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- [00:00]
Anker Representative
Enjoy a brilliant sleep experience with Soundcore from Anker. Stressed out by your partner's snoring? Having trouble falling asleep? Waking up too easily? Suffering from poor quality sleep? Now put on Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds. Experience unparalleled pressure free comfort perfect for side sleepers. Choose your favorite sound in your curated playlist. Feel your body getting lighter and lighter and enjoy a full night of peaceful sleep with the A20's long lasting battery. Then wake up feeling fresh with a personal built in alarm. Get the sleep you deserve with Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds. Discover more on soundcore.coms o u N D C O R E Soundcore Use Code Sleep at checkout to get $30 off sleep in all caps.
- [00:49]
Bombas Representative
This is a PSA or public sock announcement. Experts have declared Bombas socks as the best way to warm up chilly feet. These pairs are super cushy, soft and designed for maximum coziness. Plus for every pair purchased, another pair will be donated so someone in need of essential clothing can stay warm this winter. Go to bombas.com acast and use code acast for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O M B A S.com acast and use code Acast at checkout.
- [01:19]
Warby Parker Representative
What makes a great pair of glasses? Orby Parker it's all the invisible extras without the extra cost. Their designer quality frames start at $95 including prescription lenses plus scratch resistant, smudge resistant and anti reflective coatings and UV protection and free adjustments for life. To find your next pair of glasses, sunglasses or contact lenses, or to find the Warby Parker store nearest you, head over to warbyparker.com that's warbyparker.com from executive producer Isaac Saul. This is Tangle.
- [02:09]
Will K. Back
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening and welcome to the Tangle Podcast, a place where you get views from across the political spectrum, some independent thinking, and a little bit of our take. I'm your host Editor Will K. Back and today we're going to be talking about a pretty massive issue. Joe Biden's Presidency. Specifically, a retrospective on Joe Biden's presidency. This is a project we have previewed in Tangle over the past few weeks, but we've really been talking about it since Biden's presidency started. You know, when we cover the various actions and issues that happened on his watch and during his term, we would mention from time to time that we would be rating his response or evaluating how he did in the end of term review that was coming depending on when his term ended. And now here we are Donald Trump was inaugurated on Monday, and Biden officially left office, and it feels like the appropriate time to look back on his term and try to evaluate it as best we can. We'll talk a little bit about the challenge of doing that and some of the ways in which we're inevitably going to fall short. But this is a pretty holistic piece, and we think it'll give you at least a good starting sense of the kinds of promises Biden made, how he did on them, and the way he responded to challenges that were unforeseen or unexpected. So without further ado, let's get into it. Tangle's review of Joe Biden's presidency the improbability of Joe Biden's presidency can be easy to forget. His 2020 campaign began with a stumble announced by accident at a dinner roughly one month before he would officially declare his strategy in the Democratic primary was premised in part on the belief that the party was older and less progressive than his opponents thought, a pretty audacious gamble in the political climate of 2019. Biden failed to place in the top three in either the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary, pushing his campaign to brink basically from the start. Then the flip A strong showing with black voters propelled him to second in the Nevada caucuses, and Representative Jim Clyburn's endorsement helped make his victory in South Carolina's primary a landslide. Soon after, the Democratic establishment coalesced around Biden and he became the presumptive nominee in early April, as Biden was hurtling to the top of the ticket, the COVID 19 pandemic was shutting down the United States and the world, upending expectations for the 2020 election. The new York Times wrote that Biden was, quote, seeking the presidency from his basement as he ran a mostly remote campaign. What followed is far fresher in memory, the multi day effort to determine the election winner between Biden and then President Trump amid a surge of pandemic, inspired mail in voting, Biden's eventual victory, Trump's claims of election fraud and refusal to concede the January 6th Capitol riot and finally Biden's inauguration. Four years later. Here we are, Trump is again president, and Biden leaves office with an uncertain legacy and a leaderless Democratic Party behind him. So