Georgia’s history teacher, who voted for Biden, would grade him with a “C”, blaming the president for failing to push earlier for the end of the filibuster in Senate. However, he was supportive of his Build Back Better plan.
Retired nurse from Iowa, who supported Pete Buttigieg during the Democratic primary, says she was impressed by Biden’s upholding of dignity.
Arizona resident and registered independent who voted for Donald Trump said that Biden’s first-year was “pretty bad.” He cited the closing of the Keystone XL pipeline and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Here are some other American comments on Biden’s job thus far.
THE TRUMP-TOBIDEN VOTER
Craig Prichard believes Donald Trump should go to jail. However, he is not your average anti-Trumper. He voted for Trump in 2016.
But not in 2020. “No sir,” the 65-year old self-described independent from Des Moines (Iowa) says.
Prichard still feels angry at Trump for the Jan. 6 Capitol Insurrection and believes that the former president was responsible. Prichard voted for Biden in 2020 because of his handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Prichard states that Trump wanted to make COVID disappear. “That was not the right way to handle it.”
Prichard worked as a farmer for 40 years, and then retired from construction to work as a contractor. He said that Biden “handles COVID as best he can” while also dealing with a variety of other issues.
Prichard said that Biden is trying to manage the pandemic, food and gas prices, Russia all at once. He doesn’t seem to care about his appearance. “Because it isn’t real good right now, even though there are less people dying than if Trump was there.”
Prichard states that Trump was only concerned about his appearance.
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THE TEACHER WHO GIVES BIDDEN A ‘C” GRADE
Kai Uchimura is a high school teacher of history who lives in Decatur in Georgia. He voted for Biden in 2020. He would give him a grade of “C” so far.
Uchimura, 26, says he leans left on most issues. However, he is not a registered Democrat. Uchimura, 26, says he supports Biden’s social policy bill which is still stalled in Congress. However, he believes Democrats have failed to adequately explain its benefits.
He says, “With the Build Back Better plan it seemed as if no one knew what was included in the bill except the cost.”
Biden also criticizes Biden for failing to push earlier to end filibuster in Senate, which requires 60 votes to pass most legislation. Biden advocated for the elimination of the filibuster last week to allow the debate and voting on legislation relating to election and voting rights.
Uchimura states, “I know that he had this message when he was entering office: he wanted to unite the nation and extend a helping hand across the aisle.” He should have realized sooner that the era of bipartisanship appears to be on thin ice.
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THE BIDEN VOTER THAT DECRIES POLARIZATION
Lynn Manning-John is a principal at a Native American reservation school on the Nevada-Idaho border. She’s pleased with Biden’s first year, but she worries that his presidency will further divide her community.
She heard customers complaining about Biden’s agenda in Elko County (Nevada), a ranching area that strongly supported the former president.
The 45-year old independent voter said that there is a reluctance “to support the current president.” “There is pushback against anything he puts forth, even if its good and common sense.” She was particularly happy about Biden’s nomination Deb Haaland, an Indian American, to be interior secretary.
During protests by parents against lesson plans on equity and diversity in parts of Elko County that are not part of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, the superintendent and five of seven Elko County school board members resigned last summer.
Manning-John believes that the resignations of parents and demands from their children are a result of the backlash against Biden’s 2020 win.
She says that Biden’s win in the election is still not real to many Americans.
She says, “And the absolute rebellion that has occurred since absolutely goes directly at the school boards.”
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THE BIDEN VOTER WARY FOR LIBERALS
Patrick Sweeney voted in Biden, but is disappointed that the president has not pushed back against the left-wing of the Democratic Party.
Sweeney, a retired teacher in Phoenix, at 62, says that he wishes he could claim the middle ground and not be a part of any political party.
Sweeney states that “so much of the conversation seems focused on the extrem left wing of Democratic Party and progressive stances.” He needs to be more prominent in countering this, I believe.”
Sweeney is happy with the infrastructure bill Biden signed into legislation, but he would have preferred to stop there rather than pushing for a huge increase in social services spending.
Sweeney states that she was excited about the original infrastructure plan. Sweeney says, “I believe it’s overdue and I was thrilled to see it. I think that could’ve, and should’ve, been a great accomplishment. Start the shovels and bulldozers moving and get to work. She says, “The Build Back better plan, I think there is too much there that I don’t see the need for, or that I don’t know that it is the solution to it.”
