Like most Democrats, my worst nightmare is Kevin McCarthy becoming Speaker of the House and Mitch McConnell becoming majority leader of the Senate.
But, if history is a guide, that’s likely to be the case after this fall’s midterm election. The best hope for Democrats is for President President Biden to reverse his declining approval ratings.
He can start by reining in his party’s progressive wing.
Joe Biden is president today because he ran as a moderate. But in the last six months, he has ceded definition of his party to the progressives. That’s cost him dearly, particularly with the swing voters who determine which party controls the House and the Senate.
Americans are in a sour mood. Three quarters believe the country is on the wrong track. That’s not likely to change until the president refocuses his agenda to deal with issues that have arisen in the last six months.
During the first half of last year, Biden’s policies on COVID and the economy seemed right on target — and by summer his approval ratings reflected that.
Then new issues emerged: two successive disruptive waves of the virus; Inflation; crime and violence; threats to democracy in some states.
The president will give his State of the Union Address to Congress next month. Here’s how he could both retool his agenda to meet those new challenges and stay true to the core values of his Administration.
First, adopt a simplified strategy for living with COVID.
COVID is not going away any time soon, but it is rapidly becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Fully vaccinated Americans need to be able to live their lives as normally as possible. Schools and businesses need to stay open.
Guidelines need to be simplified. I’d suggest just three: (1) get vaccinated; (2) when cases are on the rise, wear a mask in large indoor gatherings; and, (3) when you’re sick or have symptoms, stay home and get tested.
To encourage people to get vaccinated, the president should launch an anti-smoking like campaign that floods the airways and social media with daily reminders of the perils of remaining unvaccinated.
Second, pull his Build Back Better bill to show he’s serious about fighting inflation.
He should replace it with his highest priority in the bill — I’d suggest the extending his children’s tax credit or universal pre-K. Either would be a signature Biden initiative. He doesn’t need to give up on the other BBB initiatives. He can ask Congress to pass them individually, so each could be considered on its own merits.
In reality he has little to lose. The whole of BBB is less than the sum of its parts. If its components are as popular as their proponents claim, their chances for passage should go up when they can be argued on their own merits. As long as they’re in one bill, the high price tag, not the ideas, will be the issue at a time voters equate big spending with inflation. Pulling it would be an unmistakable signal the president understands that.
Third, launch a new anti-crime initiative.
As he said in New York last week, the president has long been an advocate of both police reform and community policing. He should move to revive the police reform bill and add a new initiative to increase the number and training of police officers in high crime neighborhoods.
President Biden opposes defunding the police, and there’s no better way to show that than by funding 100,000 new community police officers. As New York Mayor Eric Adams says, we can have safety and justice at the same time.
Fourth, push a new initiative to safeguard democratic elections.
Voting reform may not be a top concern of most voters. But, as recent revelations about President Trump’s post election behavior have underscored, the efforts of Republican controlled state legislatures to assume the power to overturn election results they don’t like is a clear and present danger to our democracy. They must be stopped.
With broader voting reform blocked by a Republican filibuster, the president should ask Congress to pass targeted legislation to prevent undermining of future elections by (1) protecting elections officials against partisan removal, (2) limiting purging of voter rolls, and (3) preventing derailing of election certifications. This is not about gaining partisan advantage. It’s about safeguarding the sanctity of democratic elections.
The 2021 elections were bleak for Democrats — and polls tell us that’s not likely to change this year. But with the proposals I have outlined the president would reassert control of his party, improve his approval ratings, and give Democrats a fighting chance in November.
Al From is founder of the Democratic Leadership Council and author of The New Democrats and the Return to Power, which is the basis for the documentary film, Crashing the Party. He is currently an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. He does a weekly commentary with Craig Fuller on the Spy.
Stephen Schaare says
Mr. From, Most excellent advice for salvaging President Biden.
I believe the most pressing aspects of BBB will have bipartisan support.
Reigning in, and persuading the progressive Dems to accept “smaller victories” will be the biggest challenge.
A whole lot of common sense in your essay. Thank you-Steve
Tom Hill says
To safe guard future elections, why wouldn’t it make more sense to purge voter rolls of deceased voters rather than to limit the purging of voter rolls?
