# Biden helps avert railway strike **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 16, 2022, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674 "2022-09-16T14:23:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CastletonSnob1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@CastletonSnob1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastletonSnob1)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/1 "2022-09-16T14:23:42Z")
> **[Tentative labor deal averts threat of nationwide rail strike](https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e)** > > WASHINGTON (AP) — Rail companies and their workers reached a tentative agreement Thursday to avert a nationwide strike that could have shut down the nation's freight trains and devastated the economy less than two months before the midterm elections. Biden helped avert a railway strike that would have cost the US $2 billion a DAY. Democrats need to hammer home the point that they’re better for the economy in their campaign ads. Inflation and gas prices have gone down thanks to them, and they helped avert a railway strike that would have cost the country $2 billion a day. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/2 "2022-09-16T15:35:49Z")
While I agree with you, Dems are being blamed for everything bad that’s happened since Trump left office. That’s the nature of politics. Repubs will blame Biden for the fact there was _almost_ a nationwide railroad strike during his watch, so he can’t win with them. The only hope is that independents will see that it could have been much worse than it was, thanks to Biden’s help. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/3 "2022-09-16T15:51:15Z")
Thanks for starting this. Averting a labor strike offers an opportunity to draw a complete contrast with Republicans. Reagan averted a labor dispute through mass firings, setting worker rights back by decades. Biden averted one through working with both sides and helping the rail workers secure sick leave. When Republicans talk about how great they are for the American worker and how Democrats are elitists, this is the case that Democrats should talk about. This is the most unambiguous win for Democrats this year, and they should be trumpeting it to the heavens. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/4 "2022-09-16T21:11:17Z")
Definitely one for the Win column. However, the agreements are presently tentative - AIUI the union members need to still vote on the agreements, but are likely to agree. Still, there is a non-zero chance this could come back in a few weeks if the vote goes sideways. Still, I agree this is a big win. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/5 "2022-09-16T22:31:42Z")
Still a tentative agreement but much better than what the pro-corporate ram-down the GOP was proposing, penned by Senators Wicker and Burr. They weren’t sparing any anti-labor rhetoric [here](https://www.burr.senate.gov/2022/9/burr-wicker-introduce-resolution-calling-for-adoption-of-biden-administration-rail-recommendations-if-voluntary-agreements-are-not-reached). ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2022, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/6 "2022-09-17T05:56:29Z")
In January 2021, when the Democrats took control of Congress and the White House, inflation was at 1.4%. The latest number, for August 2022, is 8.3%. How would that be a benefit to Democrats in their campaign ads? ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/7 "2022-09-17T12:52:40Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > How would that be a benefit to Democrats in their campaign ads? They can point to the 8 percent unemployment the prior adminisration left on the table in 2020, which was brought down to about 5.5 percent in 2021, and is near record lows in 2022. The Biden administration gets two points for avoiding the rail strike, which likely would have negatively impacted both inflation and unemployment. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2022, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/8 "2022-09-17T13:29:51Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > How would that be a benefit to Democrats in their campaign ads? That particular point wouldn’t be, which is why the Democrats wouldn’t us it in campaign ads, because Democrats aren’t idiots. I’m not sure why you bring it up, though, because it has no relevance at all to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/9 "2022-09-17T16:34:26Z")
I was responding DIRECTLY to what the OP said: “Democrats need to hammer home the point that they’re better for the economy in their campaign ads. Inflation and gas prices have gone down thanks to them” Inflation has NOT gone down thanks to them. How is responding to the claim in the OP irrelevant to the thread??? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/10 "2022-09-18T05:54:51Z")
I heard a report that it took him All The Do-Dah Day. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/11 "2022-09-18T07:41:13Z")
Oh that’s malarkey. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/12 "2022-09-18T21:38:39Z")
Biden turned my cow’s mild sour. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/13 "2022-09-18T21:58:38Z")
