Media top headlines January 18
In media news today, CNN’s Paul Begala says Democrats don’t have ‘bad leaders,’ they have ‘bad followers,’ CDC Director Rochelle Walensky admits to poor messaging on COVID guidance, and Spotify remains silent after Joe Rogan critics call for change to prevent COVID ‘misinformation.’
One of President Biden's biggest cheerleaders in the media is now sounding the alarm as the commander in chief has faced months of political blunders and devastating polls.
Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, declared in the headline of her column on Tuesday, "Biden needs a reset," before providing advice for the White House and Democrats.
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"If the economy is strong, inflation is down and the pandemic is largely in the rearview mirror, Democrats have a fighting chance," Rubin wrote. "But if the economy and the pandemic are headed in the wrong direction, Democrats are cooked. As such, Biden’s failures now threaten to dwarf his accomplishments, which is why the president is facing Democrats’ rising hysteria about this year’s midterm elections."
Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin. (NBCUniversal via Getty Images) (William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
The liberal pundit warned readers to "Be prepared to hear a lot about a ‘reboot’ or ‘reset'' before citing Democrat comebacks after suffering big losses in 1994 and 2010.
"The question for Democrats now is whether Biden can reset his presidency before the midterms to help stave off disaster," Rubin wrote. "With prospect of a lawless, authoritarian GOP in control of one or both chambers of Congress, Democrats cannot risk big losses in 2022. Democrats need Biden to correct course — promptly."
WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST: BIDEN ‘FAILING POLITICALLY,’ NEEDS TO STOP ‘SPINNING HIS WHEELS’
Rubin advised the White House that Biden must go far beyond swapping cabinet officials and that he "must focus on attainable agenda items that enjoy popular support beyond the progressive base." She pointed to legislation already passed in the Senate that improves U.S. competitiveness in chip making and other technologies against China and proposed tackling the rising crime rates in cities across the country as well as regulating social media.
The MSNBC contributor also urged the president to support legislation that would bar lawmakers from owning stock while in office, which is currently being mulled on Capitol Hill.
"Biden is not wrong to seek credit for the economy, COVID response and several legislative accomplishments. But he must shift focus from losing efforts to those he can win," Rubin wrote. "Good policy and good politics sometimes coincide. In this case, a revised agenda might stabilize a rocky presidency and prevent a midterm wipeout."
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Rubin, a former conservative columnist who evolved into a vocal advocate for Democrats during the Trump era, quickly became a White House favorite during the Biden presidency as her columns were frequently shared on social media by numerous officials including White House chief of staff Ron Klain.