Unfortunately, we — meaning the entire political world, but especially those of us on the left — have spent far too much time in the 2024 campaign talking about Joe Biden’s personal strengths and weaknesses. For example, you may have heard that the president is somewhat elderly. But Biden is more than an individual. He oversees a government with hundreds of agencies and millions of employees. He sits at the head of a party that represents tens of millions of voters and is affiliated, closely or otherwise, with a panoply of left-leaning movements, organizations and activists.
All of these people, groups and forces will have roles to play and influence to exercise if Biden is re-elected. Democrats ought to depersonalize the campaign away from Biden himself and encourage everyone to see the bigger picture. Because a broader system, not just one man, will be on the ballot in November.
The administration has moved aggressively to provide relief to millions of Americans, even if most voters probably have no idea.
To understand what I mean, consider the White House’s announcement that the government will be forgiving $1.2 billion in student loans for an additional 150,000 borrowers. It’s the latest installment in a patchwork of initiatives and programs that, according to the administration, has already discharged the debts of nearly 3.9 million borrowers. Another 7.5 million borrowers now enjoy small or even $0 monthly payments on loans that can eventually be entirely discharged. Though the Supreme Court’s conservative majority torpedoed Biden’s far more sweeping attempt at student loan forgiveness last year, the administration has moved aggressively to provide relief to millions of Americans, even if most voters probably have no idea.
This is not a lament that Biden is not getting enough credit for the good things he has accomplished, though that is certainly the case. Rather, the point is that this extremely positive development — along with many others…
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