# Can I be the only person stunned at just how badly President Joe Biden is doing? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 31, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851 "2021-08-31T19:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/354 "2021-11-11T17:28:51Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Again, fuck-all to do with Biden. And yet you and the right have spread this particular lie widely, and with great facility. TBF, as I’ve mentioned before, I do know very engaged liberal Democrats who heavily criticize the federal response to the supply chain issues (although I’m not 100% sure if it’s the issue itself or the way the administration is engaging the public on it), but that’s actually a sane, rational conversation. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/355 "2021-11-17T14:00:03Z")
Gonna be hard, you know, in December 2037, as I lay dying of exposure and exhaustion in a Montana political camp, to not blame Manchin, Sinema, and yes, Joe Biden, as much as the people who put me there. #ChannelingAsahi I never ever gave as much a fuck about infrastructure from J Biden, as I did about retribution for January 6th, and securing voting rights. The fact that he just enacted a $1.2 trillion gift to the construction industry (and others, but I’m ranting here) is irrelevant because that’s what America always does - use the power of the government to funnel tax dollars into private hands. Congrats. I’m glad America’s unique form of socialism for the plutocracy is still working. 🙄 But, the two things which mattered, which goes down to the heart of Democracy, one-person-one-vote, & that the will of the people shall always prevail? Biden hasn’t done shit. And it’s not really his fault, in a way, for in the end, a document which literally assumes information and people move at the speed of horse, is fundamentally outdated and can no longer sustain a functioning government in a post industrial modern hyperstate. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/356 "2021-11-17T14:07:46Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > The fact that he just enacted a $1.2 trillion gift to the construction industry (and others, but I’m ranting here) is irrelevant because that’s what America always does - use the power of the government to funnel tax dollars into private hands. Somebody has to keep the nation’s bridges from falling apart and Republicans sure ain’t. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/357 "2021-11-17T14:09:09Z")
Great! New bridges to support all those busses of political prisoners! Yay! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/358 "2021-11-17T14:19:45Z")
I hear ya, let’s go Brandon! 👌 The last I heard, the voting rights bill is in the senate. You want Joe to… what? ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/359 "2021-11-17T14:23:22Z")
The man expended his political capital doing the easy thing, when he should have done the hard thing. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/360 "2021-11-17T14:42:23Z")
What political capital and what hard thing? ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/361 "2021-11-17T14:52:11Z")
The general political capital a President gets in his first hundred days, a house and Senate in which his party controls, having the Presidency itself? You surely weren’t serious with that ‘political capital’ question regarding a party which controls both legislative houses _and_ the Presidency, right? The hard thing is securing democracy prior to all the gerrymandering bills which are being passed as we speak, for example, the one in Ohio which gives 80% of the Ohio House to the Republicans, despite Trump winning just 53% of the vote. Those hard things. Rights. Liberty. The vote. The sort of things Americans literally had _wars_ over at one time. That’s what Biden ignored so he could get his $3 trillion econ packages passed. And he’s $1.8 trillion short on that, and guess who is balking _again_? > > ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/362 "2021-11-17T15:44:52Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > You surely weren’t serious with that ‘political capital’ question regarding a party which controls both legislative houses _and_ the Presidency, right? The problem is, is that that party doesn’t control the votes of all its members. If Manchin or Sinema are against it, it’s simply a non-starter. They could have wasted what political capital they had on trying to get things done that would have never passed the senate, but I’m not sure what good that gets us. Generally a bad idea, in politics as well as in life, to let the perfect get in the way of the good. If they had gotten nothing at all passed, then voting rights wouldn’t make a lick of difference, as people would question why they should bother to vote for a party that doesn’t get anything done. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/363 "2021-11-17T15:49:15Z")
“Perfect” is passing his entire agenda. “Good” would be passing the portion which guaranteed democracy. “Average” is doing the same redistribution of wealth thing I’ve seen since my birth. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/365 "2021-11-17T15:51:08Z")
Oh, I see. Since Democrats have the slimmest of majorities in the senate, the voting rights bill will breeze right on through. Nevermind that they’re going to need, what, 60 votes? ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/366 "2021-11-17T15:54:42Z")
