Staff Reports
The latest White House Report Card reveals a sobering truth: President Joe Biden is slipping into the shadows, allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to grab the spotlight. This abrupt shift in dynamics has effectively crowned him the “lame duck” of the administration, a title that seems both well-deserved and overdue.
The adoration for Harris reached new heights this week, particularly over a prisoner swap with the Kremlin that she publicly shared planning duties on with Biden. In a move reminiscent of a team project at a high school, the duo met the released prisoners at Joint Base Andrews. Harris proclaimed this event as a testament to the importance of diplomacy. The only thing missing from her speech was a parent-teacher conference to explain just how they stumbled into the international arena with a passing grade.
If you want to know who is the most important person at the party, look who arrives late.
Where’s Joe Biden? No one cares now https://t.co/7ONMd2dvhG via @dcexaminer— Hugo Gurdon (@hgurdon) August 1, 2024
When it comes to the real issues facing the country, both Biden and Harris have mastered the art of dodgeball, artfully avoiding tougher questions like the increase in unemployment, the uncomfortable fallout of an illegal immigration program gone awry, and the imminent threat Israel faces from hostile forces. Instead of bold leadership, the public is treated to a classic game of “what’s happening over there” while the nation’s challenges continue to mount.
Analysts are divided on the week’s performance. Democrat pollster John Zogby saw fit to award the administration an “A” for what he perceives as diplomatic successes despite glaring oversights in domestic affairs. In stark contrast, conservative columnist Jed Babbin slapped a big “F” on the report card, citing Biden’s irresponsible promise to “reform” the U.S. Supreme Court for the benefit of liberal agendas as a serious faux pas.
In the midst of all this, some less palatable news for the Biden camp involves the economic realities facing the American workforce. With job growth slowing to just 114,000 new jobs and unemployment rising to 4.3%, there’s a palpable sense of unease in the air. Meanwhile, headlines touting the easing of inflation feel like an attempt to distract from the fact that major retailers continue to lay off thousands. While the Federal Reserve may plan to make loans more accessible, Americans are still wondering how they’re supposed to weather this storm.
At its core, this administration appears more interested in political posturing than effective governance. Biden’s ongoing efforts to secure favor with specific voter blocs, such as the recent promise to forgive more student loans and a controversial plan to allocate billions to black farmers, are nothing more than election-year tricks. The message is clear: tax dollars are the preferred currency for securing votes, not genuine policy victories or solutions for the American public. It seems the entire Democratic strategy hinges on whipping up rhetoric around Roe v. Wade, with little attention to the important, pressing issues at hand.
And then there’s the uncomfortable silence on international matters, like the Palestinian Authority’s recent agreement with Hamas, which the Biden team seems all too eager to overlook. They would rather sidestep foreign policy hot potatoes than risk upsetting their narrative. In doing so, they are missing an opportunity to offer real leadership that might unify rather than divide. This administration’s priorities and tactics may work for some in the short term. Still, for many Americans, it has become apparent that their government is leaning into dysfunction rather than delivering results.
