https://www.yahoo.com/news/frustrated-democrats-express-alarm-over-092017496.html Amie Parnes Wed, July 6, 2022 at 12:20 PM "President is finding himself largely powerless to address a spate of setbacks in recent weeks that have sparked alarm among Democrats about the state of the country. Biden has been dealt blow after blow in recent weeks: The Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade’s constitutional right to an abortion; the country is plagued by gun violence, the latest example falling during an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago; and rising costs for gasoline, food and other goods have frustrated the public for months. In each case, Biden’s hands are largely tied, frustrating Democrats and contributing to the president’s political malaise. He has signed executive action and a bipartisan bill aiming to curb gun violence. He has taken some unilateral action to lower gas prices, such as releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. And he has called on the Senate to alter the filibuster if needed to codify Roe v. Wade. None of those steps were expected to do or will do much to slow the gun violence plague, dramatically lower prices at the pump or bring back abortion rights in states where the procedure is being outlawed. And all of that is increasingly frustrating Democrats, who argue they voted Biden into office to enact change and are unhappy with the results. The steps and statements Biden has taken and given, in this context, are seen as much too little. “It’s infuriating,” said one top Democratic strategist, venting frustrations about Biden and his team. “Our house is on fire and it seems like they’re doing nothing to put the fire out. They’re just watching it with the rest of us.” Polls point to the gloom in American life. A Gallup survey published Tuesday found just 23 percent of Americans have confidence in the institution of the presidency, down 15 percentage points from a year ago."
While I'm not exactly a member of the Joe Biden Fan Club, I see little (gasoline) to nothing (everything else here) he could realistically do about these things. The president has power over some things, and influence over others, but he is not Emperor of the World.
So do I, usually for the worse. But that's different from saying that Joe Biden is unilaterally in a position to quickly change the impact of these particular issues.
