Our Democracy is strong. But I have some questions: Can a very unpopular president with a 36% approval rating lead? Can a president with 80% of Americans telling him he is going in the wrong direction still be effective? And if he cannot be, what does this do to our democracy?
After all, a man walking in a forest who thinks he is leading a people is merely taking a walk in the woods, if nobody is following him. President Joe Biden should not become that man who is merely taking a walk. He is only in his seventeenth month (out of 48) as president.
Despite concerns about Biden’s performance we pray, we persevere, and we trust that he hears the people and reacts in a manner that demonstrates he gets it and is not tone deaf. That is Biden’s challenge.
No, voting is not a problem. Proof – we have repeatedly set records for voter turnout. The election process is not a problem. It has withstood former presidents who lost the popular vote – Rutherford B. Hayes, George W. Bush, Donald Trump. In 1876, the slate of electoral college delegates even changed during the Tilden-Hayes bout due to fraud. However, Trump’s attempt to overturn the election failed. Despite all this, American Democracy is strong.
No president can be removed from office because of bad judgment, regardless of the number or magnitude or consequences of the mishaps. We have elections that help guide us. More Republican members of Congress replacing the octogenarian Democrat House leadership (speaker, majority leader, and majority whip) and Democrat Senate leadership would be helpful.
In the meantime, we would hope that the people around the president and the president himself would not be stubborn to the point that he feels he is always right and refuses to change directions. Let’s hope he is not so uncomfortable with himself that he blames others for errors he has clearly made. He should be willing to listen and take the advice of those who have insight or abilities that would warrant heeding their advice.
Due to excessive government spending we are experiencing a 40-year high inflation rate, which could lead to a recession. Americans feel a little poorer or less wealthy since Biden’s presidency. It is highlighted by a failed Energy policy targeting fossil fuels that took gas prices from the Trump era of $1.93 in April 2020 to a whopping $5.00 a gallon today in parts of the country, a record.
Even the liberal media cannot support Biden on his slow response to the baby formula shortage. Lack of competence is clear. Could it be baby formula today and grown-up food tomorrow?
With failures come opportunities. Waiting for a situation to become a crisis is the obvious error. The baby formula disaster was made worse because Biden did not handle it properly. He claimed ignorance so he would not have to accept any blame. Yet the HHS secretary admitted to knowing about the problem last year. This hurts credibility and is not the first time.
The baby formula debacle was an ideal moment to do the opposite. He should have admitted the error and replaced or fired the people who were clearly asleep at the wheel. Somebody in the government should have managed this better.
Remember that sanctions were going to deter Russia from invading Ukraine. After the invasion started Biden stated he never said that.
Biden, who refused to take on the Russians with ground troops in Ukraine, is now rattling the cage of a country much, much more formidable than Russia – China. He stated during a press conference that the U.S. would deploy boots on the ground to defend Taiwan.
This is something no other U.S. president has proclaimed. He has since walked that back. But not before Russia and China joined in a military exercise in the proximity of where Biden was speaking during his Asia trip.
Why should a U.S. president respond to “what if” questions? Hypotheticals can lead to horrible consequences and escalation. Seasoned experience and astute politicians know rule 101: Do not answer hypotheticals with definitive responses.
Thirty years ago, Biden would have never given that answer. But when you are just a few months from 80, well, bad things can happen. Judgment is often not the same.
There are responsibilities Biden must assume. Be straightforward with us. Accept change per the will of the people, and do like nearly all your recent predecessors have done – appointed a member of the opposite party to your cabinet (you once hinted at doing this).
Lastly, do not be a constant campaigner seeking an adversary. Just be a worker bee for the American people, not necessarily a pitbull for the Democrat Party.
Gary Franks served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticut’s 5th District. He was the first Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years and New England’s first Black member of the House. Host: podcast “We Speak Frankly.” Author: “With God, For God, and For Country.” @GaryFranks