much has changed in that time, most notably the formal end of the pandemic and the onset of issues like inflation and new wars abroad. In Tuesday's edition on Trump's second inauguration, we wrote that the country feels like it is, quote, at a hinge point amid shifting political allegiances and global backlash against incumbent leaders. With the start of a new presidential administration, it's natural to look to the future and at tangle. We're going to do just that. But before we start giving all of President Trump's moves their deserved close reads, we wanted to conduct a thorough review of President Biden's term in true tangle fashion by taking a deep look at whether Biden fulfilled his core promises and how he tackled the key challenges he faced. While we aim to be as thorough as possible in this analysis, capturing all of the nuances of an office as vast as the American presidency in a single piece is impossible. We'll undoubtedly miss some aspects of Biden's record or fail to capture the full essence of some of his decisions, but we're confident that you'll come away from this edition with a holistic understanding of the issues and policies that defined his term. And as always, if you disagree with our analysis, if you think we missed the mark or want to discuss any of these pieces further, don't hesitate to write in with that. Let's jump in. Part 1 Biden's core promises Joe Biden, like all presidents, made a lot of promises on the campaign trail and after he took office. For this section, we identified 12 core areas where Biden made promises based on a review of his campaign materials and speeches, the 2020 Democratic Party platform, which was developed from a report organized by the Biden and Bernie Sanders campaigns, and the Biden Harris administration's Immediate Priorities List published shortly after their term started. From there, we evaluated how Biden performed on each promise using both objective and subjective metrics, which we'll explore for each issue. That assessment was then boiled down to a promise meter. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest rating, the promise was completely fulfilled and one being the lowest, the promise was not fulfilled in any way. We are not trying to evaluate whether these are good or effective policies, but simply whether Biden accomplished what he said he would. First COVID 19 what Biden promised Biden featured increased testing, reopening schools and businesses, and launching a national vaccination program in his pandemic response strategy. The 2020 Democratic Party platform likewise said that COVID testing, treatment and vaccinations would be free for all Americans and vowed to work with the private sector manufacturers to scale up the United States domestic manufacturing capacity for both personal protective equipment and essential medicines. Broadly, Biden promised to get Covid under control and put the country back on a path to normalcy. What happened in a basic sense Biden delivered on the thrust of this promise. Most of US Society has now returned to what it was before the pandemic. We go about our daily lives without government restrictions. Masks are largely a thing of the past, and hundreds of millions of people have been vaccinated at least once in Biden's first year. He struggled to contain the virus, though Delta and omicron variants caused surges in hospitalizations and deaths. And in January 2022, the Washington Post reported on how Biden's 200 page pandemic plan was falling short with the groups it was meant to support healthcare workers, nursing home residents, teachers and young families primarily. Still, the US did make tangible progress against the pandemic as vaccines were rolled out and approximately 70% of the population was fully vaccinated in Novemb 2022, a significantly higher percentage than the global median. The US was one of the country's hardest hit by the pandemic, but it's difficult to pin that outcome solely on poor management, especially on Biden's part. A 2023 Brown University study identified a vast array of issues the country's pandemic response ranging from deficiencies in the US Healthcare system to existing preparedness capacities not functioning as expected. Biden took over at one of the darkest points of the pandemic, so he was working from a deficit on day one. Furthermore, Trump's handling of the early days of COVID has aged progressively worse, which also compels us to give Biden some additional leeway in assessing his early response. Overall, he came through on some aspects of his plan. He did roll out a vast and for much of the pandemic free vaccination program. And he did secure funds to support states and localities dealing with public health expenses and tax shortfalls from shuttered businesses. We'll discuss the impact of the American rescue plan on inflation a little bit later. But relative to the pandemic, that bill provided massive support for individuals and institutions and services, which also fulfilled one of Biden's