By J. Michael Atherton.
Let’s see President Biden’s record because (1) it seems forgotten, and (2) we need to support him and not let Republicans take risk-free pot-shots. He has improved our lives immediately and over the long haul. We should prize long-haul results as much as immediate ones even though they take patience.
We want many things: a strong economy creating American jobs, affordable health care and medications serving the entire nation, a self-rejuvenating environment generating clean energy jobs, and a safe world where neighbors respect neighbors. Joe has delivered on every one of these points, some with the largest outcomes in American history. For example:
The largest decrease in child poverty in American history. Who could oppose this result?
160 million families received financial support to alleviate the cost of pandemic life. People were able to stay in their homes, pay bills, and put food on the table.
6.5 million people found jobs, the largest single year job growth in American history. So now we have record level low unemployment.
75% vaccination rate against Covid with risk of hospitalization and death reduced by 89%. Quite simply, friends and relatives, acquaintances and co-workers, still enrich our lives.
65,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges will receive job-generating repair. When we neglect infrastructure we get the recent Pittsburgh bridge collapse.
Joe’s 50% reduction in climate emissions by 2030 moves us toward our climate goals. When we all drive electric cars in the near future we will thank Joe for his charging stations.
5.8 million more people have signed up for health care, saving them $2,400/year and Medicare will reduce prescription drugs prices.
Joe put the first African/Indian American woman on the Supreme Court. 80% of Joe’s judicial appointees are women and 53% are people of color. Fairness requires that our judiciary resembles the population.
Joe’s strong support of NATO opposes Putin’s unprovoked Ukraine invasion. Joe and NATO will end Putin’s land-grab.
Joe generated the largest yearly increase in American manufacturing in 30 years. Joe wants “Made in America” to recapture its former glory with made in America jobs.
If you admire this record that grew in less than three year during a pandemic and with a hot war in Ukraine, then thank a Democrat (e.g., Joe Biden).
About the author:
Mike Atherton retired from 30 years of teaching philosophy after 20 years of teaching a variety of subjects from elementary to graduate school. He served four years in the Peace Corps in Swaziland (now Eswatini), followed by marriage, first child, and PhD all at the University of Chicago. He and his wife Cynthia moved to Southwest Pennsylvania where she taught ecology and he taught philosophy while they raised two daughters. They moved to Dover in 2019 to be near their two grandsons in Maine. He has consistently found the Dems to be a group that publicly and privately follows their stated values: compassion, honesty, integrity, respect the dignity of all people, expanded freedom, responsible citizenship, promoting civil society, and protecting our environment.