Biden: A workhorse shows up for the party

There's an old expression in politics: show horse or workhorse? Over a hot summer in this D.C., President Joe Biden earned the title "workhorse," as a compliment. By granting at least $10,000 of college loan debt relief and signing a major climate and prescription drugs bill, he proved a man of the people. Not a campaign image, but a reality. This gave Democrats hope for the future in the winds of November. Biden will help their chances, raring to go on the hustings with candidates. Common wisdom says a president loses a congressional majority two years after his election. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton sure did. But the Senate will likely stay blue, with Democrats picking up a seat or two. (Hello Wisconsin, Pennsylvania.) The House is a tug of war. There are no fancy words for the ages in Biden's speech. He's far from hip, even with aviator glasses and bespoke clothing. Master of the vernacular, the president is a genuinely friendly soul. He's balm to a country riven by former President Donald Trump's war against all, except the "very fine people" found in mobs. Extremely extroverted, Biden speaks from his heart, not his head. That's the most vital part. That's where he and Obama part ways. More on that in a moment. Ron Klain, White House chief of staff, came up with a bold claim for Biden's legacy in less than two years: "The president has delivered the largest economic recovery plan since Roosevelt, the largest infrastructure plan since Eisenhower, the most judges confirmed since Kennedy, the second largest health care bill since Johnson, and the largest climate change bill in history."Klain, Biden's wunderkind 30 years ago, is still the strategy mastermind. Invoking the New Deal, interstate highways, Medicare and the iconic JFK takes moxie. Agree or disagree, the point is that Biden gives Democrats a winning record to face voters. In turn, they almost all stuck by him in tough times. To add to the complex autumn blend, just wait and see how many Americans are aghast that reproductive rights were struck down by the Supreme Court, in a hostile Justice Samuel Alito opinion. That ruling will drive turnout and single-issue voting. In fact, it might be the whole ball game. (Late in the game, Republicans sense Trump's troubles with the law are a millstone hanging heavy on their necks.)I noted Biden had a conversation with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on a plane trip to Buffalo. Schumer made the case for student loan relief and Biden listened. He kept a promise and made progressives happy — though it wasn't enough for some. Biden loves the Senate and takes what leaders say seriously. Obama did not do the same. He angered Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., when he made former President George W. Bush's tax cuts permanent for no good reason. Now we come to the head versus heart, show horse versus workhorse distinction between Obama and Biden. A lofty orator, Obama is up there where the air is rare in the presidential prose pantheon. He made multitudes swell with pride and joy on a cold day in January. Yet once Obamacare passed in 2010 — after a failed courtship with Senate Republicans — not a lot got done. Even historic Obamacare was weakened with no public option. Democrats soon lost the House. The Tea Party came to town. Looking back, Obama did not close Guantanamo. He never made Wall Street pay for the 2008 financial crisis. He lost close votes on gun control and immigration. He loved Big Tech running wild. A dazzling solo artist, Obama ducked campaigning for Democrats. He rarely broke bread with lawmakers. He liked his own company.Obama let Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., bully POTUS on SCOTUS. That simply should never happen. The crowning blow: Obama named Republican James Comey FBI director. Comey spiked Hillary Clinton's presidential path with much ado about nothing: her emails. Comey kept mum about something: Russian disinformation during the 2016 election.To Obama's regret, he never confronted the dark online threat to democracy. Tragically, that left the barn door open for Trump. In politics, bet on the workhorse. And watch the fall season. Stiehm may be reached at JamieStiehm.com. Follow her on Twitter @JamieStiehm