President Biden's "fiery" State of the Union address on Thursday left an impression on many, including Ezra Klein, who writes at the New York Times that "if the Joe Biden who showed up ... last week is the Joe Biden who shows up for the rest of the campaign, you're not going to have any more of those weak-kneed pundits suggesting he's not up to running for reelection." But Klein notes the SOTU accomplished even more than that, showcasing a "comeback" of sorts by (somewhat) clarifying Biden's messaging, comparing the current state of the US to what he inherited, and reminding Americans that "there are good things happening. Let's keep going." Some of those good—but sometimes sluggish—initiatives include programs being set up thanks to the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act.
Klein also mentions the US economy, which by most standards is doing well, with solid stock-market returns and continued positive progress on unemployment, inflation, and interest rates. Still, "Americans feel otherwise," notes Klein, who says Biden needs to break through that perception, including by possibly making compromises on deregulation to get his agenda done faster. Klein suggests Biden has to work a bit harder to take his very real accomplishments and get that message out there, using "a simple frame to tell the story of his presidency—one that balances what he's achieved with what Americans still consider undone, and that reminds voters of what he inherited while still laying out a vision for where he's going." Klein's full piece here. (More Election 2024 stories.)
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