Alison Rowat: America needs more than a president stuck on pause

One year on, however, and Mr Biden’s approval ratings have plummeted. Covid continues its appalling rampage with 846,000 deaths so far. His latest bid to impose a vaccine mandate, this one on employees at larger firms, has been rejected by the Supreme Court.

His flagship voting reform legislation appears to be heading for the rocks, while his $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” environmental and social spending plan is already there.

The exit from Afghanistan was a shambles, with the country now facing famine and the hard won gains of its women and girls wiped out.

America, meanwhile, stands as divided as ever, perhaps even more so. Serious-minded individuals now openly contemplate not the end of an uncivil war in America, but the beginning of a civil war.

The only solid “achievement” Mr Biden seems to have pulled off is becoming a lame duck president in record time. Most occupants of the office tend to wait till at least two years in, or one year off from an election, before acquiring that dreaded title.

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What happened? How did a president with so much experience do as badly in his first year as his predecessor, someone who had never held any public office?

Mr Biden promised he would be a fast-forward, action president. He was, after all, the candidate who would run rather than walk on to a stage, the man who rubbished concerns about his age. Now he looks like a president stuck on pause.

Just as much of a disappointment has been his Vice-President, Kamala Harris. Since making history as the first woman in the job she has dropped off the radar screen. Landed with the huge tasks of getting immigration under control and overseeing voting reform she has struggled to make any difference.

All told, if Mr Biden and Ms Harris were contestants in Mr Trump’s Apprentice of old, they would be in serious danger of being told, “You’re fired.”

Meanwhile, the losing candidate looms as large as he ever did. Mr Trump is sitting pretty with a reported $115 million in the bank to spend on an election. Despite the deadly assault on the Capitol by his supporters, he has escaped censure.

Republican voters appear to have forgiven him the excesses of old, the rallies are still going on and are as well attended as ever. Instead of “Making America Great Again” he now pledges to “Save America”.

The nomination to run in 2024 is said to be his for the asking. All he is waiting for are the midterm elections, in which the Democrats are expected to do badly, and then it will be green for go for Mr Trump.

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The prospect of the 45th President becoming the 47th is the stuff of nightmares for many Americans, not all of them Democrats. Hence the talk of civil war should the 2024 election be contested by a losing candidate Trump, or a Trump-backed contender.

But how seriously should we take such notions? More seriously than you might think.

US Army generals are not generally given to wild-eyed speculation about presidential elections to come. Yet just before Christmas last year, three of the breed, all now retired, Antonio Taguba, Paul Eaton, and Steven Anderson, penned a piece for The Washington Post looking back at the January 6 riot and the prospects of a repeat in 2024.

The trio, noting the number of past and present military who were charged in the attacks, said they were “chilled to the bones” at the thought of a “coup” succeeding next time. They wrote: “All service members take an oath to protect the US Constitution. But in a contested election, with loyalties split, some might follow orders from the rightful commander in chief, while others might follow the Trumpian loser. Arms might not be secured depending on who was overseeing them. Under such a scenario, it is not outlandish to say a military breakdown could lead to civil war.”

Alarming? Certainly. Likely? Well that is where opinions differ. To some, talk of civil war is so much “coup porn” that only encourages extremists by exaggerating the threat they pose. If the left and the mainstream media have learned anything from the Trump years it is to be careful what you promote, accidentally or otherwise. Look at the acres of publicity Mr Trump was able to secure for himself compared to other nominees. His every move was followed, each new outrage greeted with more glee or condemnation than the last. It was easier, and let’s face it more fun, to keep the circus going. Then it was too late to stop. Cooler heads earlier on might have made a difference.

The lesson should not be lost on critics of the Biden administration. Though the list of his failures so far is long, he has had some success, notably with the economy. Six million new jobs created in 2021. The number of people vaccinated has passed 200 million.

He has put money directly into the pockets of Americans, made a start on tackling child poverty, and right across America work is starting on repairing a crumbling infrastructure. Progress is happening, just not as quickly as voters would like, or to the extent he promised during the campaign.

Voter attitudes can be turned around. There is still time, just about, but it is running out fast. A Trump victory in 2024 is not the fait accompli his supporters would have everyone believe. Yet Mr Biden and his administration have to improve their game. At first it was enough just to bring calm and civility back to politics. To simply not be Trump, to cut down on the drama.

But as they emerge from the pandemic Americans want so much more from their government. In the US, as here, there is an impatience to get going again, to try new ways of doing things now that the old ways have been found wanting. A president on pause is not the person for such a job.