The political crisis is like quicksand: above all, do not get too excited, so as not to get bogged down further. In great difficulty at the end of the first year of his mandate, Joe Biden does not draw any dramatic conclusions. No question of changing teams or orientation. Its immediate objective is simple crisis communication: meeting Americans to convince them of the relevance of its reforms.
Speaking Wednesday, January 19, at a press conference, an exercise that he hardly tastes, the American president appeared more clumsy than combative, without scathing formulas. He even got lost in ambivalent remarks on the Russian threat once morest Ukraine, which the White House had to clarify in the evening, by press release.
More surprising: Joe Biden pretended to discover the violence of American politics and its incandescent polarization. Eleven months before the mid-term elections, bipartisan preaching is set aside like an old-fashioned habit. The president has chosen to denounce the systematic obstruction of the Republican opposition, highlighting the submission of elected officials from the “Grand Old Party” (GOP) to Donald Trump.
“Could you ever imagine that a man more in office might intimidate an entire party? », wondered Joe Biden. “What are the Republicans for? », he added, calling on the opposition to take a stand on tax justice or the environment. Before making this confession, with rare candor: “I didn’t anticipate there would be such a vigorous effort to make sure the most important thing is to stop President Biden from accomplishing anything. » Does the White House have a subscription to the conservative Fox News or Newsmax channels? The president had just summarized their editorial line.
Depression awaits the Democratic camp
“Can you name another president who has accomplished as much as I have in a year? » Joe Biden’s frustration is palpable. Despite the pandemic and a tormented international context, year 1 of his administration should have satisfied the Democratic ranks. Unemployment fell to 3.9% of the labor force, with 6.4 million jobs created. In March 2021, the White House successfully pushed through the American Rescue Plan – a $1.9 trillion (1.675 billion) stimulus to respond to Covid-19. In early November 2021, it was the turn of the infrastructure modernization plan ($1.2 trillion) to clear the parliamentary hurdle. These two texts received strong popular approval.
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