Writing about politics isn’t my strong suit. (Some would say plain old writing isn’t my strong suit… to those detractors I say “me can write gooder!”)
But I’m going to wade into the roiling, boiling waters of American politics – feel free to move on and wait for my next sure-to-be-less-polarizing post about music, or kids, or maybe even puppies.
I think most folks would agree that both candidates in the upcoming presidential election leave a lot to be desired. It’s a sad commentary on our political system that this is the best we can come up with.
That said, I’d rather err on the side of old age when the other option is pretty much the same age + rage.
The kindly grandpa vs. the crazy uncle.
The politician who knows how to get things done vs. the business man who has filed for bankruptcy multiple times.
The guy who has known the pain of unfathomable loss vs. the dude who doesn’t have an empathetic or sympathetic bone in his body.
The person with 50 years of public service vs. the fella with 90+ indictments.
A gentleman who understands “We the People” vs. a guy who only knows “Me, me, me.”
The Commander in Chief vs. the Demander in Chief.
A leader with substantial foreign policy experience who supports our allies vs. a person who has a man-crush on dictators.
But it’s not just about demeanor (or meaner). The track record speaks for itself – check out these stats and facts from this article on Bloomberg.com:
The economy added 14.8 million jobs over the first three years of his term, more than any president in US history over the same period. What’s more, unemployment has held below 4% for the longest stretch since the 1960s. Yet many workers have been dissatisfied as soaring inflation wiped out wage gains and then some in 2022. Last year, though, income increases began to outpace price increases.
America’s cost of living, which surged to a four-decade high during Biden’s first two years, is poised to return to its pre-pandemic level this year — when family wealth across income groups is more robust than at any point in the new century.
Access to affordable health care is Biden’s crowning achievement. The number of uninsured Americans hit an all-time low of 7.2% in the second quarter of 2023, while the number of people who signed up for an Obamacare plan for 2024 surged to 21.3 million.
American households are wealthier and in better financial shape than ever before by almost any measure. Even with a bear market in stocks in 2022 and elevated inflation, Federal Reserve data show household net worth rose to a record $156.2 trillion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, from $131.4 trillion at the end of 2020. The stock market, where more than half of all households are invested, has surged.
Preliminary data suggest that inequality continued to narrow in 2023. Even better, the improvement — unlike during Biden’s first two years — was due to rising real wages, at least for some Americans: Lower-income workers saw gains, while median and higher earners saw barely any increase at all, after accounting for inflation.
Since his inauguration, the S&P 500 Index has returned about 45%, more than double the total returns of the rest of the world’s developed-market equities.
The US was in the midst of its worst spasm of violence in decades when Biden took office, with the homicide rate rising 29% in 2020. It rose again slightly in 2021, but started to fall that autumn. There was a slight year-over-year decline in 2022, then an 11.8% drop last year — the sharpest on record — according to estimates by AH Datalytics.
Not to mention the infrastructure bill, a sweeping climate change measure, capping the cost of insulin…
Overall, the blood pressure of America is back to normal after four years of crazed bellowing that left us all on edge and at odds.
Look beyond the age. Look at the record.
The choice is up to us.
Both excerpts above from Tom Nichols in The Atlantic.
Feel free to disagree. That’s what makes America great.
Political rant over. See you next time… with puppies!
Damian, presenting facts is always good. When you and I and we don’t speak we suffer. The Orange Menace must be flushed for the good of all.
Keep fighting Joe and let’s all keep fighting for the truth’s that are self evident.