Biden's Nadir?

President Biden gave a forceful and defiant speech defining his withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the war, which should have shown Americans that he is not wavering and he will see this and other jobs through.  But when CNN's Jake Tapper suggested that he had a problem with Biden's tone in the speech to national security adviser Jake Sullivan, it became apparent that this explanation of the end of the war in Afghanistan wasn't going to boost his sagging poll numbers.  If anything, it may have sunk them even further.  And while Republicans will continue to attack Biden on the issue, Democrats will do what they always do when forced to defend an unpopular policy from a Democratic administration - duck the question.  Which worked so well in the past.  (NOT!) 

 

Biden has a great opportunity, though, to hit the reset button big time and steer his way out of this low point in his Presidency.  He can now turn full attention to help Louisiana - and, as of today, the Northeast - recover from Hurricane Ida in the middle of a severe COVID outbreak.  Since nation-building didn't work, how about state-building for  a change? Also, there is the infrastructure package, which no one has talked about of late but should return to discussing once Congress returns from recess, which jibes nicely with Biden's "Build Back Better" slogan while we try to build Louisiana back better.  Now is not the time for Democrats to duck questions about Afghanistan - or rely solely on women to vote on abortion now that abortion restrictions in Texas and Mississippi may lead to the repeal of Roe v. Wade - because they counted on that happening in the 2014 midterms and it most certainly did not!   Democrats should back Biden and have his back for his domestic program, which includes continuing to fight COVID, otherwise the 2022 midterms will be the first big step toward a right-wing dictatorship.

And then things will really get bad.