Perspectives: Bipartisanship in Biden's First 100 Days
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Joe Biden based part of his 2020 presidential campaign around a unifying message, and the idea that political divisions could be at least partially cured if "enough of us" come together to heal them. 100 days into his administration, many are reflecting on that message and Biden's performance on it so far. Voices throughout the spectrum seem to agree that, at least to date, Biden hasn't accomplished the goals of uniting Americans and working across the aisle that he outlined in his campaign. Some left-rated voices say this is preferable, focusing on partisanship's power as a political tool and arguing that bipartisan collaboration amid intense political polarization "deprives both sides of the ability to govern and elections of their consequences." Some right-rated voices frame Biden's messaging on unity as hypocritical, accusing him of pushing "every priority his party ever failed to get through" while failing to work with Republican legislators. Other voices stress that division is an inevitable part of the political process, and urge Americans to seek their own opportunities to unify and bridge divides.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
Biden moved left. But is he dividing or uniting the country?In our world where agreement, especially among the politically fractured media, is rare, there seems to be a general consensus on one thing: President Joe Biden is governing further left than expected. From The New York Times on the left to the National Review on the right, the press is in general agreement.
But is Biden uniting or dividing the country while he moves left?
Biden’s inaugural address sounded notes of unity, but historically that has been a standard feature for new presidents, with the noted exception of President Donald...
From the Left
100 Days of Big, Bold, Partisan ChangeI intended to duly fulfill my duty as a political columnist and write about the first 100 days of Joe Biden’s presidency. My idea was to focus on the 50 Senate Democrats: They don’t have a single vote to spare, they have to broker deals that satisfy both Bernie Sanders and Joe Manchin — America does have a multiparty political system, it’s just tucked inside the Senate Democratic caucus — and yet they’ve held together pretty well, on a pretty ambitious agenda.
But as I talked to Senate Democrats about...
From the Right
Biden’s Con against AmericaOne-hundred days in, Biden’s radical presidency makes clear that his campaign was, in fact, a fraud.
\‘It’s the unspoken Biden formula,” reports Axios. “Talk like a rosy bipartisan; act like a ruthless partisan.”
Indeed, it is. And to this maxim we might add a few others. Talk like a moderate; act like a radical. Talk about normality; act like a revolutionary. And, at all stages, aggressively hide the ball. Progressive pundits have taken to saying that Biden poses a problem for conservatives because he is so “boring.” That’s one way...
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