Biden's Presidency and the Failure of Choosing

Rising Inflation: The American Rescue Plan's Downside

While the American Rescue Plan was initially praised as a triumph, its effects ultimately contributed to rising inflation—especially for median workers. A group of economists attributed around 3 percentage points of inflation to the plan's excessive stimulus.

"Without the bill's pressures, overall price increases could have been reduced, perhaps even halved."

Build Back Better: A Wish List Approach

Like the American Rescue Plan, Build Back Better lacked a coherent agenda. Biden struggled to prioritize and make critical choices among competing demands.

"It was the first indication of what a president who refuses to choose looks like."

Navigating a Delicate Balance

Moderate senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema sought conflicting priorities. Biden faced the challenge of reconciling their desires.

"There was an obvious way to square this circle: pass a relatively modest bill funded by revenue that Sinema could support."

A Failure to Choose: Biden's Damaging Indecision

Biden repeatedly failed to make decisions or prioritize specific aspects of Build Back Better. His inability to choose between permanent and temporary measures ultimately led to a less impactful package.

"Perhaps it was the child tax credit; then he could negotiate a deal with Manchin that addressed the latter's concerns about work incentives."

Broken Promises and Lost Opportunities

Biden's indecision disrupted negotiations with Manchin. A $1.8 trillion framework presented by Manchin in December 2021 was dismissed by the White House, despite its transformative potential.

"The greatest missed opportunity of the whole debacle."

Executive Indecision: Confusion and Inefficiency

Biden's executive strategy, like his legislative approach, was hindered by a lack of clear priorities.

"But he never seemed to have a clear sense of which of these goals were most important."

A Reluctant Domestic Agenda: Biden's Foreign Policy Focus

Biden's primary passion was foreign policy, leading to a relative disinterest in domestic affairs.

"But he never demonstrated much concern with or interest in the details of domestic policy in the way he did with foreign policy."

Owing Favors: The Legacy of the 2020 Primary

Biden's unconventional victory in the 2020 primary gave him less authority than traditional nominees.

"He came out of that process owing a lot of people a lot of favors."

Appeasing Progressives: A Shift to the Left

Biden sought to appease the Sanders wing of the party, resulting in a swing leftward in his general election campaign.

"This attitudinal shift is palpable when you read accounts from journalists about the 2021-2022 period."

Impotent Threats and Unnecessary Spectacles

The Progressive Caucus lacked leverage over Biden's agenda. Nevertheless, the White House prioritized their goals, leading to confusing and counterproductive situations.

"The best gambit the Progressive Caucus had was a threat to vote against an infrastructure bill that Manchin wanted, but the gambit failed."

Cognition and Decision-Making: Questions and Concerns

Revelations have shown that Biden's cognitive abilities have been diminishing, and his staff has been concealing this information from the public.

"A Biden who was making fewer and fewer decisions himself, and increasingly insulated from any negative potential information that could result in productive changes in policy, is going to prove ineffectual."

Shakespearean Analogies: Lear and Hamlet

"The obvious Shakespearean reference for Biden is Lear, an aging and vain king who is losing his wits and is tormented by his children.

But ultimately his downfall was more Hamlet. Biden led America at a pivotal moment that called for strong decisions. He just could not make them."