The events that have transpired within the last month in American politics have been disastrous. The Afghanistan ordeal was a mess, but President Joe Biden should not have gotten as much hate.
When talking to friends and professors about the events in Afghanistan, it was said that Americans were upset when we entered the country and that we were there for as long as we were. However, when the planes started to depart the country, Americans were also upset. We could not have had it both ways.
In an article written by Julian Zelizer for CNN, he discussed what Biden must do going forward, especially with the upcoming midterm elections. One quote stuck out is: “Biden also has to actively shape his message and agenda, rather than react to events and circumstances as they occur.” This is absolutely the wrong mentality for a president, but it is an idea that is quite popular.
Presidents promote policy packages like “The New Deal” or the “Great Society” and have messages like “no new taxes” or “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” American presidents have stuck to these messages or ideas like their lives depended on it. I am not saying that they should not have goals, but it is as if nothing else should get attention except these messages and agendas.
This is the idea Zelizer is getting at and it is wrong. Another topic Zelizer argued is that Biden should invest and support the Democratic party. In particular, Zelizer states two moderate Democrats should be catered to in order to have them vote in support for Biden’s agenda. Why does it feel like our government is grasping at straws?
It also appears as though Zelizer’s article is contradicting itself. On one hand, it is argued that Biden should focus on his message and agenda and not react to events as they occur, but it is also said that he needs to lend support to two specific senators and build up his party. So, which is it?
The Republican Party is trying to “curtail voting rights and recapture control of Congress” (Zelizer 2021). It is astounding that Republicans are still focusing on voting issues when the election was almost one year ago. In other news, Texas Republicans also passed a law banning abortions once a heartbeat is detected. Not only are politics backwards in this country, but we are living in the 1950s and 1960s with these laws. It is ironic that everyone is now concerned with midterm elections approaching, but whatever the outcome, not much will change. The most recent presidential election showed us that.
This is the new norm for American politics and it is quite grim.
Photo from Flickr
