1/Today's Substack post is about Biden's chances of becoming a truly transformational president -- someone who will move U.S. economic policy onto a leftward track, as Reagan once moved it onto a rightward track.
noahpinion.substack.com/p/is-biden-the…
noahpinion.substack.com/p/is-biden-the…
2/Political scientist Stephen Skowronek has a theory that says we're due for a "reconstructive" President who will define a new paradigm for the next few decades.
thenation.com/article/archiv…
thenation.com/article/archiv…
3/Like most people, I thought Biden would be an incrementalist centrist who would get little done other than restoring competence and morality to the executive branch (and that alone would have been plenty of reason to vote for him!).
4/When I read Skowronek's theory, I read it as a prediction of a Bernie or Warren presidency.
I did not imagine that Biden could be a transformational president.
BUT, it's looking like he just might be one!
I did not imagine that Biden could be a transformational president.
BUT, it's looking like he just might be one!
7/Biden has done more executive actions in the first 3 weeks of his presidency than Obama and Trump combined at the equivalent mark. Here's a list.
cnn.com/interactive/20…
cnn.com/interactive/20…
8/His legislative agenda is breathtakingly bold. It's -- dare I say it? -- Rooseveltian. 
9/Now, Biden might be stymied on the legislative front. Mitch McConnell might filibuster much of his agenda to death (though I'm remaining cautiously optimistic this will not happen).
10/But remember, this sort of happened to Ronald Reagan too!
11/Reagan's true transformational influence came from:
1. Executive actions and appointments that weakened unions and regulation, etc.
2. An enduring ideological shift, which led eventually to Clinton's welfare reform and deregulations.
1. Executive actions and appointments that weakened unions and regulation, etc.
2. An enduring ideological shift, which led eventually to Clinton's welfare reform and deregulations.
12/In the same way, Biden might usher in a new age where economic progressivism -- in the form of government sending people cash -- is the norm, and leaders of BOTH parties compete to see who can do it better.
Maybe this is the first glimmer:
washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021…
Maybe this is the first glimmer:
washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021…
13/Maybe individual leaders' temperaments and preconceptions are less important than the necessities of the times in which they lead.
Maybe it's not Biden. Maybe it's COVID making America finally realize that Reaganism is inadequate to the challenges we face.
Maybe it's not Biden. Maybe it's COVID making America finally realize that Reaganism is inadequate to the challenges we face.
14/In other words, maybe Skowronek is right -- maybe it's simply TIME for a transformational President. Maybe Biden just happens to be the person that the Hand of Destiny tapped on the shoulder.
(end)
noahpinion.substack.com/p/is-biden-the…
(end)
noahpinion.substack.com/p/is-biden-the…
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noahpinion.substack.com
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