We needed a dad, or at least someone who could cut through the whining and bickering and stubbornness... all the behaviors that were encouraged for several years under a president who, beyond all his other failures and idiocy, was like a silly kid.
We got Joe Biden, and in only nine months he has done many of the things that we all (deep down) know are needed for the country. We are mandating vaccines. We are out of an unwinnable war. We are having discussions with other countries and not constantly pounding our chests. We are lifting innocent children out of poverty with modest stipends.
Is the country still a bit chaotic, a bit unorganized, and a bit just plain nuts? Duh. That helps explain the recent drop in President Biden's approval ratings, according to some polls, anyway. When dad makes the call and cuts the crap, the children are rarely big fans.
Of course, dad is not always right, and I'm certain we all have quibbles and questions about exactly how the Biden administration is proceeding.
Some people would argue that we should have been mandating Covid vaccines as soon as we could have, for instance. After all, it doesn't seem to matter to the more rabid Republican politicians that the vaccines are fully approved (well, one is and the others are not far behind) and that there are virtually zero long-lasting or life-threatening effects from getting vaccinated.
Our "dad" did what he could to urge his children to do the right thing. We all appreciate a bit of patience in our parents, as they allow us to figure it out on our own... up to a point.
But there comes a time when an exasperated dad goes with, "Because I said so."
And that's the end of the discussion.
Kids aren't happy about that answer, at least at first. But most of us eventually acknowledge that some of those seemingly arbitrary rules and admonitions issued by dad or mom or grandma turned out to be wise. And when it is our turn to be parents... well, THEN we really see the wisdom of our elders.
The wacky mix of politics and health science means that anything resembling a mandate will get politicians (and some of their followers) to overreact, to protest, to proudly proclaim that they are guarding the nation against socialism or baby-eaters or whatever.
When you know you will be criticized by the tiny percentage of pundits who dominate our national discourse, no matter what you do, a solid choice is to choose to do what your discussions and your research and your common sense and your experiences lead you to.
No politician can "win" approval from all in the short term. Attempting to placate all parties and all views is a fool's errand.
It's becoming a theme for me: do the right thing to the best of your ability. All other choices go nowhere.
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