Bye-bye Biden the moderate

Ferdie Rous | 27th January 2021 | Uncategorised

Joe Biden (Credit: Gage Skidmore) licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Biden might look like a return to normality, but he is far from it, says Ferdie Rous

In his first five days as President, Biden has signed 19 executive orders, nearly four times more than Trump did in his first week. And we all remember how uncontroversial that was. Clearly, he's rather enjoying being back in the executive. Biden the consensus-builder no longer. In his inauguration speech, beyond the usual platitudes about unity, he set the tone for his new stance. "To all those who did not support us,” he said, "let me say this: hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart.” "And if you still disagree, so be it. That’s democracy.” “Yet hear me clearly,” he continues, “disagreement must not lead to disunion.” In short, there’s a new sheriff in town, and if you don’t like it, lump it. And no funny business. His cultivated Catholic image, his humble(ish) means, hardworking ethic, years of service and man-of-the-people background give him the impression of a decent, relatable, moderate fellow. And his image has often played in his favour. The New York...

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