At the time this essay is being written, President Biden has been in Office for 305 days. The Democrats currently control the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch by a ten-person majority in the House and by slimmest of margins in the Senate thanks to Vice-President Harris’ tie-breaking vote.

It is no secret that conservatives are struggling to understand the thought process of the current Administration. To the standard American, the governance of President Biden has led to economic, military, and financial hardship. However, due to our political system, there is hope for those who are discontented with the reigning political authority: midterm elections.

For those who are confused about why many Americans are desiring a different party at the helm, one only needs to take a look at the Biden Administration so far. To clarify, this is not a comprehensive list, nor will it highlight the countless social faux pas he has committed on the international stage.

Every American feels the pressure of the economy in some way, even if they are not aware of it. A major source of this hurt happens at the gas pump. Anyone with a car or who must reimburse their friends for rides (us college students) know that gas prices have risen across the country. The shutting down of the Keystone Pipeline, the hacking of the Colonial Pipeline, and the capitulation of the Nord Stream 2 have no doubt contributed to less natural resources coming into the United States. Since the Keystone and Colonial Pipelines are well documented and discussed in the public sphere, I will briefly address the Nord Stream 2 affair. 

The Nord Stream 2 is a Russian-backed gas pipeline that was built under strenuous concern from Ukraine. Despite President Biden’s explicit support for Ukrainian democracy and a willingness to stay distanced from Putin’s influence, our ally was nonetheless steam-rolled by the Russian government (White House. “Remarks by President Biden and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine before Bilateral Meeting.”). The White House has attempted to cover for itself by pointing to possible corruption within Kiev as a reason for the administration to support Russia over Ukraine, but this excuse is flimsy at best. The Ukrainian government stated that allowing “Nord Stream 2 means no less than gifting to the authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin an extra tool to undermine democracies across Europe.” (Quinn) This international action (or nonaction) on behalf of the United States is not the only instance in which President Biden has left American allies stranded.

Biden’s mishandling of Afghanistan is reminiscent of our exit from Vietnam. While the painful ramifications of his exit are not yet fully understood, US credibility has been massively damaged. The United States unequivocally abandoned not only our own military but US citizens and long-term Afghan allies. At the time of the departure of the “last” US aircraft, by the Biden’s Administration’s own admission, there were still 100 to 200 Americans in Afghanistan wanting to leave (D’Angelo Gore). The Administration never referenced the Afghans who put themselves and their families in danger by working as translators or informants for our forces. These men and women were targeted by the Taliban or by ISIS-K immediately after the US departure. The United States had promised these people support and assistance, but instead, the Biden Administration has left them with empty platitudes, saying that “the international community expects the Taliban to deliver on moving forward, notably freedom of travel, freedom to leave” with no clear answer on what will be done if the Taliban fails to follow through (“Remarks by President Biden”). For anyone who has researched this group, there should be no doubt that the Taliban is anything but a collection of radical tyrants. The current situation in Afghanistan is enough to turn even the strongest stomach (Coren et al.). All one can do is weep over the situation of young girls in that nation.

When it comes to domestic issues, the nation is facing the highest rate of inflation we have seen in the last twenty years. Since Biden has taken Office, inflation has risen over 5% and does not show signs of decreasing (“United States Inflation”). This massive increase in inflation means higher prices for citizens and the possibility of stagflation on the horizon. A seemingly prophetic article by the National Review early this year predicted that:

“Inflation will be quickly dismissed as “transitory pressures” or “supply disruptions.” The Fed will respond slowly, always concerned that really nipping inflation will cause too much economic damage. Officials will give lots of speeches, but take little action.”(Cochrane and Hassett)

This is an accurate depiction of how our current economic situation has been handled so far. We have not seen stagflation since the 1970s and may be headed to that reality quite soon.

During his tenure so far, the main piece of legislation that President Biden has been championing is the ‘Build Back Better Act,’ which was recently passed by Congress with minimal bipartisan support. This bill —with a base sticker price of $1.2 trillion (about $3,700 per person in the US) not including the separate $1.9 trillion (about $5,800 per person) economic package that was also included—is intended to address infrastructure in the United States (Grayer et al.). Democrats with the House went on record criticizing their moderate party members who wanted to have the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) evaluate the $1.9 trillion package before voting on the $1.2 trillion bill (Grayer et al.). These moderates were right to wait before voting. Even though the bill was passed before hearing from the CBO, this organization has now stated that the legislation “would result in a net increase in the deficit totaling $367 billion (about $1,100 per person in the US) ” over the next ten years (“Summary of Cost”). Democrats argue that this number was improperly calculated, however, coming from a non-partisan organization that number should cause all Americans to shudder. As the national debt continues to increase—like Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka—it is only a matter of time before the bubble bursts. Our future children and those of us in college will be the ones to pay the price for current government spending.

