Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
I just don’t get it
Yesterday I had coffee with a friend. We do this every 6 weeks or so just to have some face to face time and to talk, sometimes for two hours. I had to work yesterday, so we only lasted an hour and a half. He is fully retired, but respectful of my time as a semi-retired person. After talking about our respective home lives, the talk turned to politics. Doesn’t it always, these days? After expressing our mutual lack of understanding of how so many people adore 45, he did say, “I just don’t want Joe Biden to run again. He’s too old.”
I have heard that said many times. My come back is always this: he may be up in age, but he knows how to appoint people to get his agenda from paper to policy to action. I agree that almost 80 is an advanced age for the kind of pressure that the presidency produces, but he seems to be handling it well. This last weekend he traveled from India to Vietnam and topped off this travel in Alaska, where he paid tribute to the heroes of 09/11. I know he travels in luxury vehicles such as Air Force One, but still, the toll of changing time zones does not seem to affect him.
The contrast between the atmosphere of 45’s administration and that of President Biden is remarkable. Since January 20, 2021, he has run this country calmly and compassionately. For example, he has repaired the fractures among our allies that 45 created through his boorish behavior and insulting words. I think he has restored our image as a global actor, especially in the Indo-Pacific region and in the European Union. In my opinion, the world is too small for us to be posturing as a jingoistic entity. We are entirely dependent on smooth relationships with as many countries as possible, while maintaining our own democratic way of life. According to the magazine, Foreign Policy, “In his only two years in office he has presided over the most transformative phase in U.S. foreign policy in decades. His administration has led a massive effort to push back against Russia…., built and expanded new alliances to contain China in the Indo-Pacific, and rejoined global efforts on climate policy and other issues.” (January 19, 2023 issue).
I know there are people who would build a wall between us and the rest of the world if that were possible. 45 did his best to posture, then bully his way through meetings with foreign leaders. I traveled in Europe when he was campaigning for office, and anyone I talked to from another country asked how it was possible for him to run for the most powerful position in the world. I did not have an answer then and I don’t have one today.
Here at home, he has appointed Neera Tanden to lead a Domestic Policy Council system to work on behalf of all residents of the United States. She has served in the administrations of President Obama, and now Biden. She worked as a policy advisor on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Her efforts have driven proposals on clean energy subsidies, a new child care program, and closing several loopholes found in policies about guns. She has been a senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services. To me she is an example of the kind of people that Biden surrounds himself with, knowing that he needs highly qualified individuals to serve. They serve in contrast to individuals that 45 hired and soon had to fire, or who quit under questionable circumstances.
So, Joe Biden might be up there in age, but he has my vote. I believe he represents a kinder, more productive administration than many of his predecessors. I believe he is a decent person, and that goes a long way in my book.