Nancy Pelosi joked before the November election that President Joe Biden will one day be on Mount Rushmore in the company of presidents Roosevelt, Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington.
That’s over the top.
But there is a lot of truth in Pelosi’s tribute.
Here is a straightforward, honest scorecard on Biden’s time in the Oval Office.
As you will see he deserves to be celebrated as an effective president. One of the best of our time.
First, let’s start with the economy.
His critics harp on the economy as his major failing. It is the reason, they say, the GOP triumphed in the 2024 elections and will control the White House, Senate and House of Representatives in a few weeks.
The critics are so wrong that history will judge them as dizzy on their own lies.
The fact is that as Biden leaves office the U.S. economy is the envy of the world.
Remember that when Biden came into office the U.S. economy was in such bad shape that a recession was widely forecast by Republicans and Democrats.
Four years later, no recession ever gripped the American economy thanks to Biden.
Today American stocks account for 65 percent of global equities.
The historical record tells us the U.S. financial holdings now dwarfs the combined totals of Japan, China and the United Kingdom. The per capita GDP of the poorest U.S. state — Mississippi — is roughly equal to the United Kingdom.
And the job market flourished under Biden. Unemployment hit record lows. There are historic gains in wage growth. Without a doubt, America remains the best place in the world to do business or hold a job.
Thanks, President Biden.
I can hear the naysayers raising a ruckus. What about inflation?
Good point. Biden did spur inflation by pumping money into the economy. But what was the alternative? The rescue measures kept the economy afloat and millions of people out of bankruptcy.
And to repeat, the recession never happened. And inflation is coming down.
No. 2 on the scorecard is his winning record as commander-in-chief.
Biden ended America’s longest war, the war in Afghanistan.
Three previous presidents agreed it was an endless, mostly pointless use of the military.
Biden stood tall and withdrew U.S. troops from Afghanistan. As Biden said in his 2021 speech announcing the withdrawal, “No amount of military force would ever deliver a stable, united, and secure Afghanistan … known in history as the ‘graveyard of empires.’”
The withdrawal was undeniably tragic — 13 American military died. But how many lives were saved by getting Americans off that battlefield? Ask the British and the Russians who lost thousands when they withdrew.
Also on the scorecard is Biden’s remarkable leadership in fighting Russian aggression against Ukraine without putting U.S. troops in danger.
Biden built an international coalition to support Ukraine. He reinforced the principle that no country is free to grab territory from a neighbor. Biden’s steadfast support for Ukraine also sent a clear message to China about U.S. commitments to defend Taiwan.
Biden also upheld America’s longstanding alliance with Israel at great political cost as Israel stirred global angst by exercising little restraint in going after the terrorist group Hamas.
Thank you, President Biden.
The scorecard shows big domestic wins for Biden.
Biden beat back an attempted insurrection by Donald Trump after the 2020 election.
Modern America had no experience with the threat to democracy posed by the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Biden steadily held to the principle of free and fair elections.
He never stooped to lies about election fraud.
He never threatened local election officials or retaliated against Trump.
His presidency is a testament to the resilience of American democracy in the face of unprecedented challenges.
Thank you, President Biden.
The scorecard does show Biden committing errors.
His decision to stay in the 2024 race until a disastrous debate performance was a big mistake born of ego and opened the door to Trump’s return.
The scorecard shows a second big error in his pardon of his son after promising to uphold the law even when it came to his family.
Yes, he has reason to worry about the incoming president’s talk about retaliation against political foes. But Biden looks hypocritical.
Here’s the final score:
The scrappy kid from Scranton made America a better place.
Americans may find themselves longing for the Biden years. They may even ask him — or his capable vice president — to step back into the fray and save the nation once more.
For now, we owe Joe Biden our gratitude. Thank you, Mr. President, for a job well done.
The haters can take a walk to Mount Rushmore.
Juan Williams is senior political analyst for Fox News Channel, a prize-winning civil rights historian and author of “New Prize for these Eyes: the Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement.”