Kay LOWE says
They are convinced that conservatives are “suppressing” the vote. I suppose they assume that a voter who is legit might show up to vote and be told they are not on the rolls. Any evidence of that? Have you heard that? Yeah, me neither, nor much about any other “voter suppresion”.
Russ Gray says
While key issues have been mentioned, the one relating to immigration does not appear. That impacts several of the others. Unfortunately, it seems to be one that the Democrats wish would go away and are not actively discussing.
Linda cassady says
How can you talk about voting. The gerrymandering in Maryland disenfranchises the republicans and independents in Maryland. I thought we had a chance at fairness but the legislature has proven me wrong
Razzle says
The president needs to be reminded of the open border, Americans still trapped in Afghanistan, CRT and the threat China poses.
Arthur Taylor says
It is untrue to state that Covid is a “pandemic of the unvaccinated”. The data and the rate of infection in vaccinated individuals has long since outrun that assumption.
Jane Green says
What about the border among other things that you left out?
Stephen Youhanaie says
While Mr. From has good points, I think that it’s too late. When you lose between 1 in 5 to 1 in 4 Democrats, you Hill is just too steep to climb in 9 months
Dave Fortay says
The best prospects for a Biden second term is to take the 2022 election beating that everyone is predicting. It helped Clinton, Bush, and Obama all win re-election. Each loss the House in the mid-term and then due to over-reaching by the House, made them look good by comparison. Frankly, if not for COVID, Trump probably would have won re-election.
Pivoting now would enrage the Democrat base that favors open borders, defunding the police, CRT, the Green New Deal, and other Sanders/AOC ideas. If you lose the base now, it might be worse. That base is needed for fundraising and door knocking.
Swing Voters usually don’t support campaigns, they just vote. You cannot count on them to work the grassroots.
Democrats are toast in 2022, it’s part of a very predictable cycle. Republicans will then over-reach and give Biden his best chance at re-election.
Patrick Breen says
Sorry Mr Biden has zero political skills nor the skill set. Clinton Obama and bush but not as much all had a good set of political skills that helped them secure reelection. I still say if it weren’t for 9/11 bush would have been one and done. Nothing would help Biden get a second term he won’t even be running. He has no political skills and what he had is gone!
Lay Lowe says
You say, and I would otherwise agree, that Joe Biden has no political skills nor the skill set. BUT he has been elected and re-elected to public office for almost half a century!!! So tell me, what is up w/that?
Risha Rene says
Over-reach on what?
No one wants to spend more money. We won’t do that. No one cares about climate change. We will ignore that and be fine.
We want a smaller government, energy independence, a secure border, public education that actually works for everyone, fair elections where you show an ID in person to vote. Our policies work and are popular. The race baiting fear mongering of the Left is tired. It won’t work again, not post-Covid.
AMERICANS WOKE UP.
Enrique Solis says
The writer needs to keep up. Just this week, Joe Manchin said BBB is dead. Unlike politicians like Biden, when Manchin says something, Democrat writers should believe it.
Jake Thompson says
Open border? Americans hate this.
CRT? Americans dont like hearing that we are different. We are one nation. Stop diving us.
Universal Pre-k? Enjoying selling higher taxes to citizens when inflation is rampant.
Covid? It’s over. Deal with it. Move on.
Lay Lowe says
The thing about universal pre-K is that any “benefits” to “education” that early are not seen by the 2nd grade. So we will spend trillions of $$ to get a benefit for 2 academic years of school? HUH?
Ron Burg says
If you want to preserve the sanctity of our election, we should demand States purge the election rolls, not stop it. If you don’t live in the state, or are dead then you shouldn’t be on the rolls. Simple and everyone should be able to agree to that statement.
Charles H Jones says
Truly. Go look in the mirror. You are the problem.
Nord Christensen says
Essentially, Mr. From’s advice is for Pres. Biden to repackage chunks of Democrats’ failed BBB, and re-repackage elements of ‘Voting Rights’ bills that couldn’t pass, all into new legislative vehicles, and press these forward. Of course, this isn’t a “retooling,” it’s a rehash. And as political advice, it’s plagiarizing a plagiarist: Biden already publicly said, after Speaker Schumer forced BBB to defeat, that reshuffling of its components was his follow-up plan.
