No. of Recommendations: 3
But I guess it's the democrats fault.
Again, my point was not about fault. It was about listening and priorities.
(Okay, it's a little about fault - the American Recovery Plan was, in fact, probably bigger than it should have been in order to avoid inflationary pressures.)
At the midpoint of the Biden Administration, Americans were very upset about inflation. It was one of their top concerns. The Administration did not act as if it were one of their top concerns. And I don't think it was - I think the Administration's primary concern was getting a groundbreaking and sizable green/climate bill passed, and protecting themselves from the progressive base that was thinking of Sanders' $6 trillion package as a good place to start.
Because they really wanted to pass a very big bill, one of the things they had to do was minimize inflationary concerns. Which, looking back, was a positive for getting the bill passed - but at the cost of demolishing voter trust on inflation. Pursuing an expansionary fiscal policy at a time of high inflation and low unemployment was a choice - the Democrats wanted the policy priorities that were in the spending bill, but they then left themselves open to valid criticisms that they weren't responding to what the voters wanted at the time.
That's why I jokingly suggested Hakeem Jeffries should send Joe Manchin a gift basket. He was one of the few Democrats that elevated those concerns into the discussion over the BBB efforts in mid 2022. Regardless of whether you agree with the specific changes he was insisting on (especially his protection of fossil fuel development), his argument that voters cared more about keeping inflationary pressures in check than new programs was probably on point.