signature promises. Broadly, he set the country on a path to a robust economic recovery that has significantly outpaced peer countries. However, other promises, like reopening schools in the first 100 days and maintaining widespread access to testing, fell noticeably short. So with all this in mind, on his promises related to Covid, we give Biden a 7 out of 10 next immigration what was promised Biden made rolling back the Trump administration's restrictive immigration policies a key goal of his presidential campaign. Furthermore, he promised to implement new policies that would more easily allow migrants and asylum seekers to attain legal status. What happened? Many of Biden's policies were true to his promises. Only a few days into his term, he reinstated Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as daca, and signed legislation that offered unauthorized migrants a path to legal citizenship. He also took steps to end separations and unite families. In 2024, Biden announced the Keeping Families Together policy to aid US citizen spouses who did not have legal status. These policies were incredibly effective relative to the promises Biden made. And as the Biden administration oversaw nearly 3.5 million naturalizations between 2021 and and 2024, by far the most for a single administration, it's easy to see how he fulfilled this aspect of what he said he would do. With these achievements, though, came persistent trouble at the border. The number of migrant Encounters spiked after 2020, reaching a peak of roughly 250,000 in December 2023 alone. Border facilities, cities and states were overwhelmed by the volume of migrants, and Biden faced criticism from both the right and the left for mishandling the crisis. Ultimately, Biden would respond by reinstituting some of Trump's stricter policies, and that included continuing the controversial policy title 42. But because he delivered on the promises he made to voters, Biden's score on immigration, an issue that held him back throughout his campaign and really his whole presidency, comes in remarkably high. You might be surprised for the score we're about to give him, but the biggest knock on him is subjective. He can't be credited too highly for achieving his goals if in the process he contributed to some severe unintended consequences. That said, we'll discuss his legacy on immigration a little bit later in this edition. For now, though, his Promise Meter rating for Immigration is a 7 out of 10.
- [13:20]
Podcast Host
We'll be right back after this quick break.
- [13:26]
Anker Representative
Enjoy a brilliant sleep experience with Soundcore from Anker Stressed out by your partner's snoring? Having trouble falling asleep? Waking up too easily? Suffering from poor quality sleep? Now put on Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds. Experience unparalleled pressure free comfort perfect for side sleepers. Choose your favorite sound in your curated playlist, Feel your body getting lighter and lighter and enjoy a full night of peaceful sleep with the A20's long lasting battery. Then wake up feeling fresh with a personal built in alarm. Get the sleep you deserve with Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds. Discover more on soundcore.coms o u n D C O R E Soundcore Use Code Sleep at Checkout to get $30 off S L E E in all caps.
- [14:15]
Progressive Insurance Representative
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.
- [14:41]
Will K. Back
Next Abortion what was Promised? While abortion was not as central to Biden's campaign as it was to former Vice President Harris's, Biden's platform did include some abortion related promises. Building upon the Affordable Care Act, Biden supported using public option health plans to cover abortion services. Many of his promises, however, focused on undoing impediments to abortion put in place by previous administrations. A campaign press release touted Biden's support for repealing the Hyde Amendment and restoring funding to Planned Parenthood by reversing Trump rules that barred it from receiving Title 10 funds. Additionally, Biden promised to rescind the Mexico City policy, which originated during the Reagan era and conditioned aid to NGOs Non governmental organizations upon their not performing or promoting abortions as a method of family planning. Finally, he promised to codify Roe v. Wade and use the Justice Department to attack trap laws. What Happened? Nearly immediately after entering the White House, Biden did fulfill his promise to end the Mexico City policy and he also withdrew the United States from the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which was an international document that includes pro life declarations. He attempted to repeal the Hyde Amendment, and while the House did pass a bill that excluded it, it ultimately remained int hacked after the bill passed through the Senate. The defining moment on abortion policy, however, for Biden was certainly Dobbs versus Jackson, the landmark Supreme Court decision