Memo For Democrats. Hammer Biden’s Foreign Policy Chops. It’s Working For Him

A quick suggestion for all of the Democratic mouth breathers and breast thumpers out there who are worried about Biden’s poll numbers. As former President Barack Obama told his handlers after he massacred his first debate against Mitt Romney, Just chill the f*ck out, I’ve got this. And so does Biden.

Here’s the problem with the polls we work and live with. A basic popularity poll asks only for your opinion as to how the candidate is doing, it seldom asks cross tab questions that would allow participants to explain that while they might not approve of the candidate personally, there are things that he or she is doing, sometimes important things that might make them override their personal dislike, and vote for the candidate anyway due to his performance on issues that are important to them personally.

And that’s what we’re running up against here. Biden himself is personable, but people vote their emotions. And for as long as the economy has been a voting issue, it has been a landmine for Presidents. Because as President Harry Truman posted on his desk, The Buck Stops Here. The funny part is that the President has less control over the national economy than he has over almost any other facet of government power. Presidents are quick to tout successful economic and jobs numbers as signs of their positive stewardship, but the smart ones are careful not to claim sole responsibility for it, since an economic downturn could leave them holding the bag. And for all of the post Covid progress, people just aren’t feeling the love in the economy yet. And Biden is paying the price in the polling.

There is one bright spot for Biden in the economic polling, you just have to know where to look for it. While inflation remains stubbornly above where the Federal Reserve would like it to be, it’s in a range where wages are now staring to finally outpace inflation, and the people will see the difference, especially if it continues to slowly decline. But most important, the full effects of the Biden Infrastructure law won’t be felt until next spring, spot on time for the summer campaign grind. And the Fed is overseeing an almost miraculous soft landing for the economy, job growth continues to be strong, and unemployment is still at near record lows. His economic numbers will tick up.

Now, a quick historical aside. In 2008 it was then Senator Joe Biden’s foreign policy chops that led Democratic leadership to strongly push him for Obama’s running mate, since foreign policy was a place where Obama was woefully deficient, but one of the most important Presidential qualities. Obama did his part, becoming a rock star in his trips to the UK, France and Germany, but it was Biden tutoring him on the mechanics of foreign policy at the daily level.

The Democrats are, especially in this situation doubly blessed. In Obama and Biden, the Democrats have two consecutive consolers in Chief that were/are off the charts, and sandwiched in between a mountain troll with the compassion of a Chucky doll. And especially where Biden in his current situation is concerned, empathy is something voters are focused on, with all of the not only domestic, but international tragedies taking place.

Remember this. It was Biden who secretly flew to Poland and took a 10 hour train ride through a war zone to pop up in Kiev to meet personally with Ukrainian President Vlodimir Zelenskyy in a war zone, and to show the Ukrainian people the depth of the support of the United States. And it was Biden that just flew into another hot war zone to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and his cabinet to publicly show the support of the US for Israel’s cause. More importantly, Biden took the time to meet with the families of the victims and hostages to share their grief and offer his personal support to them and their families.

This. Matters. Right here, and right now, domestically in the United States. Because right now, support for Ukraine in the United States is still high, and support for Israel is even higher. And President Biden isn’t just talkin’ the talk, he’s walkin’ the f*ckin’ walk. He’s showing up in person to show his support, and he’s laying down markers. Meanwhile, the GOP House is talking about curtailing aid to Ukraine until better oversight measures are put in place to explain Ukrainian spending of the support, and the GOP can’t even elect a lousy Speaker in order to vote for much needed aid for Israel.

And it’s showing up, you just aren’t seeing it yet in the national polling. Recently MSNBC copped a sneaker, and did a little informal polling of their own. They went to three battleground states, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and in each state they talked to a minimum of three solid Trump supporters, and asked them directly about how they felt that President Biden was doing handling the foreign crises in Ukraine and Israel. And Biden went 9-9. Every single Trump supporter was highly complimentary of Biden’s handling of the crises, supportive of his empathy, and rock solid of his support for Israel and the Ukraine.

Now, that was one informal poll, with a miniscule sampling of nine people, but here’s the McGuffin. Those nine people were all Trump supporters. What are the chances that all nine of their choices would have a positive view of Biden’s handling of these international crises? Now extrapolate that out to the tens of million voters out there that aren’t being asked the right questions in those polls. After all, in most polls, the most important quality for a President. And if Biden is showing nothing else right now, he’s showing leadership. And voters are noticing it.

If I’m the Democrats and DNC Chair Jamie Harrison, In the next 72 hours I’m throwing out a multi million dollar ad buy nationally that burnishes Biden’s foreign policy chops to a high buff luster. I’m showing video of Biden meeting and greeting Ukrainian citizens in Ukraine. I’m showing video of Biden meeting with and commiserating with Israeli families of victims and hostages in Tel Aviv. And in the voice overs, I’m touting Biden’s accomplishments in the aid he’s already provided to both countries.

Because Biden has two secret weapons right now, and they’re equally devastating. First of all, he has the bully pulpit. He can keep going before the American people, expressing his support for Ukraine and Israel, and demanding that the GOP House get its sh*t together and elect a Speaker so they can approve his new aid package to both. The second is even more deadly. As we speak, Biden already has, in his back pocket, some $5 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine that has already been approved by congress, but hasn’t been used yet. Biden can strategically hold press conferences to announce $350 million in military aid here, and $400 million in foreign aid to Ukraine there, and there’s nothing the GOP can do about it. Biden gets all the glory, and all the credit. And then bitches at the GOP House to give him more.

With his foreign policy towards Ukraine and Israel, Biden isn’t just on the right side of history, he’s on the right side of popular opinion. And if the Democrats start hammering that message home now, along with Biden’s successes there, the general election ads will write themselves, especially if Ukraine and Israel show positive gains. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Democrats. Strike while the iron is hot.