“If presidential elections hinge on ‘the economy, stupid,’ then winning a second term should be a cakewalk for Biden.” The conclusion of Bloomberg opinion columnists (March 2024).

“Compared to his predecessors, Biden’s first two years were among the most productive of any president in the past half century.” The Atlantic magazine (November 2023).

Biden has done a good job as president, especially with the economy. Presidents actually have little control over the economy. Federal spending and tax policy can have an impact but mostly the economy is too big and too complicated with too many players to blame (or credit) the president for what happens. But they get blamed anyway. 

This article points out some of Biden’s accomplishments with documentation from reliable sources. Despite the ridiculous media frenzy, we are not electing a champion debater. We are electing a person to set priorities, manage our government and represent us on the world stage. 
I’d rather have an old man who occasionally stumbles over a few words than an old man who is a proven liar, convicted felon and arrogant narcissist who is an embarrassment to the nation.
Jeff Hauser, director of the nonpartisan Revolving Door Project, wrote a research report comparing Trump and Biden’s management of their administrations. He says, “The media should not focus on the aesthetics of this week’s presidential debate but rather cover the Biden vs Trump election as a comparison between how each president administered the immensely important executive branch...It’s important to revisit how poorly he [Trump] ran the executive branch his first time round.”

Historically the economy does better under Democratic administrations. A recent study by the Economic Policy Institute says, “Since 1949... the economy has performed better when the president of the United States is a Democrat rather than a Republican, almost regardless of how one measures performance...” 

This study cites a peer reviewed paper in the American Economic Review from 2016 with the same conclusion. Because of more robust social welfare and more equal distribution of prosperity under Democratic administrations, people spend more and fuel the economy. 
A recent Brooking Institute report says Biden’s key economic legislation has been good for the country and also good for “distressed counties.” They say, “Spurred in part by three significant pieces of federal legislation, since 2021, the United States has experienced an [private] investment surge in “strategic sectors,” defined as clean energy, semiconductors and electronics, bio-manufacturing and other advanced industries. 

Renewable power – primarily wind and solar – is now the second largest source of electricity behind natural gas. The U.S. is also producing more fossil fuels than at any time in our history. This shows that the Republican ranting about “energy independence” and the “unrealistic” Green New Deal are just empty campaign propaganda. 

The facts about Biden’s performance cannot be denied. Here is a partial list of his accomplishments.
• More jobs have been created (14.8 million) than the past two Republican Presidents combined 
• Unemployment is now below 4 percent.
• Inflation in May 2024 was 3.3%, slightly above the 3.0% considered normal.
• The American Rescue Plan funded nationwide vaccinations that controlled COVID, allowed schools to reopen and business to resume after the pandemic.
• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funded many needed public infrastructure, high speed internet and green energy jobs that pulled us out of the COVID recession.
• The CHIPS Act supported domestic manufacturing of computer chips and created jobs.
• The Inflation Reduction Act encouraged people to invest in green energy, which created jobs and will be essential for climate change mitigation and the future economy.
• Biden strengthened and expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act, creating the lowest rate of uninsured in history (7.2%).
• The PACT Act expanded health care options for veterans.
• The Electoral Count Reform Act clarified the vice president’s role in the counting of electoral votes to prevent a repeat of the January 6 riot. 
• Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was the first major federal gun safety bill passed in nearly 30 years and closed some gun law loopholes, strengthened background checks  and funded better security for schools.
• Respect for Marriage Act requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages. And repealed right wing Defense of Marriage Act .
• Biden used executive actions to pardon thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law.
• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the first Black woman appointed to the Supreme Court
The Biden administration tried to do much more on environmental protection, police reforms, student loan forgiveness, paid family leave, affordable child care, immigration reforms, voting rights, reproductive rights and gun violence prevention. Republican opposition in Congress and the courts killed many of these efforts.

Biden made progress in getting many new federal judges appointed. In recent years right wing judges have overturned many laws that were critical to a fair society. Republican appointed judges have eviscerated sensible campaign finance reforms, gun control policies, voting rights, women’s control of their own bodies, the normal and necessary functioning of government regulatory agencies and now the basic principle that no one is above the law.

On a much bigger issue, the next president is likely to appoint two or more Supreme Court justices. Trump’s Supreme Court appointments have produced some truly awful rulings that have done significant harm to the social and legal fabric of our country. The most recent (and most ridiculous) is granting Trump immunity from prosecution for acts committed while president. Presidents are now essentially above the law and cannot be held accountable using the courts. This highly partisan ruling makes no sense except to delay justice for Trump until after the election.

The Supreme Court has lost all credibility. Re-electing Joe Biden – and electing a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress – will be critical to reforming the Supreme Court and restoring respect for its decisions. 
People should not base their voting decisions on polls or social media posts. Just because something is “trending” doesn’t mean it is good or accurate. Opinion polls are just the compiling of ignorance. They measure what is popular not what is true. Too often the news media is more concerned with the “horse race” trivia – who won or lost today – than the consequences for people of who wins the election. 

President Biden has done a much better job than many people think.