that overturned the abortion protections set out in Roe and returned abortion decisions to the states. That ruling was released in June 2022, about 18 months into Biden's term, creating a significant hurdle to advancing abortion rights at the federal level. The month after the Dobbs decision, the administration sought to protect the right to abortions in emergency situations through a Department of and Human Services policy. But the guidance created a legal battle that was ultimately left unresolved. Despite his repeated statements in support of abortion rights legislation, such bills never made it through a split Congress. While he made some effort to install abortion friendly policies, Biden did not succeed in protecting or codifying Roe, instead presiding over its reversal. The Supreme Court's decision was not in his control and of course that Trump appointed justices were the ones who cast the deciding votes in that case. But this case, this outcome combined with the lack of legislation on abortion paints a sorry picture of Biden's ability to keep his promises on this issue. Promise Meter 2 out of 10Next Climate what was Promised Candidate Biden promised voters a huge shift away from the Trump administration and away from fossil fuels in general on all things climate policy. On the campaign trail, Biden stated his desire to return the United States to a position of global climate leadership, committing to a plan to achieve 100% carbon free energy by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050. He was not subtle about his intentions, once telling a voter, quote, I guarantee you we are going to end fossil fuels. That was not the only strong direct quote Biden gave to voters. Quote, no more drilling on federal lands. Period, period, period, end quote. Biden said at a campaign event in New Hampshire and in the 2020 Democratic Party platform, Biden and Democrats committed to, quote, dramatically expand solar and wind energy development by installing 500 million new solar panels and 60,000 new wind turbines in the US by 2025. What happened? Biden hit a home run on climate. However, he made a few big whiffs at the plate and he had promised voters a grand slam. As president, Biden did launch initiatives both internally and internationally aimed at achieving clean energy by 2035 and net zero by 2050, notably rejoining the Paris Climate Accords shortly after taking office. One of the signature pieces of legislation Biden signed into law was primarily a piece of climate policy, the Inflation Reduction act, or the ira, which invested hundreds of billions of dollars into tax credits and subsidies for wind and solar power, making it one of the largest climate change actions ever passed and certainly the greatest in the United States history. And though exact installation data is hard to come by, both solar and wind power production did indeed surge during Biden's presidency. While he did achieve a significant amount of climate change action, especially relative to his predecessor, Biden still failed to meet the lofty promises he committed to on the campaign trail. The United States did commit to plans to curtail carbon emissions, but it did not succeed in passing the carbon taxes that were crucial to keeping those commitments. Most strikingly, despite promises to stop drilling on federal lands and end the use of fossil fuels, Biden approved more leases to drill on public lands and ended his term with oil production at an all time high. That's a jarringly broken promise, and giving his voters a bit of daylight when he'd promised them the moon can't earn him. Too high of a mark in this section, however, for signing the Inflation Reduction act and taking real steps towards achieving lofty goals. His administration earns a respectful mark on the climate promise meter. 7 out of 10.
- [20:27]
Podcast Host
We'Ll be right back after this quick break.
- [20:33]
Anker Representative
Enjoy a brilliant Sleep experience with Soundcore from Anker Stressed out by your partner's snoring? Having trouble falling asleep? Waking up too easily? Suffering from poor quality sleep? Now put on Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds. Experience unparalleled pressure free comfort perfect for side sleepers. Choose your favorite sound in your curated playlist. Feel your body getting lighter and lighter and enjoy a full night of peaceful sleep with the A20's long lasting battery. Then wake up feeling fresh with a personal built in alarm. Get the sleep you deserve with Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds. Discover more on soundcore.coms o u N D C O R E Soundcore Use code sleep at Checkout to get $30 off S L E E P in.
- [21:20]
Will K. Back
All caps Lemonade Sings a Pet Insurance Customer Review My new puppy swallowed a bone. Still a good boy though. And boy was I glad that I.
- [21:33]
Anker Representative
I live a night.
- [21:37]
Will K. Back
I was paid back quickly and efficiently.
- [21:41]
Anker Representative
Everyone was so nice.
