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The Biden Malaise: How America Bounces Back from Joe Biden's Dismal Repeat of the Jimmy Carter Years
“In the style of a dogged prosecutor, Strassel builds a devastating case against Joe Biden’s record…THE BIDEN MALAISE is must-read ahead of 2024, as conservative voters prepare to make consequential choices.”―
Guy Benson, Fox News & Townhall.com
The bestselling author of Resistance (At All Costs) and The Intimidation Game argues that Joe Biden, like Jimmy Carter before him, has mired the country in weakness, inflation and political unease.
Whether in politics or policy, the parallels between the Biden and Carter presidencies are now beyond striking. Two presidents—separated by nearly 50 years—beset by the same domestic and foreign policy morasses, politically swamped by a national ennui. However, THE BIDEN MALAISE will examine why such claims overlook important nuances that show President Biden’s blunders are ultimately far worse.
Our current president inherited a better situation along with the lessons of what not to do from Carter's governance. Biden, captive to an ascendent progressive wing of his party, doubled down on Carter’s mistakes and created crises that were as avoidable as they are now severe. From soaring energy prices and inflation to humiliating foreign policy errors, the Biden administration's political mess is self-imposed. His political handling of these fiascoes—like Carter—has only made his situation worse. Democrats risk a public backlash of the sort that opened the way to the Reagan Revolution.
Award-winning and bestselling journalist Kim Strassel offers a formula for the GOP to capitalize from this mayhem; one that rekindles the bold and reformist approach of the 80s and 90s, an aspirational agenda that puts Americans back in control of their destiny on issues ranging from healthcare, to energy, to entitlements. THE BIDEN MALAISE is a penetrating look at our current political climate and a book that explains how the GOP can use this opportunity to elect a leader who can restore faith in American exceptionalism.
The bestselling author of Resistance (At All Costs) and The Intimidation Game argues that Joe Biden, like Jimmy Carter before him, has mired the country in weakness, inflation and political unease.
Whether in politics or policy, the parallels between the Biden and Carter presidencies are now beyond striking. Two presidents—separated by nearly 50 years—beset by the same domestic and foreign policy morasses, politically swamped by a national ennui. However, THE BIDEN MALAISE will examine why such claims overlook important nuances that show President Biden’s blunders are ultimately far worse.
Our current president inherited a better situation along with the lessons of what not to do from Carter's governance. Biden, captive to an ascendent progressive wing of his party, doubled down on Carter’s mistakes and created crises that were as avoidable as they are now severe. From soaring energy prices and inflation to humiliating foreign policy errors, the Biden administration's political mess is self-imposed. His political handling of these fiascoes—like Carter—has only made his situation worse. Democrats risk a public backlash of the sort that opened the way to the Reagan Revolution.
Award-winning and bestselling journalist Kim Strassel offers a formula for the GOP to capitalize from this mayhem; one that rekindles the bold and reformist approach of the 80s and 90s, an aspirational agenda that puts Americans back in control of their destiny on issues ranging from healthcare, to energy, to entitlements. THE BIDEN MALAISE is a penetrating look at our current political climate and a book that explains how the GOP can use this opportunity to elect a leader who can restore faith in American exceptionalism.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2023
51 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 25, 2023
Jimmy Carter was a 52-year-old peanut farmer and an outsider to politics. Biden, on the other hand, got into politics at 30-years-old and is a backslapping insider. In many ways, both men are alike, however, Biden has shown himself to be dismally worse than Carter ever was. The author discusses the policies of both men and their take on events in this country under their administrations.
For the record, Carter was the one to implement many government offices such as the Department of Energy and the Department of Education, plus many more. Both men feel that throwing a lot of money at a problem will fix it - not. They liked big government which is hard to reduce once set in place.
When Biden took office, he got rid of everything that Trump had created. In addition, even though Biden ran against Bernie Sanders, he immediately adopted many of the man’s socialist agenda which has spiraled this country into the mess it is in.
We see how very powerful the Department of Education is which has caused many problems for parents everywhere. Covid shutdown was a God-send for teachers as they had a nice, long vacation. With parents overseeing their children’s classes online, many realized the Critical Race Theory (CRT) that the teachers union had snuck into their children’s classes and parents did not like it. But the DOE is the biggest, union-run department in the U.S. and what they say goes. Next came the transgender movement and more parents are up in arms. There is the frightening fact that Biden removed the southern wall Trump built saying “we are a nation of immigrants and will not stand in the way of people wanting a better life.” Well, that means that we have had to find a place for these people, many of whom truly want a chance, but the bad thing is that many are part of cartels bringing in massive amounts of drugs and driving human trafficking. The way that the Biden administration has pushed the defund police movement has only destroyed any feeling of safety that citizens have plus forcing good police personnel to pursue another career. The top item of this administration is the persecution of President Trump the likes of which has never been seen before. What will happen if Biden gets elected again? The United States will surely become a third-world, socialist country and one man - Joe Biden - is to blame.
