Happy 2023 to all… except perhaps Kevin McCarthy. He seems to be having a dreadful new year. More on that next week. For this week, the pod returns from a week away to debate Marc’s annual Washington Post 10 best/10 worst columns, this year starring Joe Biden.
Here are the lists:
BEST
10. He acted to prevent a crippling national rail strike
9. He is sending B-52s to Australia to counter China
8. He launched a “full-court press” against China’s domestic semiconductor industry
7. He signed the first bipartisan gun legislation in decades
4. He won support for Finland and Sweden to join NATO
3. He killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. He declared the United States will defend Taiwan
WORST
10. He presided over a plethora of disasters
9. He called Georgia’s election law “Jim Crow 2.0”
8. He and his party urged Republicans to reject extremists while promoting them in GOP primaries
7. His administration discharged thousands of troops for refusing coronavirus vaccination
6. He begged foreign despots to produce more oil while weakening domestic production
5. In an unconstitutional power grab, he canceled up to $1 trillion in student loans
4. He has failed to avenge the Kabul airport bombing that killed 183 people, including 13 Americans
3. He signed into law an Inflation Reduction Act that will not reduce inflation or climate change
2. He made the worst border crisis in U.S. history even worse.
1. He slow-rolled military aid to Ukraine out of fear of provoking Vladimir Putin
###
As usual, all was not sunshine and roses in discussing the lists, and unsurprisingly, there was some debate about what Marc called, “the worst presidency in my lifetime.” But there should be little debate about whether American politics is in crisis. Despite a Democratic White House and Congress presiding over historic inflation, skyrocketing crime, a border crisis of proportions heretofore unseen in the United States, a war in Eastern Europe, a pandemic the White House seems to hope to perpetuate, and on and on and on… the GOP seems incapable of righting its own ship, let alone providing the necessary leadership to address the growing litany of problems the President cannot handle.
That political crisis, the growing threat of war with China, profound divisions over the economy, education, history, crime, foreign policy and much more will preoccupy the #WTH pod for the coming year. Have other ideas? Disagree with Marc’s list? Suggestions, comment, inspiration and imagination welcome. We love hearing from you….
No highlights or show notes this week, but here’s the transcript for your reading pleasure. Thanks for sharing a great 2022 with us!