President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris - ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES
There was skepticism that Joe Biden would be able to enact the program on which he ran. Biden has accomplished more in his first term than most other presidents have been able to achieve in two terms. Even the most cynical pundits admitted that his performance as President has been outstanding. Nonetheless, some critics, mostly Republicans and some centrist Democrats, have criticized Biden for spurring inflation by spending too much to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, poorly executing the extrication of the U.S. from the war in Afghanistan, and failing to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants crossing the southern border. Considering Biden's significant successes and despite these setbacks, Biden decided to run for reelection. And the criticism of Biden increased, mediated by his age.
President Biden introduces American Rescue Plan - Wall Street Journal - March 6, 2021 Biden inherited the pandemic that the previous administration had failed to stem. While that administration had enabled the development of effective vaccines to curb COVID-19, it had not developed a plan to disperse them. Biden successfully got at least one vaccine into the arms of 85 percent of Americans older than 12. However, the onset of the COVID variants Delta and Omicron and a targeted political campaign against efforts to mitigate the pandemic decreased the credit Biden received for his efforts to end the pandemic. In addition to Biden's efforts to tamp down the pandemic, he passed the American Rescue Plan. The primary purpose of the American Rescue Plan was to relieve some of the ill effects Americans had suffered from the pandemic. The help provided by the Plan included the following:
- Expand and extend benefits to help workers who have lost their jobs;
- Provide tax credits to 27 million children in families with low incomes;
- Expand food and nutrition assistance to families;
- Extend affordable and comprehensive health coverage; and
- Provide housing assistance for the millions of families struggling to pay their rent to prevent homelessness.
In addition to the American Rescue Plan, Biden has shepherded four other signature pieces of legislation through Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a scaled-down version of the Build Back Better Act that Biden initially introduced but failed to obtain the Democratic votes needed to pass it, fought inflation by reducing the federal deficit while increasing consumer access to certain goods. The IRA aimed to reduce greenhouse emissions by growing jobs in green energy technologies. It also lowered prescription drug costs for consumers on Medicare. It also raised $300 billion in new revenue by increasing corporate taxes and raising tax revenues by providing $80 billion to the Internal Revenue Service to increase its efficiency. Biden also passed a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill to improve the nation's communication and transportation capabilities. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 provided $53 billion to improve the nation's ability to manufacture semiconductor chips in the U.S. and prevent chip shortages due to the pandemic. Biden was also able to move the first gun safety legislation through Congress in decades, although its scope was more limited than gun safety advocates wanted.
From: The Council of State Governments - https://www.csg.org/2022/08/16/understanding-the-inflation-reduction-act/ Despite these many legislative successes, including nurturing an economy that is arguably the best since President Lyndon B. Johnson's and the Democrats' ability to hold the Republican control of the house to under six, Biden's decision to seek reelection has not been enthusiastically received. Although many Democrats expected Biden to seek reelection, especially if he was running against Trump, some expected Biden to step down because of his age. Because Biden's performance in the polls has declined, those who wanted him to step down have had strong evidence that he should have done so. In the six battleground states that President Joe Biden won in 2020 and needs to win in 2024, recent polls show that he is trailing Donald Trump by an average of 48 to 44 percent. Polling trends also suggest that Biden's approval is falling, and his disapproval is rising. These stark polling results are consistent with a trend showing Biden either running behind or slightly ahead of Trump. Biden's loss of support among blacks and young voters is crucial to this polling trend. The decrease in black support is problematic because the last three Democratic presidents relied on a solid showing by black voters for their victories. And support among young voters seems to be falling for two reasons. First, young voters, especially Progressives, are disappointed in Biden's support of the Israeli government's disproportionate violence against Palestinian civilians. Second, young voters are disappointed in Biden's failure to secure more significant relief than he has from the burden of student loans.
Emerson College - 12/8/23: December 2023 National Poll: Economic Worries and Anxiety Driving Younger Voters Away from Biden
As a result of these developments, many Democratic strategists and supporters are warning of Biden's defeat in the general election and calling for a Plan B. Some of the B plans that have been cited include convincing President Biden that he should drop his plans for a reelection run in 2024, encouraging other Democrats to primary the President and support the third party "No Labels" effort to defeat both President Biden and Trump in the general election. Except for the efforts of a few columnists, there have been no widespread attempts to persuade President Biden to end his reelection bid. The primary objection of these columnists to Biden's reelection is his age. They cite polls that show voters are concerned about Biden's age.
