To begin, the senior members of Biden’s White House who have already been announced are both remarkably experienced in federal government and with Biden specifically (e.g., Ron Klain, Mike Donilon). They are also diverse (five of the first nine are women). This is no surprise, given CNN’s report that on the transition team “41% of the senior staff are people of color. The majority of transition staff — 52% — are women, and 53% of the senior staff are women.”
…Second, Biden consults experts, not cronies.
…Third, traditional and bipartisan foreign policy seems to be the order of the day. Biden’s readouts of calls with foreign leaders seem like messages from a time capsule buried at Foggy Bottom before the Trump presidency.
…Fourth, Biden focuses on a few, top-level policy issues: the pandemic, his economic “Build Back Better” plan and possible executive orders (e.g., rejoining the Paris climate accords, reversing Trump’s actions on DACA and undoing Trump’s travel ban targeting majority-Muslim countries).
…Fifth, we do not hear from Biden every day.
…Finally, Biden absorbs rather than magnifies chaos and conflict. He does not condemn Republicans for playing along with Trump’s delusional insistence that he won the election. Nor does he excoriate Republicans for foot-dragging since the House passed its bill in May ; instead, he talks to Democratic leaders about a lame-duck stimulus. His lawyers and staff can punch back as necessary, but he is trying his best not to personalize disputes with members of Congress. He knows that in a matter of weeks, he will need their help.
…
IOW he behaves like an adult.