- [21:44]
Will K. Back
Get this pet insurance and get a quote@lemonade.com pet next the economy what was Promised Biden inherited an economy that had been humming under President Trump, but ran smack into the brick wall of COVID In that environment, Biden's message was clear. He wanted an economic recovery, get America back on track. And he said, quote, we are going to invest in infrastructure, clean energy and manufacturing and so much more will create millions of good paying American jobs and get the job market back on the path to full employment. What happened? Well, inflation happened in 2024 when Biden was still running for reelection. The number one or number two issue that voters would level against him, depending on the poll and the time, was inflation. It was the albatross around his neck throughout his entire term and inflation breached 6% for the first time since the 1980s. During that term, however, when you take a step back, you see the Biden economy really wasn't that bad on paper. In fact, by many metrics it was quite strong. Job numbers went up and they stayed up. Conversely, unemployment was down and although it ticked up a bit, it didn't go far. The Fed, after raising interest rates, started to lower them late in Biden's term and the S&P 500 and Dow Jones churned out all time highs. GDP growth gave good numbers on paper. Again, the economy didn't seem all that bad. However, most people didn't experience the economy on paper. Instead, Americans frequently gave gloomy outlooks on the economy to the point where we had to invent the term vibe session to explain it. I should say economists had to invent the term vibesession to explain it. And if you were to look under the hood, there were issues to be found. Average savings were pretty low. Job numbers were high, yes, but the Department of Labor constantly revised those numbers down, and many Americans reported working two jobs just to make ends meet. Housing costs started out ridiculous and only got more ridiculous. Gas prices ballooned after Covid. And of course, punishing and persistent inflation was widespread in all sectors of the economy. But how well did President Biden deliver on his specific promises on economic recovery? We far outpaced pure nations investment in infrastructure. How about a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that was pretty impactful and maybe way more impactful down the line. Bringing jobs back well, the U.S. hit and maintained unemployment under 5%, and after the economy was fully back from COVID most of the time the unemployment was under 4%. So despite Americans citing the economy as high among their reasons for voting for Trump, it's fair to say that Biden delivered what he said he'd do. So he really ought to get a high score for this section in particular, even with inflation and even if the vibes were off. Promise meter 8 out of 10Next Health Care what was promised? Biden campaigned on a suite of health care reforms, mostly geared towards affordability and accessibility. Among those reforms, Biden promised to build on the Affordable Care act, the aca, also known as Obamacare. He promised to lower costs of prescription drugs, restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood, repeal the Hyde Amendment, rejoin the World Health Organization, also known as who, lower maternal mortality rates, and expand health care coverage. What happened? Biden fulfilled the easier promises to keep from this list. He immediately brought the US back into the World Health Organization, and he restored Planned Parenthood's funding. He also passed or helped pass the Inflation Reduction act, which was critical in lowering prescription drug prices, increasing the accessibility and affordability of Medicare, and creating a new annual out of pocket cap of $2,000 for prescription drugs. Additionally, a key success in the act was securing Medicare's ability to negotiate prices with drug companies, which is something that we saw take effect later in Biden's term. The American Rescue Plan Meanwhile, it's the stimulus bill that was passed in the first few months of Biden's presidency. It also helped lower prescription and premium costs and extended the enrollment period for health and coverage, resulting in an estimated 5.8 million more enrollees. In 2022, Biden also expanded the Affordable Care act and took steps to lower the maternal mortality rate, which disproportionately affects women of color. Multiple acts were also passed to support the community health workforce, although Biden fell short on his promise to more than triple the number of community health workers. Arguably his most notable success was expanding healthcare coverage, ending the term with a record breaking 24 million Americans enrolled in the ACA marketplace. Those successes came with failures, too. Biden was unable to lower Medicare's eligibility age, create a public option for Medicare, or overturn the Hyde Amendment. So overall he fulfilled many promises but does not get a perfect mark. We rate his Promise meter score an 8 