As the presidential election campaign heats up in the US, President Joe Biden has started his long farewell. Speaking to the nation from the Oval Office, he said it was time to pass the torch to a new generation. By playing his part in ensuring that his deputy Kamala Harris got the Democratic Party's nomination, Biden hopes that his legacy will be preserved.
In an interview with THE WEEK, political scientist Soundarya Chidambaram, who teaches at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, speaks about what's next for Biden. She says Biden will be remembered for bringing the focus back to policy while recalibrating America's democracy after the Trump presidency.
Q: How would you assess the Biden presidency now that he has chosen to walk off into the sunset?
It is never easy to recover from the sort of disastrous debate performance and subsequent election exit that Biden has faced. Yet, one must not forget that Biden started his term as president under tough circumstances. As the January 6 insurrection challenged the core ideals of American democracy and the country battled both the pandemic and the economic crisis, Biden's administration steered America back to some semblance of normalcy.
After a period of constant reality TV style news cycles revolving around Trump's X (formerly known as Twitter) updates, Americans got to enjoy a presidency that was marked by attention to policies rather than media drama.
Despite the inflation narrative of the later years, when people look back at Biden's legacy, they will perhaps focus on the steady post-Covid economic recovery, the significant investments in long-term economic essentials such as infrastructure as opposed to a long era of tax cuts, and a solid commitment to higher education, child care and climate issues. Bust most of all, bringing the focus back to policy while recalibrating America's democracy is no mean feat, something that the Biden presidency should be commended for.
Q: What will be Biden’s priorities in the next six months? How will he deal with the lame-duck tag?
Lame duck sessions have been fraught with controversies and questions about ethics in the past. There is a possibility that a lame-duck president or Congress could use this time to wreak havoc by using executive orders to push through controversial decisions.
President Trump's lame duck tantrum involved, in addition to attempting to falsify the election results and instigating a coup, issuing questionable pardons, hirings and firings, and sabotaging the transition. On the one hand, the lame-duck period can give presidents considerable freedom to execute their vision in these final days of office, but at the same time, it might reduce the incentive for people to toe the line.
In the case of President Biden, this lame-duck period is not only poignant but has an extra layer of vulnerability as he was forced out of the running for president. While Biden has outlined an ambitious plan for the next six months, including brokering a ceasefire in Gaza and a radical proposal for changes to the Supreme Court, it is hard to see how these can come to fruition given the divided Congress.
While peace in the Middle East and the Supreme Court reform might be pipe dreams, Biden might be able to achieve other wins such as his cancer moonshot initiative. Perhaps his biggest contribution during this period could be to capitalise on the renewed momentum within his party and really set the stage for the Kamala Harris candidacy on the campaign trail.
Q: How do you look at Biden's decision to quit?
Biden's graceful exit, even if it was forced upon him by party insiders and donors, helps him come out on top as a true patriot who, after serving the nation for over 50 years, has selflessly sacrificed personal ambition for the greater good. With Democrats backing him every step of the way, President Biden can use his exit in a positive way to re-energise the party's grassroots network in the lead-up to the November election.
Q: What kind of role could he play in the Harris campaign?
With Biden's exit, Harris has already risen to the mantle, smashing fundraising records and invigorating volunteers and party workers. The question is whether Biden's active support for her campaign would be seen as a conflict of interest, given that Harris is still part of the administration, or whether his presence would overshadow Harris's candidacy at a moment when she is trying to find her own voice separate from the erstwhile Biden campaign agenda.
Biden's reiteration of support for her candidacy could have a positive effect, given the resuscitation of his own image as a selfless statesman following his graceful step-down, and his campaign efforts could strike a positive note amongst his key constituencies such as blue-collar workers and senior voters, helping them get on board with Harris's candidacy. Given his presidential debate flub though, it remains to be seen whether he will actively hit the campaign trail or not in a big way.
Q: As he was forced to step down, what could be the impact on his relationship with Democratic bigwigs like Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi?
Pelosi has proven yet again that she is a master tactician. Despite stepping down from speakership, she has been able to provide counsel and control the narrative and allowed Biden to step down with grace and unite the party together at a crucial time. This is no mean feat.
Regardless of Biden's personal dynamic with Pelosi, she has cemented her own legacy with her role. Obama's glowing words recounting Biden's legacy and achievements should go a long way in reinforcing the friendship that the two have shared. Obama's recent endorsement of Harris's candidacy has also created much-needed momentum for the party.