Opinion | Joe Biden Is a President Who Knows the Right Time to Act

President Biden’s Communication Strategy During the Debt Ceiling Showdown

President Joe Biden’s communication strategy during the debt ceiling showdown recently baffled allies and infuriated Democratic Party stalwarts. The White House was publicly doing and saying very little, while Speaker Kevin McCarthy blitzed Fox News and funneled daily doses of spin through the Capitol Hill tipsheets. Backbench House Democrats, progressive Twitter, and liberal advocacy groups were urging Mr. Biden to insist on a straightforward debt-ceiling increase by the G.O.P. House. However, Mr. Biden understands something fundamental about congressional politics that’s frustrating to journalists, activists, and political junkies: it’s often better to shut up.

Embracing the Limited Tools of Presidential Office within the Constitutional System

Matthew Yglesias, the author of this article, posits that President Biden embraces the limited tools of his office within our constitutional system, making him all the more effective. He recognizes that in many ways, politics are not always entertaining. Fictional presidents are often written to dramatize speech or confrontation in a way that bore negotiations cannot. Rather than seeking out and sucking up the country’s attention at every possible turn, he operates in a reserved manner.

However, the reserved style should not be mistaken for an ineffective presidency. Despite his lack of public appearances, the seemingly floundering White House pulled off a negotiating coup in the debt ceiling showdown. 

Why It’s Beneficial to Just Shut Up in Congressional Politics

Presidents facing legislative roadblocks are invariably urged to do more, to say more, to use the bully pulpit more. This approach is often encouraged because it makes for better storytelling than a drawn-out, incremental, closed-door negotiation. Instead, Mr. Biden recognizes that it’s often better to just shut up. In the debt ceiling negotiation, McCarthy and the G.O.P. caucus did not come away with nothing for their trouble. However, Mr. Biden quietly worked with the republicans’ real desires rather than trying to subject them to ridicule in public.

The Presidential Model in the Media Age

The current system rewards skilled attention-grabbing abilities, but putting the winner in the White House diminishes the skill’s practical value. The system prefers fresh faces, charismatic outsiders, dynamic personalities, and big speechmakers. However, Mr. Biden’s long-serving senator personality offers an unusual model of the presidency in our media age. The subdued style can produce potent results.

The Effectiveness of Mr. Biden’s Subdued Style

President Joe Biden’s low-key persona often frustrates his supporters, both progressives who want to see a punchier presence and moderates who’d like to see a forceful Bidenism drown out the voices of the further left. However, Mr. Biden defies a lot of the pop culture image of what a masterful president should look like by applying insights obtained from an extremely long career as a legislator.

Despite his subdued style, President Biden’s approval rating remains impartial. Mr. Biden’s skills are more limited, and he would benefit from a more commanding communication style on the campaign trail. However, it would be nice to see some broader appreciation for his legislative insights and presidential model. He has defied a lot of the pop culture image of what a masterful president should look like, and as Mr. Biden is showing, his subdued style can produce potent results.

Advice for Future Presidents

The debt ceiling showdown has shown that sometimes, shutting up can be beneficial in politics. While fictional presidents are typically written to dramatize speech or confrontation, real-life negotiations often occur more quietly behind closed doors. Future presidents could learn from Biden’s approach of working in a reserved manner to achieve negotiating coups and securing bipartisan wins out of narrow congressional majorities.

While a commanding communication style can be useful on the campaign trail, when faced with legislative roadblocks, it’s often better to just shut up, work behind closed doors, and quietly work with political opponents to achieve the desired outcome.