Biden’s Actions Belie The Words

Joe Biden made an impassioned plea for unity in his inaugural address, promising to put his whole soul into “bringing America together, uniting our people, and uniting our nation.”

A critically important sentiment – in poll after poll for Our Common Purpose, 80% of voters say we’re better united than divided – but actions speak louder than words.  Hardly had the new president finished saying all the right things when he signed a slew of executive orders that stuck a thumb in the eye of the other side.

Biden faces competing pressures:

• He must show he can get things done. Pundits love to track what each president achieves in his first 100 days in office.
• He must placate if not reward his constituents by putting in place the policy agenda they are expecting. Backers have no qualms whatsoever about playing the “we won, you lost” card to anyone who objects to this.
• On the other hand, he did promise to be “president for all Americans. I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did. We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue. Rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal.”

Wishful thinking won’t get this done.  Unity is a difficult proposition that has to begin with at least some consultation of the opposing side.

A majority of the public understands this.  Our Common Purpose’s latest public opinion survey, conducted by SurveyUSA in the time period between impeachment and inauguration, shows 68% of voters recognize that to unify the country they need to combine their wishes with the views with others.  Only 18% expect to have it entirely their way.

Biden took the latter route.  He quickly introduced ambitious measures popular with Democrats and reversed policies favored by Republicans.  Predictably, the policy announcements have been greeted by howls of outrage from conservatives.  In that the GOP hardly has been a paragon of unity for the past four years, their hypocrisy does not go unnoticed.

Nonetheless it was Biden who made the promise.  When the president says one thing in a high-visibility speech and immediately does the opposite, he has no one else to blame for the credibility gap he has created for himself.

Is it any wonder that the public is distrustful, even cynical, toward politicians?