Joe Biden won’t admit when he’s screwed

Don’t expect the return of President Joe Biden. As conventional wisdom catches up with negative criticism belong to Biden’s Presidency So far, we’ve seen hints of the next contrasting story: “It’s not too late for him to turn things around“—And its second cousin—”Here’s how Biden can turn the tide. ”

I will play along.

If the president wants to save what is left of his term, he will have to accept that he misread and misunderstood my assignment. This recognition would require both substantive and symbolic reversals, including (but not limited to) policy and change staff.

Unfortunately, if his recent comments are any indication, Biden doesn’t think he has anything to learn. In that sense, he is very much like former President Donald Trump, who is also notorious for refusing to admit his mistakes. This tells me that things will go from bad to worse.

As The long-awaited press conference on Wednesday.

Biden volunteered to do three things that he would do differently in his second year: (1) “I’m going to get out of this place more often,” he said, referring to the White House. (2) He will “seek… more advice from outside experts, from academia, to editors, to thinkers”. And (3) “We will raise a lot of money. We’re going out there to make sure we’re helping everyone [Democratic] candidates. ”

Leaving the White House isn’t always a game changer. Meet experts, scholars and writers delusions of grandeur lead him to believe he could be the next FDR or LBJ, which didn’t work out well for the 46th president. And listing fundraising on his short list of action items only highlights how far he’s gone, by prioritizing him. party politics and campaigning on authority.

Consider the first-year lessons Biden should have (but, the evidence is clear, without his squeeze).

In a self-assessment of what he has to offer in his first year (including his pledge to shut down COVID-19): Biden insisted: “I didn’t over-promote.” (He did).

On his inability to cross the aisle to get his legislative agenda through: Biden admitted that his White House never even phoned Sen. Mitt Romney, adding, “I didn’t call at all. to many Republicans.”

And when challenged over his divisive rhetoric, Biden denied comparing his political rivals to George Wallace, Bull Connor and Jefferson Davis. even if he seems to double the accusation.

When asked about the senior support staff that helped get him to such anemic approval ratings, Biden stated, “I’m pleased with the team.” But then again, why should he worry about his numbers hanging around when he’s sure it’s fake news? “I don’t believe the polls,” Biden said.

The president went on to flirt with another conspiracy theory: the idea that the 2022 election could be corrupted (“I think it could easily be illegal,” he said). This is a dangerous concept to float ahead and be promiscuous, and clearly corroborates Trump’s accusations that the 2020 election is “rigged.”

I know it’s exhausting to keep repeating that, but Biden did elected as opposite by Trump. This means returning to normal. This means working across the aisle. This means capacity. This means curtailing harsh rhetoric about domestic political opponents. This means not questioning the legitimacy of elections. And this means accepting responsibility and being open to change. Joe Biden has failed spectacularly on all of that.

Now, maybe some problems will magically fix themselves. It is possible that COVID infections decrease, supply chains are fixed, and inflation decreases. But we all know that hope is not a realistic political strategy and he doesn’t seem to want to make any substantive changes.

Will refuses to convict the district attorney lightly of the crime help lower Crime rate? Will spending more trillions help improve the situation? fear of inflation? It seems impossible.

Bill Clinton, too, struggled very early in his presidency. But after the terrible 1994 midterms, he changed course. No president since Clinton has listened to the message voters are giving and has fundamentally adjusted (with a few minor exceptions, such as George W. Bush firing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after midterms in office. year 2006). The false presidential model of both Trump and Barack Obama is to ignore criticism, push first, and wander to base.

Of course, Biden maybe choose to rotate common center. But will he?

So, no. It’s not too late for Biden to turn the tide in 2024. But there’s no reason to believe he will.