The real ‘plan’ expressed here is to find a legislative vehicle Sens. Manchin and Sinema can support, and which Senate Republicans cannot, then spend the months between now and the midterms howling about partisan obstructionism. This isn’t a plan for Dems to get much done, only the cobbling together of an excuse for why they failed.
joseph turner says
Lol. Nice recipe for disaster in November. Pass BBB one block at a time? While the public is concerned with inflation? Pass a Democrats never lose elections in a more sophisticated way? All he is recommending is a repackaged Woke communist set of proposals. We should oppose all Democrats.
Richard Pearce says
Several key thoughts:
* The failure in Afghanistan, the southern border problem, crime in major Democratic cities, and the massive US debt are baled-in and won’t go away.
*The debt is now
Several key thoughts on this article:
* The failed Afghanistan withdrawal, crime in major Democratic cities, The US debt, the southern border catastrophe are already baked in and won’t go
away.
* The US debt continues to grow and is now $30 trillion. With increasing inflation and interest rates the debt payments will soar from $520 billion last
year at 1.9% to over $900 billion at only a 3.0% interest rate.
* The illegal population has increased over 2 million people into the US many with Covid. History has shown that 80-90% will never return for their
scheduled hearing.
* Crime affects everyone and is a detriment that will take time to reverse.
* Russia will probably invade and China will subdue Taiwan ( where 80% of microchips are produced ). This will throw the world and the US into chaos.
* Iran is now moving to become a nuclear power which will destabilize the mideast.
* The Democrat plan on election reforms is going in the opposite direction to where we need to go go. The alternative is simple: Voter ID, No mass
mailing of ballots and making election day a national holiday.
* End the dominance of radical left wingers in he Democrat Party.
Patrick Breen says
Nothing absolutely nothing can save Brandon and his party. The dye is cast. History tells us that. Bill Clinton passed crime bill lost congress and Senate 1994. Obamacare passed March 2010 democrats lost big in the congress and around the country. Passing bills does nothing to change things.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Thank God we have a man in the Oval who, when hit in the face with plenty of issues, doesn’t go golfing or binge watch Fox while eating McDonalds. He gathers his team and works on solving the issues. He does what he is paid to do, use his experience and wisdom not grand stand and spit vitriol. And the GOP is stuck in the mud of their own making.
Risha Rene says
Mmmm. That kool-aid is tasty huh?
None of that will save the Dems from losses in 2022 and 2024. Can’t wait to see it.
Brad Houghton says
Spot on Deirdre LaMotte. Thank you!
Stephen Schaare says
Once again, you are wrong on everything. Biden is “solving issues”? What on Earth has he improved?
Your last sentence perfectly describes the Democrat Congress.
Scott Simpsom says
What issues are being solved?
Immigration – worse
Crime – worse
Energy – worse
Foreign policy – worse
COVID? More people died since the vaccine – worse
Inflation – worse
What has improved? Not sure what he doing other than eating ice cream and pocketing 10% from Hunter’s art sale.
Although, I agree…the GOP will find a way to screw this up. Right now the GOP landslide is based on not being Biden or the Democrats.
Mike Brown says
Instead Biden ignores all the issues people care about: crime, the border, inflation, and focuses on a fabricated voting rights crisis to try to deflect people’s attention from what a failure he’s been.
Daniel Georgescu says
I don’t think that Biden will get a second term no matter what he will do now, he will be impeached in January 2023 and then he will be convicted in the Senate by a vote of 67 to 33.
Keep this handy..
m blair says
I used to be a democrat. They have become mean, devisive and want any and everybody canceled if they do not agree with them. and yes I am Black!!!! They have used Blacek people for their vote and never give any thing in return. We do not want food stamps and free rent. We want jobs and some respectability, not handouts. Under Dems that is all we get are promises of free stuff. Enough, already!!!
A J Early says
Gosh, Mr. From, your proposed voting “reform” of limiting the purging of voter rolls is simply contrary to election security. Americans move a lot,for job opportunities, retirement, and many other reasons. Rolls should be purged frequently. Election officials and politicians can watch the rolls, and use that info to create illegitimate votes.
