Biden Must Avoid Obama's Mistake When Setting His Agenda
Stick to the crisis at hand or risk spurring a backlash that could slow economic reforms and hurt Democrats in 2022.
First crisis first.
Photographer: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty
The universe of possibilities for the Biden administration radically expanded after the Democrats clinched the Senate majority, but the increase in political capital isn’t infinite. When deciding which problems to tackle first, President Joe Biden should prioritize initiatives that address the pandemic while moving the nation toward long-term goals for public health and green-energy stimulus.
Biden can learn from the experience of Barack Obama, whose focus on health-insurance reform provoked a midterm backlash and probably forfeited a chance to boost the country out of the Great Recession sooner.