David Salmon | Joe Biden: America’s most under appreciated president

United States President Joe Biden has officially ended his bid for re-election. This progressive leader had a raft of legislative victories, but it was insufficient to carry him over the line. Even though this chain of events pertains to the incumbent president, it is also applicable to former US President Lyndon Johnson.

What is interesting is that these two men share more in common. This includes their long history in the Washington establishment, the dramatic end to their bid for re-election and, most importantly, the impact of their administration. Like Johnson, Biden will go down in history as one of America’s most underrated presidents.

PREVIOUS DEMOCRATIC PERFORMANCE

In terms of legislative wins, Biden is undoubtedly more consequential than his Democratic predecessors, including Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. To be fair to Obama, many argue that he inherited an economy on the brink of collapse. Despite this, he adeptly navigated that uncertain landscape and was able to sign into law the $831 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009). This legislation was designed to stimulate the economy amid the aftermath of the Great Recession, by providing tax cuts, unemployment benefits, and funding for sectors like education and infrastructure.

The other legislation associated with his administration is the Affordable Care Act (2010), otherwise known as ‘Obamacare’, which aimed to reduce the number of uninsured Americans and healthcare costs by expanding Medicaid and health insurance marketplaces. Some would submit that these accomplishments are noteworthy, given that the Democratic Party only controlled the House of Representatives and the Senate for two years, after which, the Republicans had handicapped his legislative agenda for the remainder of his term. This is a fair assessment.

STANDOUT TRACK RECORD

Nevertheless, these challenges also occurred under Biden. He inherited an economy convulsing from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also no doubt as to the increased political polarisation that the country experienced, which is aptly illustrated by the January 6 Capitol attack. Biden also had to contend with his party possessing full control of Congress for only two years before losing the House of Representations in the 2022 mid-term elections.

And yet, during that time, Biden enacted several extensive and expensive legislative wins that have far-reaching consequences for the economy and society of the United States. This included the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (2021), which is an economic stimulus package enacted to address the impact of COVID-19. This package contained direct payments to Americans, extended unemployment benefits, increased funding for vaccine distribution, financial support for small businesses, and aid to state governments.

That same year, Congress passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021), which is a $1.2 trillion legislation which focuses on providing funding for the renovation, construction and upgrading of critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, railways, water systems and the Internet. This would be the largest federal infrastructure bill since the 1950s.

The legislation that will strengthen the US economy in the long term include the CHIPS and Science Act (2022), which aims to boost the country’s domestic semi-conductor industry. While the Inflation Reduction Act (2022) aims to tackle climate change, healthcare, and tax reform, by reducing prescription drug prices, and investing in domestic energy production and renewable energy. Apart from this last legislation, these initiatives are unlikely to be rejected by the next administration, if the Republicans are victorious in the coming election.

Another initiative that warrants highlighting is the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which is the most sweeping gun-safety legislation in 28 years. The administration can also be credited with achieving bipartisan support for Ukraine. These last two proposals were enacted despite vocal Republican resistance, especially in the House of Representatives. Regardless of what you think about his politics, Biden has executed several pillars of his policy agenda, which is exemplified by his expansive legislative achievements.

BROADER HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

In the broader historical context, this is impressive and noteworthy, and it certainly represents one of the most active US administrations since Lyndon Johnson. Some of Johnson’s signature achievements were the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid. Although, unlike Johnson who enjoyed a broad support in the aftermath of the assassination of John F. Kennedy and Democrat control of both houses of Congress, Biden had no such advantages. Still, he was able to achieve several remarkable feats in office.

It is interesting that the two most consequential presidents from the Democratic Party were uninspiring, uncharismatic, relatively ‘boring’ leaders. What do they have in common? Both possess a lifetime of political experience in Washington, which has proven to be far more important than simply raw charisma.

Nevertheless, the two weaknesses of Biden’s administration will be immigration and inflation. In the case of immigration, this falls outside the realm of control of the president. While it can be argued that the fear surrounding immigration is largely blown out of proportion, for many Americans on both sides of the political spectrum, this is a priority. Thus, to a large segment of the population, immigration is a major blotch on Biden’s legacy. The other twin evil that has hurt his administration is inflation. This is not something that is unique to the US, but an argument can be made that several of the new expenditure bills have contributed to this outcome.

Liberal-minded people would acknowledge a third weakness being a mixed foreign policy record, including the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Though, Americans are increasingly pursuing a more isolationist policy. Therefore, outside of the specific voter groups impacted by these decisions, this would not be a major metric in the years ahead to assess the success (or failures) of the administration.

In the grand scheme of things, Biden’s legacy will probably be forgotten in the short term and seen as an interregnum between a second Trump presidency or the prelude to the ascension of a more progressive candidate. But, one thing that is clear is that he would be a leader appreciated more in hindsight.

It is said that history often repeats itself, first as tragedy and second as farce. Based on the parallels between Lyndon Johnson and Joe Biden, I don’t expect Kamala Harris to win the upcoming election. But, let’s see, as history has produced surprises in the past.

David Salmon is a social commentator and development specialist. Send feedback to davidsalmon@live.com