The mood of the country

 

President Joe Biden
Democrat

Last night, late, I looked at some election results, all what I considered good news: the re-election of Andy Beshear as Kentucky governor, the enshrinement of abortion rights in the Ohio constitution, the takeover of both houses by Democrats in Virginia, the election of a Democrat to the Supreme Court in Pennsylvania, which those in the know says thwarts trump’s scheme to take the 2024 election, the defeat of Moms for Liberty in numerous school board races. After reading in the media all day that no one should take off-year election results seriously, I thought, “I don’t care what they say. This is good news. The American people are not as easily hoodwinked as some would have us believe.” Somewhere I read the comment that these election triumphs reflected the mood of the country, and I liked that phrase. People are tired of the constant turmoil, lies, deceit, baseless investigations, vague promises and real threats of the Republican Party. They want our country back. I went to sleep, anticipating reading all about the triumphs of democracy this morning.

But a tiny corner of my mind said, “There’s a hitch somewhere. There will be something negative.” And of course there was. Early this morning, I saw a New York Times headline to the effect that Biden remains unpopular but voters like the policies of the Democratic Party. I saw red, pink, and purple. Where did people think those policies came from, if not from the president? Did they think Democratic legislators were enacting Bidenomics, curtailing the pandemic, reviving the employment rate, passing bills to rebuild our flagging infrastructure, passing the chip act, passing the first meaningful act to reduce gun violence, working to insure reproductive rights and safety for LGBTQ folks, rallying international support for Ukraine, and working toward a peaceful end to the conflict between Hamas and Israel without Joe Biden? What kind of nonsense is that? If his policies are popular, so is he.

During the day today I read in at least three other supposedly bipartisan sources about Biden’s incredible unpopularity. I was astounded and angry. But I also read two sensible arguments that the news media is wedded to a message of doom for Democrats. It makes absolutely no sense, and I hope every thinking person in America will reject that notion. The Republican party is disintegrating before our eyes, divided into warring factions, unable to agree on leadership or policy, unable even to come to grips with preventing a government shutdown, rife with accusations and baseless accusations. And yet they claim it is Democrats who are doomed to defeat? I don’t understand it, but I resent it a lot.

I don’t think it’s just ageism that is behind this. If it were and it were an equally balanced approach to ageism, trump would come in for as much negative press as Biden. He is only three years younger than Biden, is obviously in much worse physical shape (the president rides a bike, trump rides a golf cart), and is seriously out of touch with reality to the point that a cognitive assessment sems obviously called for. Those around him must be in acute denial. Biden has fallen several times, they say—so do a lot of people, though I still maintain he was set up when he tripped over a sandbag leaving the mike at the Naval Academy. Trump was scrutinized during his presidency when he appeared uncertain walking down a ramp, holding a water glass and other minor physical movements. But all that seems forgotten now.

Part of the problem may be that trump is a flamboyant, over-the-top, charismatic, a dramatic personality. He not only attracts news, he is good news copy. The more outrageous he is, the more the media hangs on his every word. Biden, on the other hand, is going quietly but doggedly about the business of guiding our country through a time of terrible turmoil, both here at home and internationally. He has a steady hand on the tiller. But he’s a low key, sometimes understated, almost quiet kind of a guy—not good copy. Do I blame major media sources for not making the distinction between the two? Yes, I do—and I want Walter Cronkite and some of his colleagues back.

Now is the time for each of us to speak out and protest this foolish blindness. Call out the negativity. If you believe in Biden’s policies say so. Write a letter to the editor, write to individual columnists, don’t let them get away with misinformation and loaded language. Many Americans will be hoodwinked by this bias on the part of the media. Don’t be one of them and do work to fight it. That’s my challenge to each of you!