In order to get the *right* things done, a politician should have the right mix of idealism and pragmatism. Idealism points them in the needed direction, and pragmatism gets them there. Joe Biden has the perfect mix of these.
We’ve seen Biden’s pragmatism in his ability to get votes needed to address major issues and in his 40 years’ experience in organizing people to get things done.
We’ve seen that pragmatism in the amazing legislation and executive achievements of his first term — from laws like the CHIPS Act, PACT for veterans, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the IRA, to actions like relief for student debt, aggressive climate action, and rallying the world to support Ukraine.
We can see Joe Biden’s idealism best in his own words. Like this:
We must rekindle the fire of idealism in our society, for nothing suffocates the promise of America more than unbounded cynicism and indifference.
And this:
For too long in this society, we have celebrated unrestrained individualism over common community. For too long as a nation, we have been lulled by the anthem of self-interest. For a decade, led by Ronald Reagan, self-aggrandizement has been the full-throated cry of this society: "I've got mine, so why don't you get yours?" and "What's in it for me?”
And this:
I hear the voice of the people calling for a future in which every American is more secure in life and liberty and more able to pursue happiness. I hear the voice of people willing to make sacrifices today to achieve that kind of tomorrow.
It's time for a president to listen to that rising voice and to amplify it. It's time for a president who can point the American people to the future within their reach, tell them what it will take to get there, and vigilantly remind them why it's worth fighting for.
It's time for a president to stand up and remind the American people that we have promises to keep — promises to the world, promises to one another, promises to our children and to our grandchildren. In rededicating ourselves to to the hard work of fulfilling those promises, we restore America as the hope of the world and the vision of a brighter future.
And this:
America is the promised land, because each generation bequeathed to its children a promise, a promise that they might not come to enjoy but which they fully expected their offspring to fulfill.
So the words “all men are created equal” took a life of its own, ultimately destined to end slavery and enfranchise women. And the words “equal protection” and “due process” inevitably led to the end of the words “separate but equal,” ensuring that the walls of segregation would crumble, whether at the lunch counter or at the voting booth.
And this, from when he ended his term as Obama’s VP and *thought* that his time in elected office was over as well.
So how do I want to spend the rest of my life? I want to spend as much time as I can with my family, and I want to help change the country and the world for the better.
That duty does much more than give me purpose; it gives me something to hope for. It makes me nostalgic for the future.
Joe Biden has been a great president.
Is there still more work to be done? 100%! Lots more work. But Biden has done much more than many people guessed could be done. He deserves a lot of credit. AND he deserves to be re-elected.
What can you do to help?
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This is an entry in my ongoing series Boosting Biden.
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These posts are written by Goodnewsroundup (Goodie),
edited by Matilda Briggs, supported by 2thanks and WolverineForTJatAW,
and reinforced by several other notable Kossacks!
As with all good things, it takes a village.