out of 10. Next America's global Standing what was promised during his campaign, Biden asserted that President Trump had degraded our reputation abroad and harmed our relationships with key allies. Accordingly, Biden promised to strengthen those relationships. The Trump administration had withdrawn the US from several international treaties and organizations, including the Paris Climate Agreement, the World Health Organization, and the UN Human Rights Council, and it had overall emphasized an America first approach. Biden made reversing course on Trump's international posturing a big part of his campaign and his message. What happened? Biden reentered many of the treaties Trump had withdrawn from. He had the US Rejoin the UN Human Rights Council, and he worked to strengthen NATO, which had added importance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Furthermore, Biden committed to providing Ukraine with defense funding, though often following significant equivocation. Polling of NATO member countries shows that under Biden, U.S. approval increased compared to the Trump administration. Still, Biden's presidency was marred by a number of significant foreign policy blunders, which we'll discuss more in a little bit. However, the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal was disastrous, resulting in 58American casualties and a near immediate Taliban takeover. Meanwhile, some have scrutinized Biden's support for Ukraine because while aligned with his promise to prioritize partnerships, it has not always proven effective, taking credit for the ceasefire deal that materialized right at the end of Biden's term. And that has finally come about after over a year, really a year and a half of briefing warfare.
- [28:51]
John Law
Hey everybody, this is John, executive producer for Tangle. We hope you enjoyed this preview of our latest Friday edition. If you are not currently a newsletter subscriber or a premium podcast subscriber and you are enjoying this content and would like to finish it, you can go to readtangle.com to sign up for a newsletter subscription. Or you can go to tanglemedia.supercast.com and sign up for our premium Podcast membership which will unlock this complete episode as well as ad free daily podcasts, more Friday editions, Sunday editions, bonus content, interviews and so much more. We are working on trying to get together a bundled membership package where you're able to sign up for both the newsletter and the podcast. In the meantime, if you sign up for a newsletter subscription and you'd like to receive the podcast subscription as well, or vice versa, we will offer you a 33% discount to sign up for the other. This is the best we can do in the short term while we work on a long term bundling solution. Most importantly, we just want to say thank you so much for your support. We're working hard to bring you much more content and more offerings, so stay tuned. Isaac and Ari will be here for the Sunday podcast and I will join you for the daily podcast on Monday. For the rest of the crew, this is John Law signing off. Have a fantastic weekend y'all. Peace.
- [30:09]
Podcast Host
Our podcast is written by me, Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by John Law. The script is edited by our Managing Editor, Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul and Sean Brady. The logo for our podcast was designed by Magdalena Bokova who is also our Social Media Manager. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet75 and if you're looking for more from Tangle, Please go to readtangle.com and check out our website.
- [31:10]
Anker Representative
Enjoy a Brilliant Sleep Experience with Soundcore from Anker Stressed out by your partner's snoring? Having trouble falling asleep? Waking up too easily? Suffering from poor quality sleep? Now put on Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds experience unparalleled pressure free comfort Perfect for side sleepers. Choose your favorite sound in your curated playlist. Feel your body getting lighter and lighter and enjoy a full night of peaceful sleep with the A20's long lasting battery. Then wake up feeling fresh with a personal built in alarm. Get the sleep you deserve with Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds. Discover more on soundcore.com S O U N D C O R E Soundcore Use Code Sleep at checkout to get $30 off sleep in all caps.
- [31:58]
Warby Parker Representative
If you wear glasses, you know how hard it is to find the perfect pair. But step into a Warby Parker store and you'll see it doesn't have to be. Not only will you find a great selection of frames, you'll also meet helpful advisors and friendly optometrists. Yep, many Warby Parker locations also offer eye exams. So the next time you need glasses, sunglasses contact lenses or a new prescription, you know where to look. To find a Warby Parker store near you or to book an eye exam, head over to warbyparker.com retail.
- [32:29]
Progressive Insurance Representative
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.