Glenn Staley says
I generally appreciated your column but your penultimate paragraph is a non-starter. A majority of Americans reject your kind of election reform solution. Frankly many of us feel this in our guts and see right through Democrat attempts to make the voting process rigged in their favor. We’re not having it and attempting to force it will only increase the GOP margin of victory in November.
Paul Weeldreyer says
I’m not a Democrat or a liberal but I think this is good advice. I’m also pretty sure the Democrats are not going to hear it. They’re much too insular, progressives talking to other progressives in their own bubbles, to hear actual, moderate, pragmatic advice that would help them get back on track. They probably can’t save November, but they could lessen the carnage and improve their odds in 2024, but I don’t think they’ll change gears.
Gary Wagner says
1. People who want to be vaccinated are already. A mass campaign to push everyone to get vaccinated will backfire by being ignored by the vaccinated and further enraging the unvaccinated encouraging the make sure they come out in November to vote against the “I’m calling about your car’s warranty” campaign for vaccination. This will turn severely on democrats if they continue to push parents to have their children injected with this experimental drug despite the extremely limited benefits compared to the well documented short term side effects. Not to mention all the unknown long-term side effects.
2. Masks don’t work. Apparently you refuse to accept scientific study after study that proves that. Push the false premise of wearing masks has the same risk as number 1.
3. Is already happening to some extent. But the current push by democrats is to get tested again and again no matter if you are feeling sick, are vaccinated, or previously had covid.
Wendy Laubach says
While this advice doesn’t suit me as a conservative, it probably would have broad appeal among independents and moderate Democrats, and therefore is high unlikely to be followed. Bad news for them, but OK by me.
Scott Drinkard says
Oh my. It seems that you have conveniently forgotten the little issue down at the southern border. You’re not the exception though. Most democrats seem get amnesia when it comes to that. Oh… and you also forgot to mention surrender to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Democrats don’t really like to discuss this in their op-eds, either. The problem for you though is that a picture is worth much more than a thousand “forgotten” words, and all of us who are not of the Democrat ilk have those horrific images tattooed permanently on our brains. YOU may forget about it, but WE won’t. Also, there’s one more teensy little thing… It’s the economy, stupid.
John Bradley says
Your suggestions are sensible. The child tax credit would be a way to reach out to pro-life voters. IMHO, some women make the decision to have an abortion on a selfish basis. If there were a financial incentive to give birth, fewer children would be killed before birth.
Deirdre LaMotte says
That is totally untrue. No one, repeat, no one should question a woman’s right to her own reproductive health.
There are parameters in Roe V Wade to accommodate
all. There are no “children killed” before birth.
Try saving a miscarried clump of cells…get the jist?!
Wayne Thevenot says
Stay with it Al. You are right and what
You have to say needs to repeated over and
Over again until hopefully sanity prevails.
L Gardner Purington says
I am just amazed at Democrats who seem to be brain-dead about the political situation. Don’t you realize the country has been effectively taken over in a silent coup ? It’s your children and grand children who are going to be controlled by
theses forces. I just cannot understand ..it’s not like anyone is trying to hide anything…they flaunt their motives everyday. How you are able to delude yourself is beyond me. Joe Biden is not president because he ran as a moderate…he’s a in that office because of a corrupt election…my God he got 10 million more votes than Obama..all you have to look at the growth in votes election by election to see how obvious the anomaly is. It’s like you’re too afraid to really look. You would rather march in lock-step over the cliff because you’re too afraid to actually see if there might be something there that might demand a little more than dogmatic thinking. Do some honest inquiry and see how this administration has sent thousands of people to unecessary deaths by supressing valid treatment information. Donald Trump and the ineffective Republicans are not your enemy…look in the mirror .
bill marsano says
Mr. From, it very much sounds as if taking your advice would mean Mr. Biden will have to admit that he’s been totally wrongheaded on all of those issues. And from that voters may conclude that he was also wrongheaded about our southern border, the exit from Afghanistan, playing footsie with China and appeasing Russia. Once they go that far people are likely to wonder whether he really did travel 1 million (or 1.5 or 2 million) miles on Amtrak, and a few of his other stories. In short, he may offer what initiative he pleases, but does he have any credibility left? In the meantime, let him take care not to left Kamala get behind him on the stairs.