would like to take a few days to celebrate the efforts of a good man before I begin raging and weeping about the corruption and idiocy of an evil man.
Susan, absolutely NOT! Keep it up! It is not dumping on Biden, is explaining why we are here. We need this. I need this. I am personally grateful for their analysis. KEEP IT UP! THANK YOU!
History will look back favorably on Joe Biden in the years to come. This country needed the empathetic Joe Biden the first two years to get this country out of the COVID mess and onto the right track after FOTUS 1.0 f*cked things up. This country needed a Reagan-like Great Communicator for his 2nd two years to preach his accomplishments and to use the bully pulpit; that is not Biden's strength. We are now stuck with FOTUS 2.0 (mysognist, narcissistic, add your own description here).
I just feel sad, for so many reasons. Somebody on the Bulwark characterized Biden as a tragic figure, in the classical sense. Sorry, I forget who it was at this point (JVL? Bill K?) - apologies. He did some great things, the greatest of which was saving us from Trumpism/MAGA in 2020. And then amazingly passing so much monumental legislation in a bipartisan fashion and in this polarized environment. Nothing short of astonishing and testment to his ability to navigate the ins and outs of Washington. But Biden's failure to step aside in time for the Democratic Primary process to kick in so that we could identify a solid candidate has tarnished his legacy, perhaps irretreivably. Biden is simultaneously the reason we avoided Trump in 2020 but is also the reason Trump is back, more powerful than ever, like a bacteria that was treated with only half a course of antibiotics. It will be interesting to see how Biden's presidency is viewed by historians, assuming that we'll still be doing institutional things like trying to write accurate histories of presidencies in the future.
I think President Biden accomplished more domestically than any President since LBJ, and was our best foreign policy President since Carter or maybe Eisenhower. The problem was he, like President Carter, was too good for the institutions and people of this country today. To borrow the old chestnut applied to doctors, his operation was a success, but the patient died. I don’t know if anyone could have saved it from the combination of the morbidly rich, the ignorati, the bigots and the indifferent that make up our lovely polity today. At nearly 77 and in health not declining fast enough, I will be glad to leave it all. I saw its best years, and the start of its worst in a very long time, and don’t care to prolong the agony. So thank you, President Biden and VP Harris. You were and remain real Americans. Those following you are traitorous, felonious scum who sully this country by their very existence.
His foreign policy from the beginning was disastrous, for Afghan women, for Ukraine, way too little hardware way too late and they should have been allowed to fire into Russia from the start. They have always been fighting so bravely with both hands tied behind their back. Then he allows Bibi to get away with war crimes while Bibi’s far-right delinquent cabinet members were taking more and more of the West Bank by force and the murder of Palastinian farmers. I support the State of Israel but Biden’s way is/was the wrong way.
As a fan of Biden’s ascendancy and accomplishments, I spent 4 years pulling my hair out over his inability to effectively communicate the challenges we faced and his significant achievements in battling them. I don’t even know exactly who I should have been most frustrated with — Biden, his communications apparatus, Congressional leaders, the media — but ultimately the accountability lies with Biden that his message did not break through in a sufficient way for him, and then Harris, to retain the White House.
The U.S. will pay a huge price for this failure.
I agree he should have used the bully pulpit more but the trade off might have been not getting so much legislation past. On the foreign policy front, he did rebuild NATO in a manner of months. So while i am willing to see where there are failures in the Biden administration, I think we need to have a broader discussion about what we want the role of the presidency to be. We have decided a performance is better than improving the lives of Americans. And I'm not sure we're ever going to be able to have that discussion.
Well, the wanted more “F#$K you- They’re gonna get a lot of “F#$K you- and they’ll love it!
It’s all B.S. He’s put us in Hell.
Really Sam? I thought
“The Bulwark” would be with us the next four years.
Biden was sure confrontational to Russia to the point of risking global nuclear war. Personally, I'd call that significant.
Please. The debate cleared up any doubt. Joe wasn’t running anything.
I’m getting really tired of hearing people claim that Trump’s bullying is somehow more effective than Biden’s diplomacy. Every time we elect an exemplary man like Carter or Biden, a portion of media commentators complain that he’s somehow “weak.”
I don’t see thoughtful, ethical behavior as weak any more than I see Trump’s blatant lies and reckless threats as strong. Remember that despite his kindly nature, Biden is the only politician who ever beat Trump — and he did so resoundingly.
It’s also worth remembering that the American public turned out in record numbers in 2020, many to vote AGAINST Trump. Trump’s ignorance of government paired with his lack of honesty and use of the presidency for personal financial gain wore the public’s patience very thin by the end of a single term.
Biden came out of a well-earned retirement to take on the most difficult job in the world — righting the American ship of state after Trump’s poor management ran it into the ground. Biden not only had to steer us through a dreadful pandemic and a worldwide recession but also had to clean up the mess Trump left behind.
In fact, the extremely knowledgeable and diligent Biden quietly dedicated 16 hours a day to containing the pandemic, rebuilding infrastructure neglected for decades, creating a record number of jobs to prevent the worldwide recession from spreading to the US, relieving our massive student debt burden, expanding healthcare programs, increasing domestic oil drilling while simultaneously stimulating the transition to clean energy, and rebuilding damaged international relationships with our allies.
On top of all that, Biden pulled us out of Afghanistan, ending our longest war and putting the US at peace for the first time in the 21st century. Under Biden, we had the strongest economy in the world.
So, I don’t want to hear Monday morning quarterbacking about how it would have been better if elder statesman Biden had been more like callous, crass, cruel and arrogant Trump.
My only regret is that Biden ran the country so efficiently that people forgot the chaos of Trump’s first term. Biden made recovery from disaster look easy, erasing the fear in many people’s minds of what would happen to America if Trump were reelected.
We are really going to miss Biden. America’s greatest mistake was failing to elect Biden years ago, before the pressures of the presidency could ruin his health.
With Trump’s inauguration upon us, I fear for our country’s future. I’m bracing for another 4 years of calamity marked by shrinking freedoms, economic distress, and alienation from our allies.
We are really going to miss Biden.
I think some people expect the president to be in their faces all day, every day and being performative .They don't understand the nuances and complexities of being chief executive. They want a television president.
Sam, this might be the best Biden legacy recap I've seen: balanced, nuanced, insightful and accurate. It's easy to say that Biden's legacy is wholly one of failure simply because he contributed to Trump's return. Maybe it's true that it takes a thug to beat a thug and that's simply not in Biden's nature. Maybe there's truth in Leo Durocher's saying, now cliche, that nice guys finish last. But it's really refreshing to look at Biden's successes as well as failures through the lens of him being a decent, nice person.
Is decency and being nice a fatal flaw? In Biden's case it was, at least ultimately. But because his nature, style and good intentions resoundingly beat the thug the first time around, and succeeded in accomplishing so much after that, I'm going to continue looking for decency in my leaders. I'd like to believe that most of us feel likewise, despite a plurality of Americans voting for a strong thug as their leader.