Bidenism brought Kamala Harris and the Democrats to the brink of catastrophe. Obamaism can save them. YES, SHE CAN

WHEN SHE CAME forward as the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee this summer, Kamala Harris offered what has become a standard tribute to the man who had anointed her.

- JONATHAN CHAIT

“Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history,” she said. “In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who served two terms in office.”

Within Biden’s party, it has become settled wisdom that he is “the most legislatively successful president since LBJ” (Democratic strategist Bob Shrum) or perhaps even “since the New Deal” (Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer). Comparisons to FDR and LBJ are also casually thrown around in mainstream organs like Politico (“In the long run, his first two years may be remembered as akin to LBJ when it comes to moving his agenda through Congress”) and the New York Times (“a roster of achievement that surpasses Bill Clinton and Barack Obama”). When Democrats began pressing him to give up the nomination after his disastrous debate with Donald Trump, the Times reported that Biden held back in part because “he believes his polling should reflect what he sees as his accomplishments.” He made a version of this case in public. When presented by NBC’s Lester Holt with concerns from fellow Democrats about his age and ability to govern, Biden replied, “I think one of the arguments that get made, you have the most successful presidency of any president in modern history, maybe since Franklin Roosevelt.”

It is not yet clear if Harris or her allies recognize the full scale of the political devastation she actually inherits. Gallup measured President Biden’s approval rating at under 36 percent before he ended his reelection campaign, lower than any other president at this point in their term going back decades. A Pew survey pegged him at 32 percent, a level just a few points higher than Donald Trump’s standing after January 6, 2021.