Ah, yes, the 100-day honeymoon. The last time that happened was during Papa Bush’s term. When a Democrat dared to do the unconscionable and take the White House from the Grand Old Party to whom God had granted exclusive use, it was time to do away with that silly old tradition. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/367 "2021-11-17T15:59:37Z")
That’s fine. Guys, he still failed democracy. He got a $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal passed. Great. Wonderful. And when his party is outlawed in 10 years, his supporters can marvel at all the shiny new bridges they are crossing while being bussed to all the shiny new ‘infrastructure camps’. Anyway, I’ve said my piece. If he gets Congress to pass the John Lewis Act and gets Garland to go after somebody more important than the Qanon Shaman in the Insurrection, I will be thrilled to eat my words. But for now, he gets a D+. And it’s quickly getting worse. Have a good day. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/368 "2021-11-17T16:00:25Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Guys, he still failed democracy. He got a $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal passed. Great. Wonderful. I’m not sure why you are blaming Biden unless you know of a way he could have accomplished getting those bills passed. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/369 "2021-11-17T16:04:22Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m not sure why you are blaming Biden unless you know of a way he could have accomplished getting those bills passed. His entire administration’s focus is on having the infrastructure/BBB plans passed. He hasn’t used a bit of political capital to go after the organizers… including the previous President… of the Insurrection and he isn’t using his political capital to protect Democracy. Instead of lobbying Manchin on coal subsidies, he could’ve lobbied Manchin on mail-in voting (example made up for the edit window, I don’t know where JM specifically stands on mail-in voting.) Anyway, like I said above, this is my opinion and… well… there it is. Gotta hop! ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/370 "2021-11-17T16:25:00Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Instead of lobbying Manchin on coal subsidies, he could’ve lobbied Manchin on mail-in voting (example made up for the edit window, I don’t know where JM specifically stands on mail-in voting.) Doesn’t matter. They were always going to pass infrastructure (and other spending measures) via reconciliation. Voting rights would have required 60 votes because there wasn’t a way to get that through with reconciliation so it runs into the filibuster problem. And guess who doesn’t like the idea of getting rid of the filibuster? That’s right - Manchin and Sinema (and, if we’re being fair, Biden himself to a lesser extent). What good does lobbying Manchin on voting rights do when the actual effort needs to be either convincing at least 10 Republicans as well or getting Manchin onboard on the filibuster first? He flat out didn’t have the votes to do voting rights. He possibly did on infrastructure, but that was Manchin stringing his own party along while planning to periodically knife them in the back when it looked like something was going to pass. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/371 "2021-11-17T16:25:00Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > “Good” would be passing the portion which guaranteed democracy. I honestly don’t think such a thing is possible. You basically need a critical mass/majority of people willing to observe the norms of democracy. Which we may still have, just barely (but we could argue that all day). But if you don’t have that all the legislation and rules in the world aren’t going to prevent a backwards slide into chaos. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/372 "2021-11-17T16:25:31Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > If he gets Congress to pass the John Lewis Act and gets Garland to go after somebody more important than the Qanon Shaman in the Insurrection, I will be thrilled to eat my words. I’m still not sure how he is supposed to do that. Even if they find a way to not need 60 votes, if Manchin says no, then it doesn’t pass. Blaming Biden for that is worse than unproductive. It encourages others to take part in your despondency, so they don’t show up in 2022. Republicans don’t need to mess with voting rights when we are here sabotaging our own efforts. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/373 "2021-11-17T16:25:57Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Guys, he still failed democracy. He got a $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal passed. Great. Wonderful. And when his party is outlawed in 10 years, his supporters can marvel at all the shiny new bridges they are crossing while being bussed to all the shiny new ‘infrastructure camps’. Asahi, is that you? ---
**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:** [November 17, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/374 "2021-11-17T16:33:24Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > He hasn’t used a bit of political capital to go after the organizers… including the previous President… of the Insurrection and he isn’t using his political capital to protect Democracy IKR? What’s the use of being In Power if you can’t march the previous El Presidente off to the gulag Guantanamo? All those firing squads sitting around doing nothing when they could be emptying rifles at Kellyanne Conway, Hope Hicks, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and some of the other flying monkeys. (I started this reply in complete sarcasm…now I’m not sure…) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851.md?page=19)