America appears polarized and divided. Republicans and Democrats view each other not as rivals but as mortal enemies. Public opinion data shows that the gap between the two parties has seemingly never been wider.
How, then, do we explain the presidency of Joe Biden, who continues to win one bipartisan legislative victory after another?
The president’s latest win came over the weekend, when he struck a deal with House Republicans to raise the debt limit and work out a budget framework that is likely to avoid a government shutdown this fall. This follows similar successes, such as a bipartisan infrastructure bill, the most sweeping gun control measure in decades and legislation to strengthen the U.S. computer chip industry against China. Biden has also signed into law bipartisan measures to reform the Postal Service, expand veterans’ benefits and even protect same-sex marriage.
In the 2020 campaign, many jaded analysts and activists mocked Biden’s claims that he could reach across the aisle and work with Republicans. Yet here we are.
Rather than demonize his political opponents, Biden sought to meet them halfway.
How has Biden fulfilled this goal again and again? Perhaps it’s because he is the antithesis of our current political dysfunction. Like “no-drama Obama,” the man Biden served under as vice president, he is “no-drama Joe.”
Leading up to the weekend’s agreement, some House Democrats grumbled that the president was maintaining radio silence and refusing to publicly criticize Republicans, who were, in effect, holding the economy hostage. But holding back most likely built trust between the two sides — as did Biden’s concession in agreeing to negotiate after months of having said he wouldn’t. Rather than demonize his political opponents, he sought to meet them halfway.
And in the wake of a debt limit agreement that looks like a clear win for the White House, Biden has resisted the urge to spike the football. As he told reporters Monday:…
Read the full article here