The first year of Joe Biden’s presidency featured two distinct phases. The first half of the year was the phase the White House found easy to celebrate: An ambitious American Rescue Plan was signed into law; the president negotiated a bipartisan infrastructure package; Covid infection numbers fell to a two-year low as millions were vaccinated; and polls pointed to Biden’s steady popularity. The road ahead appeared bright.
That is, until the second phase began: The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan generated international criticisms; the White House’s legislative agenda faltered on Capitol Hill; vaccination totals plateaued as far-right resistance grew; and Biden’s public standing suffered as the omicron variant caused a brutal spike in Covid infection numbers.
Perhaps we’re seeing evidence of a new, third phase? Politico asked late last week, “Is the White House turning the tide?” The report added:
After months of brutal polling and generally negative headlines on a range of fronts, President Joe Biden closes this week with a three-headed gust of wind behind his sails.
To be sure, last week was a good one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The latest jobs report, for example, was unexpectedly great. One day earlier, Biden announced that U.S. special forces had launched a raid in Syria that led to the death of the Islamic State terror group’s top leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
It’s against this backdrop that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement, creating a unique opportunity for the president, which is likely to help unify his party.
But the list doesn’t end there. Let’s also not forget that Covid infection numbers are improving quickly at the national level; the recent economic growth numbers for 2021 were amazing; and Affordable Care Act enrollment totals have reached an all-time high. What’s more, while the earlier iterations of the Build Back Better package are gone, the door is not yet closed on a possible revised version of the legislation. To be sure, there’s little polling evidence to suggest the president is being rewarded by voters for the recent spate of good news. Indeed, his popularity is barely better than his predecessor’s at this point four years ago. But all things considered, Biden and his team have seen more good news in recent weeks than they have in recent months.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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