As Joe Biden’s term comes to a close on Monday, the 46th American presidentwill no doubt be reflecting on his record in office.
It remains to be seen how Biden is judged by history; that judgment will no doubt be influenced by what transpires during Donald Trump’s second term. But there is already much to consider.
On the positive side of the ledger, Biden extricated his country from its disastrous entanglement in Afghanistan. He re-established relationships with traditional allies. And he led a response to Russia’s attck on Ukraine that was more robust than many – including Vladimir Putin – expected.
At home, his decades of congressional experience served him well, with successful legislative achievements bolstering key domestic industries, driving much-needed infrastructure investment and boosting green initiatives.
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But the withdrawal from Afghanistan was an operational calamity that eroded confidence in his competence. And macroeconomic success failed to compensate for the concerns of middle-income voters beset by inflation. That would ultimately seal his fate. Almost as damaging was the hesitancy in addressing a surge in immigration across the southern border. And in the lattter stages of his term, his administration seemed paralysed by the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
Biden’s gravest error was his decision to run again. Having implied he would act as a bridge to a new generation of Democrats, he decided after the 2022 mid-terms that he remained the best bulwark against the return of Trump. It was a choice born of hubris and it led inevitably to nemesis. Whether a different decision would have had another outcome will never be known, but his abortive campaign and humiliating withdrawal undoubtedly contributed to his party’s defeat.
In many ways, Biden has been an admirable figure. Over a 50-year career, he has stood for decency, pragmatism and a belief in the capacity of democratic politics to deliver meaningful progress.
Over the next four years we will be reminded often of the value of those virtues.