The numbers speak for themselves.
Just seven weeks into his presidency, Joe Biden has already won over a large plurality of Americans. Poll after poll proves the public stands behind the new president and overwhelmingly supports his first piece of legislation -- the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package -- which was signed into law Thursday.
This week, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed that 60 percent of Americans approve of the new president’s job performance. Even more impressive, a Morning Consult poll showed that 76 percent of Americans are in favor of Biden’s stimulus bill, including 60 percent of Republicans. Those are virtually unheard of numbers in this era’s sharply divided political climate.
That is the definition of unity.
Joe Biden spoke of it during his inauguration speech, and so far he has delivered, especially when juxtaposed against one of the most divisive presidents in U.S. history. Donald Trump, whose approval never cracked 50 percent in a reputable survey, could never dream of having this kind of public support.
Just because congressional Republicans refuse to sign on to the American Rescue Plan doesn’t mean the country hasn’t gotten behind it. Just because congressional Republicans would rather talk about Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head and Pepé Le Pew doesn’t mean the country hasn’t noticed the Herculean efforts of the Biden administration to vaccinate the general public.
We have.
There is good reason the public supports the new president. He is giving the people what they want. He is proving himself to be a true leader. He has staffed the government with competent officials, and he is working to improve people’s lives. He tried to work with Republicans on the latest relief package, but when they predictably proved intransigent, he quickly moved on.
And then there are all the things he isn’t doing.
He’s not spending millions in taxpayer money to fly to a resort every weekend. He isn’t golfing all the time. He isn’t using a social-media account to attack his opponents and gaslight the nation. He isn’t spending all day and night singularly focused on watching televised propaganda. And he isn’t lying to the American people on a daily basis.
To put it bluntly, Biden has gotten down to business without any of the bullshit.
Joe Biden has taken a sensible, measured approach to governing, and right-wing pundits are starved for things about which to criticize the man. Perhaps, that’s why they have gone after his rescue dog, Major, for being mangy and allegedly biting a security guard. If that’s the best they’ve got, then things are going quite well for the new president.
In the short term, it’s hard not to see things improving. In just a few short weeks, millions of Americans are going to start receiving stimulus checks that will range from $1,400 for singles to $5,600 for a family of four. Families will benefit from generous child tax credits, and the unemployed will continue to get the financial support they desperately need for at least six more months. Tens of millions of people will continue to be vaccinated, which in turn will lead to our lives getting back to normal. All these factors should lead to a robust economic recovery.
No matter what Joe Biden does, and no matter how competently and successfully he governs, he will always have his detractors. Seditionists like Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert will never support this president. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will obstruct Biden’s agenda as much as they possibly can. But, for now, the country is not with them.
For how long with this unity last? It’s tough to say. It’s not unusual for new presidents to start with a honeymoon period before large swaths of the public inevitably turn on them. The intense, immediate opposition to Donald Trump was unique in that regard. Unlike his predecessor, Joe Biden has done all the right things from the start, and that’s why six-in-10 Americans approve.
Let’s all enjoy it while it lasts.