Joe Biden's First 100 Days in Office - Megathread

[Preety_India]

They are expecting things so soon. 

Smh. 

 

[fridjonk]

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

He will be better than Obama I think.

Do you think this is because he's more in touch with green rather than Obama's more yellow way of looking at things? granted Obama was also orange/green in many aspects. I feel like he was quite ahead of his time in office, and he probably would've been more effective if he was in command around 2040. 

I do agree that Biden will probably commence a more radical change. 

Edited February 7, 2021 by fridjonk

[DocWatts]

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Biden knocking it out of the park so far.

Let's see how long it holds.

I think many progressive naysayers will be shown wrong by Biden. He will be better than Obama I think. But of course they will still whine that he's not doing enough.

Progressive have been way too harsh on Biden.

I'll concur with this. I'm pleasantly surprised with Biden so far. Guess the Sleepy Joe caricature will have to be retired considering how active he's been during his first few weeks.

I've been particularly impressed by how willing he is to use the opportunity afforded him to push for Bold policy solutions, and for his unwillingness to cave in to Republican obstructionism in a misguided attempt at bipartisanism with Bad Faith Actors.

A Biden presidency along with Bernie at the head of the Senate Budget Committee has made for what's looking to be a quite effective Democratic Party.

[Girzo]

@fridjonk Here's a stupid PragerU video by a former Obama administration member. I doubt Obama "Yellowness" when he has been picking such dumb-dumbs for important roles. He has been too much pro-corporate for my taste to call him Yellow.

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Girzo

[fridjonk]

14 minutes ago, Girzo said:

He has been too much pro-corporate for my taste to call him Yellow.

Well, that's the orange side of him as I mentioned. 

In the latest 60 minutes interview he did, he sounded pretty yellow. I look at more how he thinks and articulates ideas rather than what he stood for when he was in power. There are too many forces at play to know for sure whether that's what he truly wanted or not. 

[Leo Gura]

1 hour ago, fridjonk said:

Do you think this is because he's more in touch with green rather than Obama's more yellow way of looking at things?

No, I think it's just a matter of social evolution.

The culture has shifted up since 2008. The Overton window has shifted. People get more liberal as society evolves -- even despite MAGA. Conservatives are usually fighting a losing battle. Every liberal president who is elected pushes the envelop forward a bit. Which is why progressives need to calm the fuck down and be patient. It's not going to happen overnight.

8 years of Biden/Kamala will move us considerably forward even if they are neoliberals.

[Forestluv]

Biden will end arm sales to the Saudis’ war on Yemen. This will put pressure on a few European countries and Canada to follow suit. That is what being an international leader looks like. 

The left were convinced they would get the 1990s center-right version of Biden. Yet Biden has been center-left so far. Biden’s presidency sharply contrasts Trump’s. 

[Hardkill]

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

No, I think it's just a matter of social evolution.

The culture has shifted up since 2008. The Overton window has shifted. People get more liberal as society evolves -- even despite MAGA. Conservatives are usually fighting a losing battle. Every liberal president who is elected pushes the envelop forward a bit. Which is why progressives need to calm the fuck down and be patient. It's not going to happen overnight.

8 years of Biden/Kamala will move us considerably forward even if they are neoliberals.

 

2 hours ago, Forestluv said:

Biden will end arm sales to the Saudis’ war on Yemen. This will put pressure on a few European countries and Canada to follow suit. That is what being an international leader looks like. 

The left were convinced they would get the 1990s center-right version of Biden. Yet Biden has been center-left so far. Biden’s presidency sharply contrasts Trump’s. 

Well, I am glad that Biden has so far been doing well overall. 

However, what about the fact that all members of Congress have become more divided than ever before? What about the fact that our country has been more political divided than ever before? Also, what about the fact that the Senate will be holding Trump's second impeachment trial beginning this coming Tuesday for an indefinite amount of days or perhaps weeks?  Do you guys think those issues may end up slowing the Biden administration's agenda so much to the point of not being able to make any real progress for the country within the next 4-8 years? I ask because that's what some liberal political experts are have been worried about lately.

 

 

[Leo Gura]

3 hours ago, Hardkill said:

However, what about the fact that all members of Congress have become more divided than ever before? What about the fact that our country has been more political divided than ever before?

That is not Biden's fault. That is the just where America is at. He will deal with it as best he can. Obama faced the same obstruction. Republicans don't have any good ideas so all they do is obstruct progress.

It's not possible unify a country when 30% of it are deplorable devils with zero shame, integrity, or wisdom, and while right-wing media is frothing them up into a raging frenzy for profit.

[Hardkill]

They say that Biden is making a costly mistake by deciding not to allow significant student loan forgiveness: 

 

[DocWatts]

Apparently some on the Left are disappointed that Biden hasn't solved America's numerous structural and systemic problems during his first six weeks in Office. 

Let's hope that more productive critiques of Biden are the ones that make it to the forefront, since equating Biden supporters and Maga Cultists isn't a good look for the Left...

[Hansu]

On 25/02/2021 at 7:10 AM, DocWatts said:

Apparently some on the Left are disappointed that Biden hasn't solved America's numerous structural and systemic problems during his first six weeks in Office. 

Let's hope that more productive critiques of Biden are the ones that make it to the forefront, since equating Biden supporters and Maga Cultists isn't a good look for the Left...

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/10/biden-says-he-wouldd-veto-medicare-for-all-as-coronavirus-focuses-attention-on-health.html

I mean... Has he even promised to act on those things? I googled medicare for all and he opposed it last year in march. Why would he have turned his jacket now? (Apologies if CNBC is not reliable source)

As a non-american all I care is the USA military activity is increasing in the middle east. Seems to be the case with every president of USA that they want to continue or increase military presence in foreign countries.

[DocWatts]

36 minutes ago, Hansu said:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/10/biden-says-he-wouldd-veto-medicare-for-all-as-coronavirus-focuses-attention-on-health.html

I mean... Has he even promised to act on those things? I googled medicare for all and he opposed it last year in march. Why would he have turned his jacket now? (Apologies if CNBC is not reliable source)

As a non-american all I care is the USA military activity is increasing in the middle east. Seems to be the case with every president of USA that they want to continue or increase military presence in foreign countries.

Unfortunately the National Security State has become incredibly entrenched in the American Governmental System, and it's hard to see a realistic path to reigning it in without a substantial overhaul of our Democratic Institutions. It's hard to overstate how much Corporate Lobbying has corrupted our political system over here, with what amounts to what's essentially legalized bribery by Corporate Interests having an enormous influence on our national policies (both domestic and foreign). Add to this the further difficulty that the Military Industrial Complex is a defacto jobs program for much of the country.

Anyone here with more than two brain cells to rub together can see how criminally wasteful it is to spend $750 billion on a bloated Military budget when around half of our citizens are on the edge of poverty, but sad fact is dismantling the current system is beyond any one President (even if they were inclined to do so).

We also don't have anything like a viable Peace Party over here. We have what amounts to a Corporatist Nationalist/Authoritarian Party (the Republicans), and a slightly Left of Center Party (the Democrats). Third Parties with platforms advocating for the dismantling of the American Military Empire do exist, but they have virtually no chance of winning National Elections.

As to Joe Biden, he's clearly a Centrist Candidate (and advertised himself as such). For reasons I can't fathom some Lefties over here were expecting him to be a Patron Saint of Enlightened Progressive Politics, and have become aggravated that he's not delivering on things he never promised to do while campaigning.

 

Edited February 26, 2021 by DocWatts

[Hansu]

1 hour ago, DocWatts said:

and have become aggravated that he's not delivering on things he never promised to do while campaigning.

Yeah, its a puzzle. Maybe they created an image in their head that anyone who follows Trump has to see where he went wrong and immediately reverse all of those things they perceived as wrong doing (Im trying to stay objective, I dont have an opinion on Trump)

[DocWatts]

House Passes Biden’s $1.9T Stimulus Plan—Without a Single GOP Vote in Favor

https://www.thedailybeast.com/house-passes-bidens-dollar19t-stimulus-planwithout-a-single-gop-vote-in-favor

 

Looks like the Covid relief package is finally getting sent to the Senate to be passed through Budget Reconciliation.

Incredibly unfortunate that a $15 dollar federal minimum wage is unlikely to be included in this legislation, due to the Senate Parliamentarian ruling against it being passed through Budget Reconciliation. Of course the Dems could in theory ignore this ruling (which is non-binding), like the Bush administration did to pass tax cuts, but Biden doesn't appear that he's willing to do so.

Edited February 27, 2021 by DocWatts

[Hardkill]

5 hours ago, DocWatts said:

House Passes Biden’s $1.9T Stimulus Plan—Without a Single GOP Vote in Favor

https://www.thedailybeast.com/house-passes-bidens-dollar19t-stimulus-planwithout-a-single-gop-vote-in-favor

 

Looks like the Covid relief package is finally getting sent to the Senate to be passed through Budget Reconciliation.

Incredibly unfortunate that a $15 dollar federal minimum wage is unlikely to be included in this legislation, due to the Senate Parliamentarian ruling against it being passed through Budget Reconciliation. Of course the Dems could in theory ignore this ruling (which is non-binding), like the Bush administration did to pass tax cuts, but Biden doesn't appear that he's willing to do so.

It's not Biden. It's Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema who are blocking it. 

Bernie needs to force his hand to get that $15 dollar federal minimum wage passed by the senate. He's the chair of the Budget committee.

[DocWatts]

8 minutes ago, Hardkill said:

It's not Biden. It's Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema who are blocking it. 

Bernie needs to force his hand to get that $15 dollar federal minimum wage passed by the senate. He's the chair of the Budget committee.

Correct, but even if that were not the case I have reason to doubt that Biden (or more accurately Kamala) would be willing to break with the Senate Parliamentarian and push it through anyways.

I'm sure Bernie will likely do everything in his power to push for a $15 minimum wage, but getting anything through is now going to be much, much more difficult.

This is of course despite the fact that $15 a hour Federal minimum wage not effecting the Federal Budget is just incorrect, albeit in more indirect ways (such as its effect on the number of people relying on welfare programs because they're not being paid a living wage by thier employer).

Edited February 27, 2021 by DocWatts

[Hardkill]

3 minutes ago, DocWatts said:

Correct, but even if that were not the case I have reason to doubt that Biden (or more accurately Kamala) would be willing to break with the Senate Parliamentarian and push it through anyways.

I'm sure Bernie will likely do everything in his power to push for a $15 minimum wage, but getting anything through is now going to be much, much more difficult.

Why would Biden or Kamala not want to pass it when they made it clear in their campaign that passing the $15 dollar federal minimum wage bill was one of their big goals?

[DocWatts]

15 minutes ago, Hardkill said:

Why would Biden or Kamala not want to pass it when they made it clear in their campaign that passing the $15 dollar federal minimum wage bill was one of their big goals?

I get the sense that they're too Conservative (not in a Left / Right sense, but Conservative as far as sticking to Senatorial procedures and Norms)  to break with the Senate Parliamentarian's ruling. In addition, more Right-leaning Democrats such as Joe Machin would not support such a move, and all 50 Democratic votes are needed for it to pass. Just one dissenting Democratic vote in the Senate is enough to kill the Legislation.

This is despite the fact that it will absolutely come back to bite them in the ass when 2022 elections come around, and they lose seats for reneging on this promise.

Of course I would love to be proven wrong here.

Edited February 27, 2021 by DocWatts

[Hardkill]

33 minutes ago, DocWatts said:

I get the sense that they're too Conservative (not in a Left / Right sense, but Conservative as far as sticking to Senatorial procedures and Norms)  to break with the Senate Parliamentarian's ruling. In addition, more Right-leaning Democrats such as Joe Machin would not support such a move, and all 50 Democratic votes are needed for it to pass. Just one dissenting Democratic vote in the Senate is enough to kill the Legislation.

This is despite the fact that it will absolutely come back to bite them in the ass when 2022 elections come around, and they lose seats for reneging on this promise.

Of course I would love to be proven wrong here.

Well, now I am worried.