Commentary

Biden is the most engaged president of the last 13 years


All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

Is President Joe Biden a great president or an utter failure? With less than a week before the midterm elections, a CNN poll has his approval rating among likely voters at 42%. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found only 40% of Americans approve of Biden’s job performance. But while his poll numbers are low and Democrats are now predicted to lose their House majority, Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan argues Biden’s record and performance as president are more complex. While he doesn’t necessarily agree with Biden’s economic policies, Zeihan believes Biden’s wisdom, government experience and degree of humility help make him the most engaged president of the last 13 years.

Excerpted from Peter’s Nov. 4 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

The last modern American president we’ll be discussing in our leadership series is – you guessed it – Joe Biden.

Similar to Barack Obama, President Biden didn’t spend much time working a “real job” prior to entering the U.S. Senate…a few centuries ago. Throughout his ~plentiful~ time spent in government, he has learned his fair share, but hasn’t actually done much. Although his leadership style may lean more ideological than most presidents’, he can undoubtedly run a meeting better than many of his predecessors.

Given Biden’s understanding of how to utilize the tools of government and willingness to ask questions, we are seeing the most engaged president of the past 13 or so years. This doesn’t necessarily equate to great policy, but it is a promising sign of a return to industry-informed policy.

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