All these factors are contributing to the record low approval ratings of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the Democratic party in general. A real-life example of this trend was seen in the recent Virginia and New Jersey elections, where the Republican candidates had success over their Democrat counterparts, even if the Democrats were the incumbents or spent more money than the Republicans. If one wanted to see national numbers, ABC News and the Washington Post released poll results on Nov. 14^th that showed 51% of their sample was more likely to vote for a Republican in midterms while 41% stated they would vote for a Democrat (“Economic Discontent”). This is the largest lead Republicans have had since November of 1981 (“Economic Discontent”). President Biden’s approval rating has decreased since May 25, 2021. It shows no sign of stopping (NateSilver538). If this trend continues, it can only be assumed that the midterm election results will be red.

The Republican Party is not perfect. There is infighting, bombastic personalities, unfortunate policies, and political elitism. However, the current administration cannot be allowed to continue to set the policy for our future. The Republican Party must demonstrate to the nation that right governance, localized control, dedicated support for our allies and the defenseless, a balanced budget, and growth of our intermediary organizations is the better choice for American society.

There is darkness in our world. When we look at politics it may seem that the walls are closing in and hope is lost. Yet, as Christians we must remember, no matter who is in Office, no matter which political party controls the House, we have a Light that can never be extinguished. Our heavenly home is where our true citizenship lies and while we should be invested in the matters of this world, our Hope does not rise or fall by the outcomes of a ballot box. I encourage you to stay informed, but always remember to place politics aside and rejoice in the One who made you His own.

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Works Cited:

Cochrane, John H., and Kevin A. Hassett. “Inflation: The Ingredients Are in the Pot, and the Fire Is On.” National Review, National Review, 26 Apr. 2021, https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/04/inflation-the-ingredients-are-in-the-pot-and-the-fire-is-on/. 

Coren, Anna, et al. “She Was Sold to a Stranger so Her Family Could Eat as Afghanistan Crumbles.” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 Nov. 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/01/asia/afghanistan-child-marriage-crisis-taliban-intl-hnk-dst/index.html. 

D’Angelo Gore, Robert Farley and Lori Robertson. “How Many Americans and Allies Are Left in Afghanistan?” FactCheck.org, 2 Sept. 2021, https://www.factcheck.org/2021/09/how-many-americans-and-allies-are-left-in-afghanistan/. 

“Economic Discontent, Criticisms of Biden Lift the GOP to a Record Early Advantagehttps://Www.langerresearch.com/Wp-Content/Uploads/1223a2Politicsandthe2022Midterms.Pdf.” Https://Www.langerresearch.com/Wp-Content/Uploads/1223a2Politicsandthe2022Midterms.Pdf, ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST POLL, 14 Nov. 2021. 

Grayer, Annie, et al. “Congress Passes $1.2 Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, Delivering Major Win for Biden.” CNN, Cable News Network, 6 Nov. 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/politics/house-votes-infrastructure-build-back-better/index.html. 

NateSilver538. “How Popular Is Joe Biden?” FiveThirtyEight, 3 Dec. 2021, https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/. 

Quinn, Jimmy. “Ukrainian Leaders Hit Biden for Russian-Pipeline Capitulation.” National Review, National Review, 28 Aug. 2021, https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/ukrainian-leaders-hit-biden-for-russian-pipeline-capitulation/. 

“Summary of Cost Estimate for H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act.” Congressional Budget Office, 18 Nov. 2021, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57627. 

“United States Inflation RATE2021 DATA: 2022 Forecast: 1914-2020 Historical.” United States Inflation Rate | 2021 Data | 2022 Forecast | 1914-2020 Historical, Trading Economics, Oct. 2021, https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi#:~:text=Inflation%20Rate%20in%20the%20United,percent%20in%20June%20of%201921. 

White House. “Remarks by President Biden and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine before Bilateral Meeting.” The White House, The United States Government, 1 Sept. 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/09/01/remarks-by-president-biden-and-president-zelenskyy-of-ukraine-before-bilateral-meeting/. 

White House. “Remarks by President Biden on the End of the War in Afghanistan.” The White House, The United States Government, 31 Aug. 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/08/31/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-end-of-the-war-in-afghanistan/.