Tag Archive: President Joe Biden

President Biden becomes successful spokesman for his agenda

When selling his agenda, President Biden has the gift of gab.

Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced from the White House that U.S. COVID vaccinations will reach 100 million today, more than six weeks ahead of Biden’s previously set goal of 100 million COVID doses in the first 100 days of his presidency. This remarkable achievement follows President Biden’s successful signing of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), with his full proposed $1.9 trillion in relief, into law. Biden’s signing of the ARP was followed by an extremely effective White House speech where he announced direct stimulus payments of up to $1,400 to many Americans (a large number of which have already been received), as well as strong steps to combat the Coronavirus pandemic, including increased purchasing and distribution of vaccines, and assistance to states and businesses.

Perhaps it should not be surprising that President Biden has been so good at touting his administration’s achievements. After all, Biden is the one who, as U.S. Vice President, came up with the bumper sticker of the year for the 2012 elections:

If you are looking for a bumper sticker to sum up how President Obama has handled what we inherited, it’s pretty simple: Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive.

Time for a Liberal Shock Doctrine on COVID

Republicans may soon be feeling the Liberal Shock Doctrine

In her 2007 book The Shock Doctrine, author Naomi Klein explains how Republican leaders, especially George W. Bush, imposed conservative economic plans, including laissez-faire and privatization, upon the people of Iraq, the residents of New Orleans, and others who were shell-shocked from wars or other disasters. We have argued that, if Republicans can impose their Shock Doctrine when bad things happen and they are in power, then Democrats can do so too, with Democratic, progressive policies. The COVID pandemic presents just such an opportunity for President Joe Biden and the Democrats who now control both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Sure enough, there are signs that a liberal, or Democratic, Shock Doctrine is about to be put into practice: