It has become popular to attack President Joe Biden and describe him as an utter failure as a president. This was the case for a recent article The Hullabaloo published, that echoes sentiments that the Democratic Party has no viable plan for 2024, and the stakes of the upcoming election require a better candidate. 

These criticisms of Biden and the Democratic Party require further context and a deeper understanding of the American political system. I reject the very premise of this argument: That Biden has been a letdown, and that “The Democratic Party has become the party of inertia, impotence and empty promises.” 

Biden and Democratic leaders secured the passage of major legislation with the smallest combined congressional majorities since the House of Representatives expanded to 435 members. In fact, in first-term legislative output and accomplishments, Biden has just three peers in the last century, all of whom enjoyed significantly larger margins in the House and Senate: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson and Barack Obama.

Of course, Biden wanted to accomplish more in his first term. But, what he did accomplish is still comparable to these historically productive sessions of Congress, all of which had the luxury of at least 248 representatives of the same party in the House, and about 60 Senators of the same party. 

Biden’s Legislative Achievements 

Biden has signed into law significant legislation, beginning with the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion, COVID-19-era stimulus package aiding economic recovery. It included individual stimulus checks, increased funding for school reopening and expanded a child tax credit that helped lower child poverty by 40%. The Inflation Reduction Act, a $739 billion law, made historic investments in climate change and allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices while avoiding tax raises for Americans making under $400,000. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion bipartisan public works law, focused on highways, bridges, broadband access and electric vehicle infrastructure — it’s the largest investment since President Dwight Eisenhower’s interstate highway system. 

Biden signed The Safer Communities Act into law — arguably the most significant major gun control legislation passed since the 1994 assault rifle ban. The bipartisan legislation provided funding for red flag laws and tightened restrictions on convicted abusers seeking to own a gun. The CHIPS and Science Act is another notable achievement: a $280 billion dollar investment to increase U.S. production of semiconductor chips to avoid dependence on China in hopes of furthering both economic and national security. Since its passing, companies like Intel have announced new plans to invest domestically in semiconductor chip production.

While a Conservative-leaning Supreme Court deemed Biden’s initial student debt program unconstitutional, he has still managed to cancel nearly $138 billion in student loans through executive action, fulfilling a key campaign promise. And, Biden’s presidency has seen unmatched job recovery, with 14.8 million jobs added since he took office. During Donald Trump’s four years, America lost 2.9 million jobs. The unemployment rate has decreased from 6.3% under Trump to 3.7% under Biden. 

Appeasing a Democratic Senate that includes a Democratic Socialist and someone who fired a shotgun at a left-wing bill is a genuine political miracle. Every piece of legislation just mentioned was absent from the article in question. 

I deeply disagree with those who argue against Biden’s support for Israel. For Biden, the most important consideration when running for re-election is that Americans broadly share a pro-Israel view. Eighty-two percent of Americans support Israel over Hamas, and 67% say a ceasefire should only happen if every Israeli hostage is released and Hamas is dismantled, Israel’s aim in this conflict. 

Other critics blame the Democratic Party for Biden almost certainly being the party’s 2024 nominee. Party bosses in a smoke-filled room didn’t choose Biden; any constitutionally eligible person is free to run for president. Candidates certainly benefit from name recognition, but in any given presidential cycle, people from various political or non-political backgrounds with means can mount a campaign. 

Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota dropped out of Congress to run for president against Joe Biden, the highest government office to challenge an incumbent president since 1980. But after failing to amass a single delegate, he suspended his campaign on March 6.

High-profile progressive leaders, even those viewed as ideal candidates, have made the same calculation that voters did in 2020: Biden is the best positioned candidate to defeat Trump. Even far left Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, although pressuring Biden from the left, realize he has been the most effective leader to move to the future they want to build. 

Those who argue Biden failed on one of his biggest campaign promises — abortion access — adopt a misleading frame: Biden promised to fight on that issue, and he did, appointing a Supreme Court justice that voted to keep Roe and signed pro-choice executive orders. 

But Joe Biden is just one Democrat. Codifying Roe v. Wade required the votes of 218 Representatives and 60 senators. The extra 10 votes are due to an anti-Democratic Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance non-budgetary legislation. Pinning Roe’s failure on Biden misunderstands American government: presidents are not kings. 

An election is a choice between candidates, between competing visions of the future. Votes are not valentines — you don’t need to love a candidate or endorse each item on their platform. But a vote is still precious. Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In this election, you can choose between an old, wise man who delivered for the American people despite historically small legislative margins and an old, fascist authoritarian who may lead to the end of the 250-year experiment we call the United States of America.