Nitpick: Live-long. It’s horse races that take the Do-Dah Day. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/14 "2022-09-19T03:14:14Z")
Dammit! ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/15 "2022-09-19T16:47:17Z")
What, pray tell, do you think the Biden administration and/or Democrats SHOULD be doing to “get inflation down”?? And spare us the non-specifics: “Be a leader.” “Think of America first.” “Fiscal responsibility.” ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/16 "2022-09-19T16:49:22Z")
Cut taxes, of course, because that has always worked in the past. Right? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/17 "2022-09-19T18:14:36Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > In January 2021, when the Democrats took control of Congress and the White House, inflation was at 1.4%. The latest number, for August 2022, is 8.3%. > > How would that be a benefit to Democrats in their campaign ads? OK, I’ll play. Now, in the real world, political parties and candidates don’t mention the bad things which happened under their watch as happening because of them - for example, Gerald Ford’s 1976 ads mentioned inflation, but they didn’t remind the audience that Ford’s party has held the Presidency since 1969. But let’s say that I’m given the assignment: “JohnT, we’re getting _hammered_ on inflation! I need you to make a general TV ad we can give to all D candidates so they can address this issue”. Here’s what I would do: BLACK SCREEN, softly a piccolo plays _Battle Hymn of the Republic_ FADE IN to a series of photographs, US Union (no Confederate) troops in the Civil War, all sepia-toned. VOICEOVER (V/O): “The Civil War. By 1865, 600,000 Americans were dead. And in 1866, as America rebuilt itself and recovered, inflation hit 22.50%” FADE OUT to black. FADE IN to a series of photographs, US troops in WW1, all grey-toned. Music changes to a piano softly playing Cohan’s _Over There_ V/O: “The US got hit by a double-whammy in the nineteen-tens. First WW1 killed over 53,000 of our troops, and then at the end of the war…” PHOTOGRAPHS CHANGE to pictures of Americans during the Spanish Influenza epidemic: V/O: “… and then over 600,000 Americans lost their lives to the Influenza pandemic of 1918-1920. And in 1921, when it was done and America started to rebuild and recover, inflation peaked at 23.6%” FADE OUT to black. FADE IN to color pictures of Americans fighting WW2. Iwo Jima, etc. Music changes to strings playing Kate Smith’s “America the Beautiful”. V/O: “Again, catastrophe strikes America and America rises to the challenge… but at the cost of 290,000 American lives and almost 700,000 wounded. And, again, a year later as America once again rebuilds and recovers, inflation peaks at 19.7 percent.” FADE OUT to black. FADE IN to pictures of the Vietnam War (1975 is best). Music changes to electric guitar playing “Fortunate Son”. Also pictures of gas lines. V/O: “In the 1970s, America was rocked by an Impeachment crisis, the oil shocks of 1973 and 1979, and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, a catastrophe which cost 58,000 lives and over 100,000 injuries. And, like clockwork, inflation appeared, peaking at 12% in 1974 and then at 14% in 1980, as America rebuilt and recovered.” FADE TO black. FADE IN to modern cell phone images of the COVID disaster. Use the absolute worst images of Trump, the ones which make even his supporters flinch. Music changes to… Ed Sheeran’s _Perfect_ (because I hate that song and want to ruin it for as many people as possible, ok?, thanks, bye). V/O: “And, again, a catastrophe strikes America in the Trump years, eventually killing a million Americans and 16,000,000 jobs. And, like clockwork, as America rebuilds and recovers, inflation rears its ugly head again.” STILLS changes to VIDEO of JOE BIDEN in suit and AVIATOR GLASSES. AS BIDEN speaks camera slowly focuses more on his face. Music changes to Cee Low Green’s _Fuck You_ (but the clean, “[Forget You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKxodgpyGec)”, version.) _In the summer of 2022, in response to World War COVID, the Democrat Party passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the single most comprehensive package of inflation fighting measures in American history. And you can tell that it has already worked - instead of the 23% rates which hit America after the Influenza Epidemic of 1919, instead of the 19% rate which we suffered from after winning World War Two, our Inflation Reduction Act capped the damage to 9%._ CAMERA stops zooming in, the top half of BIDEN still visible. BIDEN whips off his AVIATOR GLASSES and continues, looking straight into the CAMERA: _This is still too high though, and my Administration will continue fighting inflation on behalf of every single American._ FADE TO BLACK. FEC TITLE CARDS APPEAR V/O: _I am Joe Biden and you’re damned right I approve this message_ ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/18 "2022-09-19T18:16:06Z")
Where’s my GIF of cheering crowds! Encore, bravo! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/19 "2022-09-19T18:46:01Z")
From Mourning in America to Morning in America. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674/20 "2022-09-19T19:01:24Z")
That’s pretty damn good, @JohnT. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-helps-avert-railway-strike/971674.md?page=2)