Members of the "No Labels" Party, a third party, claim to have a Plan B, according to Mark McKinnon, a former Republican strategist. Suppose Biden persists in his bid for reelection despite floundering poll numbers. In that case, McKinnon says the No Labels Party will run Republican candidates like Pat McCrory, former North Carolina governor, Doug Ducey, former governor of Arizona, and Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia, in pivotal battleground states. Presumably, these Republicans would draw votes from Trump rather than Biden. If the No Labels Party can only siphon enough votes so that the Biden and Trump are tied in the Electoral College, they may throw their votes to the candidate offering to grant their policy goals. There are two problems with this Plan B. First, there is no guarantee that the Republicans who might be expected to vote for Republican governors would draw votes from Trump rather than Biden. Second, although No Labels refuses to disclose a complete list of donors, one is Harlan Crowe, a lifelong Republican and Justice Clarence Thomas' benefactor. No Labels may be a stalking horse for Trump and Republicans. The No Labels Party may decide to run a Democrat like Senator Joe Manchin, who would be more likely to draw votes from Biden. Alternatively, in the event of a tie, they may throw their support to Trump.
Nationally known Democratic politicians are not inclined to challenge President Biden in primaries. Governor Gavin Newsome, Governor of California, and other governors, like Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Bashear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, have shown no indication that they want to run against Biden. And the window in which they would have to file to get on the ballots in key states will be closed by the end of January. As a result, the Democratic Party nominee will be President Joe Biden. Like all presidential nominees, Biden has positives and negatives. His age and what some see as policy failures like the bumpy withdrawal from Afghanistan, his inability to persuade Congress to pass voting reform and student debt relief, and his apparent failure to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians are negatives that have annoyed many Democratic voters.
On the other hand, Biden has positives as the Democratic candidate. As the incumbent President, he has an advantage that has historically led to more victories than defeats. He has put together an administration that has had many legislative successes and he should be presiding over a strong economy by the time of the election. He has rallied NATO and invigorated the democracies of Europe. He is known to the public, has beaten Trump in the last election, and voters regard him as decent. The next President will need someone with his experience in both domestic and foreign policy. President Biden is the only person who has that experience. And he has a Vice President who, despite some misgivings, will have more experience than any of her rivals and may have own her accomplishments when it is her time to run for President.
There is no Plan B. There is only the Biden-Harris ticket. If we do not want a fascist dictator, we had better do all we can to make sure that voters reelect Biden-Harris.
Members of the "No Labels" Party, a third party, claim to have a Plan B, according to Mark McKinnon, a former Republican strategist. Suppose Biden persists in his bid for reelection despite floundering poll numbers. In that case, McKinnon says the No Labels Party will run Republican candidates like Pat McCrory, former North Carolina governor, Doug Ducey, former governor of Arizona, and Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia, in pivotal battleground states. Presumably, these Republicans would draw votes from Trump rather than Biden. If the No Labels Party can only siphon enough votes so that the Biden and Trump are tied in the Electoral College, they may throw their votes to the candidate offering to grant their policy goals. There are two problems with this Plan B. First, there is no guarantee that the Republicans who might be expected to vote for Republican governors would draw votes from Trump rather than Biden. Second, although No Labels refuses to disclose a complete list of donors, one is Harlan Crowe, a lifelong Republican and Justice Clarence Thomas' benefactor. No Labels may be a stalking horse for Trump and Republicans. The No Labels Party may decide to run a Democrat like Senator Joe Manchin, who would be more likely to draw votes from Biden. Alternatively, in the event of a tie, they may throw their support to Trump.
Nationally known Democratic politicians are not inclined to challenge President Biden in primaries. Governor Gavin Newsome, Governor of California, and other governors, like Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Bashear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, have shown no indication that they want to run against Biden. And the window in which they would have to file to get on the ballots in key states will be closed by the end of January. As a result, the Democratic Party nominee will be President Joe Biden. Like all presidential nominees, Biden has positives and negatives. His age and what some see as policy failures like the bumpy withdrawal from Afghanistan, his inability to persuade Congress to pass voting reform and student debt relief, and his apparent failure to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians are negatives that have annoyed many Democratic voters.
On the other hand, Biden has positives as the Democratic candidate. As the incumbent President, he has an advantage that has historically led to more victories than defeats. He has put together an administration that has had many legislative successes and he should be presiding over a strong economy by the time of the election. He has rallied NATO and invigorated the democracies of Europe. He is known to the public, has beaten Trump in the last election, and voters regard him as decent. The next President will need someone with his experience in both domestic and foreign policy. President Biden is the only person who has that experience. And he has a Vice President who, despite some misgivings, will have more experience than any of her rivals and may have own her accomplishments when it is her time to run for President.
There is no Plan B. There is only the Biden-Harris ticket. If we do not want a fascist dictator, we had better do all we can to make sure that voters reelect Biden-Harris.
