Joe Biden turns the tables on Republicans

[marmar]

Joe Biden turns the tables on Republicans
Republicans spent years making politics about images, not policy — now Biden has weaponized that against them

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
APRIL 29, 2021 4:59PM


(Salon) President Joe Biden's plans are ambitious. I know this because every headline Thursday morning after Biden gave his first speech to a joint session of Congress said so.

"Biden Just Gave the Most Ideologically Ambitious Speech of Any Democratic President in Generations," Politico's wordy headline screamed. "Biden bets big," Axios said more succinctly. "Big Government Is Back," said the NPR headline. The Washington Post described Biden's "sweeping agenda" and the New York Times called it a "risky gamble."

Except that none of this actually feels risky. On the contrary, Biden was able to frame everything he said in convincingly reasonable tones. Put at ease by his patented "c'mon, man" approach, so far, it seems like the public can't be bamboozled into feeling angry, scared or worried about Biden's surprisingly progressive aspirations. Snap polls after the speech showed that 85% of viewers approved of Biden's speech, out of a crowd that was only 54% Democratic. This comports with previous polling that shows that, while Biden's approval numbers are stuck in the low 50s because of GOP voters who will never say they like him, an overwhelming majority like his actual policy ideas. Demonizing him as "tax-and-spend" isn't working, because voters are increasingly keen on the idea that we should be taxing corporations and wealthy people and spending it on the programs that Biden has successfully — and correctly — identified as investments in our nation's future: infrastructure, child care, jobs.

....(snip)....

The thing is, these are the same exact arguments that progressives have been making for decades, and yet Republicans — aided by a loud right-wing media, the racism of the majority of white voters, and a mainstream media addicted to false equivalencies — were successful at demonizing such reasonable points as basically communism. Why then does it seem like Republicans suddenly can't land a glove on Biden?

Part of the credit should go to Biden himself, who is rising above what doubters like myself thought of him. He was able, as John Harwood of CNN said, to speak "in plain, non-political, non-ideological language invoking the people he wants to help." ............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/04/29/joe-biden-turns-the-tables-on-republicans/

[onecaliberal]

1. The risk is not doing these things.

Fuck the media

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. This article is absolutely right. Joe is an old hand at speaking in plain language.

People who really hear him, can tell he's honest, even if a little boring.

After the last 4 years, boring along with honesty is just what the people really want. (PS--I don't think he's boring at all!)

[zipplewrath]

6. It's the Bernie approach

Be authentic and they can't hurt you. The world is hungry for someone authentic, even if they don't really agree with them. They'd rather have an authentic person than a poser.

[dansolo]

8. The complete opposite of Bernie

Bernie is very often loud and bombastic. Very often people are turned off by his tone. Bernie doesn't come across as authentic, except to the true believers. I've often said that Biden will be much more successful pushing progressive policies than Bernie ever could for this exact reason.

[zipplewrath]

10. Yes

The point really was how the population responds to authenticity. You can disagree with authentic positions, but it is hard to demonize them. The GOP and really politics in general is filled with so much hypocrisy and posturing that someone who is honest and consistent really stands out, and much of the "middle" will respond positively to it.

[GopherGal]

11. Joe's Ropeadope Politics

The right wing and their media mouthpieces are taking a lot of (often wildly off-the-mark) swings at him. He absorbs them and goes about his business, waiting for his opening.

Of course, having competent aides and appointees to implement rational policies and strategies that 84 million people voted for means he's got something substantial to "hit 'em with" instead of half-assed plans pasted together by frantic aides who arrive at work every morning and try figure out how to make policy out of TFG's most recent 4 AM tweet.

[PSPS]

3. This is why Biden has been winning elections for 50 years. He knows what he's doing and is honest.

[BootinUp]

4. I think Americans are seeing thru the RW antics

At this point.

[stevesinpa]

5. let's not overlook....

not taking away anything from President Joe Biden, he has done a remarkable job. but let's not overlook the fact that donald trump exposed the republican party for what they are, and a majority of Americans do not like what they are.

[dansolo]

9. But Trump has also amped up up the antagonism against Democratic policies

The fact that Biden can cut through the bullshit is even more amazing.

[BobTheSubgenius]

7. Being solicitous and cooperative with those slugs has yielded virtually ZERO positive results.

In how many times, over how many years? F_ 'em, Joe! Give 'em both barrels and just walk confidently through the carnage and blustering. And, I can't say this enough. F_ 'em!!!