Biden’s historic presidency continues. You can read a summary of his achievements on the Friday Action page—Biden. Read about current actions below.
PAUL’S HIGHLIGHTS
An upbeat end to 2023. (Summary data courtesy of Simon Rosenberg.)
Inflation is running below the Fed target rate. Interest rates are coming down next year. Consumer sentiment is on the way up, and this is the best job market since the 1960s.
Rents are coming down too, while wage growth and new business formation are in historically elevated territory. We have the lowest uninsured rate in history. Plus, $130B in student debt has been forgiven.
The good news keeps coming.
Democrats have picked up three points in 538’s Congressional generic tracker, and Navigator’s recent House battleground polling found Republicans losing ground. Democrats now have a clear advantage. Hispanic and youth polls find Biden running at or above his 2020 numbers.
2023 was a blue-wave electoral year. Now, the economy, consumer sentiment and polling are all ending the year on an upswing. We have the momentum and we’re in a far better place than the Republicans.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
Biden and the Democrats are strong, while Trump has problems that will make it very hard to win in 2024. More from Simon Rosenberg who, we remind you again, predicted positive showings for Democrats in 2022. Read the following, as it’s too much to encapsulate here. Truly heartening: MSNBC and The Hill
Inside Biden’s campaign, aides feel confident. Why? Many reasons, many moving parts. Much is in place and an army is at work. Read this from The Intelligencer for all the details. ”If the campaign has an unofficial motto, it might be Calm the f— down, trust the process, and vote for Joe Biden. One. More. Time.”
Taylor Swift is conservatism’s greatest foe. Taylor Swift is on our side—Time Magazine’s Person of the Year with her huge fan base. Read The Daily Kos for all the details of why this is remains a big deal.
TRUMP, WEAKENING
Trump is in real trouble, Karl Rove warns. A revealing recording of Trump has emerged, putting pressure on Michigan Electoral College officials to act illegally. More will come of this. Newsweek
There are many efforts underway to remove Trump from the 2024 ballots. Whether they are successful or not, the charge of leading an insurrection is front and center, over and over. The New York Times, Politico
Liz Cheney is still number two on the New York Times Best Seller List as she lays out all the cowardly misdeeds, seen from the inside, nakedly matter-of-fact. The New York Times.
GOOD NEWS IN SOCIAL AND CLIMATE ISSUES
Recent polls shows consumer sentiment shifting to positive. People have been stubbornly pessimistic despite real economic gains in all quarters. A Michigan poll shows a new, solid shift. Read an easy, clear article about the situation in The Hill. Get into the weeds and see the poll for yourself in this very readable table: INDEX OF CONSUMER SENTIMENT AND COMPONENTS BY POLITICAL PARTY. Plus, robust holiday shopping sends the economy soaring in 2024. The Washington Post
America’s Peace Wave. Crime is down. Significantly. In all sectors. The Atlantic
Senators reverse their positions on gun control. After Sandy Hook, they voted no. Now they support new gun laws. Emotional changes of heart for four current and three former senators. The Washington Post
Pope formally allows the blessing of same sex couples. PBS
Missouri school board to reinstate Black history classes with new curriculum. AP News
Biden administration unveils hydrogen tax credit plan to jump-start industry. NPR