Joe Silverman: Biden should return to VP role

Published: 06-29-2023 2:45 PM

I am writing with an idea related to Richard Fein’s recent and excellent guest column, titled “Biden is a weak candidate. He should run for reelection anyway,” [Gazette, June 26].

I think President Biden’s policies and decisions have been largely excellent. I am especially impressed with his foreign policies that have corrected much of the damage done to our international reputation under Trump, as well as his forging of alliances to support Ukraine and isolate China and Russia. And domestically, the positive climate and economic impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the CHIPS Act have been substantial and much needed.

The problem is that he is a very poor salesman for his own policies, which largely explains his low polling numbers. There was a time, not so long ago, that politicians were able to succeed based on the gravity of their decision-making and positions but, these days, style wins over substance nearly every time.

Trump’s ignorance of nearly everything required of governance is staggering but he is much more persuasive and entertaining than Biden. The problem is that we need Biden’s political savvy and accumulated wisdom with someone better suited to be the face and the voice of the administration.

The answer, which admittedly is very unlikely, is to have someone take his place as presidential candidate while he steps down to resume his role as vice president and key adviser. Hopefully, Biden will come to acknowledge the logic and necessity of a decision such as this.

Joe Silverman

Florence 

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