Everyday folks can see through Joe Biden. He has made his name by spending a lifetime in politics constantly switching his stance on one major issue after another. Picture him as a weathervane, constantly changing direction based on the political climate within his party.
Such a lackadaisical approach didn’t bring him much success, though. People don’t rally behind followers, and Biden’s attempts at presidential runs in 1988 and 2008 tanked pretty fast. It was his unoffensive, lukewarm nature that landed him a second fiddle role in Barack Obama’s administration, where he flew kites for Obama but didn’t have much impact on concrete policy.
Biden had a hard time convincing Obama himself of his potential who favored a widely disliked Hillary Clinton over him in 2016. Following Clinton’s defeat, and blessed with some seriously out of touch opponents (I’m looking at you, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar), he prevailed in the race by, remarkably, just showing up.
As president, Biden proclaimed himself a political moderate. But he confuses principled moderation with simply ducking and diving without a steady direction in his party’s political waters. Real moderation requires the courage to resist radicals – but as a political weathervane, he bends to every push and pull.
In trying to please everyone, Biden has ended up pleasing no one. His ever-changing stances have won him no real fans, or enemies – after all, who can truly believe in a man who changes his tune at the drop of a hat? His flip-floppery has racked up no real achievements, and it comes with a heavy cost to Americans.
Stuck in the middle of the extreme left pushing Modern Monetary Theory and more frugal liberals, Biden has resorted to both extravagant spending and hiking interest rates – bad news for your average American. Wedged between those decrying American intervention and traditionally interventionist liberals, he’s flip-flopped on support for Ukraine. When it comes to Israel, he’s been both a cheerleader and a roadblock.
Here’s a reality check: the presidency isn’t the place for political weathervanes. Bill Clinton might have been the closest thing we’ve had recently, but even he took a clear stand once the course was set. Biden’s lack of consistency leaves the global community in a state of confusion.
The American people don’t appreciate this. In fact, polls suggest Joe Biden wouldn’t survive a reelection bid if it were held today – he’d lose to the very man he labels a threat to democracy. The reason? Leadership, or Biden’s clear lack thereof.
For all his flaws, Donald Trump outperformed Biden on one crucial aspect: leadership. It’s an attribute that cannot be faked or improvised. Leadership isn’t, and will never be, Joe Biden’s forte.
