Joe Biden likes to say that it’s never a good idea to bet against the American people. Ron Klain, his first chief of staff, has a different take: “It is never a good bet to bet against Joe Biden.” As he ramps up for a likely re-election campaign, Biden can point to a crowded scorecard of accomplishments: hundreds of billions of dollars to combat climate change; capping annual drug costs for Medicare holders; historic investments in roads, bridges, and broadband access; ushering the first Black woman onto the Supreme Court; passing the first gun-control law in a generation; and record appointments to the judiciary. Not to mention reasserting America’s position on the world stage by rallying allies around Ukraine, six months after the disastrous withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Yet Biden’s polling remains underwater amid an uncertain economy. The irony for Biden is that many of his accomplishments won’t be fully felt until years after voters have their say in 2024. Getting that record across will be Biden’s charge as he makes his case for a second term.
Bennett is a TIME senior correspondent
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