This week’s White House Report Card finds President Joe Biden with a bounce in his step and steadying polls despite continued inflation, deep concerns on Wall Street over the Federal Reserve’s “pain” plan, and bipartisan criticism of his bailouts to college loan deadbeats.
“Never underestimate Joe Biden,” said Democratic pollster John Zogby, who gave the president a grade of “B” this week. In his grade, as well as his weekly podcast, Zogby said that the public appears to be giving Biden a pass and are tired of waiting for the Republicans to match their complaints about the economy with a plan of action.
Our conservative grader, Jed Babbin, dished an “F,” and highlighted the problems the White House has bumbled into, including expanding the border crisis and giving into Iran on a nuclear deal. But he agreed with Zogby on the MIA GOP agenda. “If the Republicans don’t win the House and Senate this November, it’ll be their own damn fault.”
Jed Babbin
Grade: F
You say you never wanted a college degree in gender studies or feminist history because they don’t lead to any employable credentials? What about the masters degree in “Happiness Studies” offered by Centenary University in New Jersey? Too bad, because you’re going to pay for them and a lot more with your tax dollars thanks to Biden’s college loan “forgiveness” program. Biden’s new program, which the White House said it doesn’t know now much it will cost, will cost anywhere from $300 billion to $900 billion.
If you add the cost of the college loan “forgiveness” program to the cost of the laughably named “Inflation Reduction Act” passed earlier this month (about $750 billion), Ol’ Joe has spent between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion just this month. As a direct result of these two reckless spending initiatives, inflation will quickly accelerate. Add to that the dubious legal and constitutional authority behind the loan “forgiveness” vote-buying scheme, and you get to the fact that if there were a grade lower than an “F” to give, Biden would have earned it again this week.
Meanwhile, Biden’s open borders have reportedly let more than 5 million illegal immigrants into the country so far. On that same note, a new Biden rule on “DACA,” theObama program to delay deportation of illegal migrants who came in as minors, could establish the legality of the program that has benefited 800,000 in the country already.
Last week, we noted that Biden had made a good move in not allowing the Taliban access to about $7 billion in frozen funds. Now Biden is reportedly “negotiating” with the Taliban to give them the money.
While all this is going on, stocks are sinking again and the housing market collapsing. The Biden Recession is getting worse.
Last, and probably worst, among the latest disasters is that Biden is apparently about to make a new nuclear weapons deal with Iran. This will be another foreign policy debacle, worse than former President Obama’s original 2015 deal that Trump canceled in 2018. This one will guarantee that Iran has nuclear weapons within about two years.
The only good news for Biden is that the somnolent Republican Party isn’t out there reminding everyone that, as James Carville said so long ago, “It’s the economy, stupid.” If the Republicans don’t win the House and the Senate this November, it’ll be their own damn fault.
John Zogby
Grade B
Life was a beach for Biden this week. Things have been going his way recently, and he is sounding more like a man who can tout his record with confidence.
While marginal Democratic candidates are keeping their distance, he can campaign on a broader message of accomplishment while they fight in their districts. New York state gave Biden a real boost this week. A lesser known Democratic county executive, who was expected to lose, actually defeated the much better-known county executive. Pat Ryan of Ulster County made his campaign about abortion rights and was rewarded with a heavier turnout than expected, especially among younger women. Republican Marc Molinaro focused on inflation and found that the issue had lost some steam.
Elsewhere, in central New York, a barely financed Trump supporter who lives outside the district drubbed a massively financed businessman trying to run a mainstream campaign for the GOP nomination. Then to put the icing on the cake for a bad GOP day, the state chairman barely won against a campaign who had praised Adolf Hitler.
Meanwhile, Biden announced a student loan forgiveness program that pleased many, but angered others (even non-Republicans). His polling numbers have held steady. Never underestimate Biden.
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @ZogbyStrategies
