Progressives are looking at the fledging Biden administration's nominations and appointments with a fair degree of consternation, and the opposition is predictably gaining momentum. There is a question, however, about the best way to litigate the concerns.
Attacking Joe Biden in an even remotely ad hominem way is likely to be counterproductive. Joe Biden's far more responsible approach to dealing with the ongoing coronavirus catastrophe is likely to be well received by the American people and, on the whole, have a badly needed calming effect.
The same can be said for getting the economy back on track. Yes, it's the corporate economy and its captive dependents, but that's rent, food, healthcare, and other vital services for a big swath of the country, and getting those services restored does end up being essential.
Biden doesn't have all the answers, and stopping the virus in a condensed timeframe will be a tall order, but his honest, straightforward manner is likely to be more effective and comforting than anything the country has seen since the virus was first identified -- or since Donald Trump took office, in a broader sense.
The corporate press is defining Biden's nominees and appointees generally as "centrists." That's obviously inaccurate and misleading. They are not centrist, they are at least corporate-friendly if not actively corporatist.
The label "centrist" is a favorite rhetorical gimmick of the corporate-sponsored media. Defining policies that are profitable to Fortune 500 business interests as "centrist" suggests that the average, moderate, or sensible American supports those policies. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Average Americans are disaffected, disenfranchised, and disenchanted in the extreme with the state of affairs in governance on the whole, and they think elected officials should do what they said they were going to do when they were campaigning. That's the true center of American political thinking. Keeping it real.
Taking the most positive perspective on the soon to be activated Biden presidency, Biden does have ample opportunity to oversee significant Progressive policy initiatives during his term in office. There are even indications that he at least believes he will. Time will tell.
But a full-frontal acerbic assault on Biden the man probably will not help. With the pandemic and its attendant economic impacts threatening the lives and livelihoods of most Americans, Biden would be likely to brush that off fairly easily.
Progressives have powerful ideas and badly needed energy on policy. It's time to make the case. Progressives must have enough confidence in Progressive programs to wade in and win the policy debates.
If Progressives can do that, there's a chance Biden will act. Time for some of that "good trouble."
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