This book puts politics into perspective from the time of Jimmy Carter to Joe Biden. Most voters are familiar with events during this time period but this excellent author honestly and explicitly lays the truth out for us. She also delves on how strong and even-tempered Ronald Reagan was. One thing that I personally find sad is that Biden’s family have not taken steps to remove this poor man from the world’s spotlight as his diminishing mental capacity has made him a laughing stock. When someone has dementia, they need privacy and this poor man deserves that last bit of dignity. In addition, do not think that this is a pro-Trump book because the author is very honest with her views of the mistakes that Trump has also made. She details the work that Republicans face in winning this election and the huge efforts needed to fix the problems in this country. I wish every American citizen would read this book and do the right thing by voting for the right candidate. It opened my eyes and I learned so much. Do read this outstanding book.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
For the record, Carter was the one to implement many government offices such as the Department of Energy and the Department of Education, plus many more. Both men feel that throwing a lot of money at a problem will fix it - not. They liked big government which is hard to reduce once set in place.
When Biden took office, he got rid of everything that Trump had created. In addition, even though Biden ran against Bernie Sanders, he immediately adopted many of the man’s socialist agenda which has spiraled this country into the mess it is in.
We see how very powerful the Department of Education is which has caused many problems for parents everywhere. Covid shutdown was a God-send for teachers as they had a nice, long vacation. With parents overseeing their children’s classes online, many realized the Critical Race Theory (CRT) that the teachers union had snuck into their children’s classes and parents did not like it. But the DOE is the biggest, union-run department in the U.S. and what they say goes. Next came the transgender movement and more parents are up in arms. There is the frightening fact that Biden removed the southern wall Trump built saying “we are a nation of immigrants and will not stand in the way of people wanting a better life.” Well, that means that we have had to find a place for these people, many of whom truly want a chance, but the bad thing is that many are part of cartels bringing in massive amounts of drugs and driving human trafficking. The way that the Biden administration has pushed the defund police movement has only destroyed any feeling of safety that citizens have plus forcing good police personnel to pursue another career. The top item of this administration is the persecution of President Trump the likes of which has never been seen before. What will happen if Biden gets elected again? The United States will surely become a third-world, socialist country and one man - Joe Biden - is to blame.
This book puts politics into perspective from the time of Jimmy Carter to Joe Biden. Most voters are familiar with events during this time period but this excellent author honestly and explicitly lays the truth out for us. She also delves on how strong and even-tempered Ronald Reagan was. One thing that I personally find sad is that Biden’s family have not taken steps to remove this poor man from the world’s spotlight as his diminishing mental capacity has made him a laughing stock. When someone has dementia, they need privacy and this poor man deserves that last bit of dignity. In addition, do not think that this is a pro-Trump book because the author is very honest with her views of the mistakes that Trump has also made. She details the work that Republicans face in winning this election and the huge efforts needed to fix the problems in this country. I wish every American citizen would read this book and do the right thing by voting for the right candidate. It opened my eyes and I learned so much. Do read this outstanding book.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
October 28, 2023
The Biden Malaise presents a powerful and accurate comparison between the presidencies of Carter and Biden. Naturally, it is biased, but it is written for an audience of conservative voters who will determine the next GOP nominee to run against Biden, so it’s not meant to be impartial. The author has a solid grasp on the political pulse of the modern conservative demographic.
Strassel clearly articulated the reasons why Biden’s presidency has been a complete disaster and exhorted conservative voters to strongly consider the qualities that would make an effective candidate to run against him in 2024. She drew another correlation between Reagan (who succeeded Carter) and the ideal GOP candidate—a comparison which I can wholeheartedly get on board with. “Reagan didn’t win with anger, accusations, purity tests, or probes. He was the ultimate happy warrior who tempted the skeptical with the power of ideas, words, and humor, and who opened the tent to all comers. He demonstrated the principles of conservative governance by governing. He knew a divided Republican party—or an angry one—was a losing party” (from the Introduction).
While I found it to be very well written and informative, I wish it had been written to be more accessible to the average voter. I found this book hard to get through at times with all the jargon, details, and some assumed prior knowledge. To readers who may get bogged down with the specifics of policy, I would suggest reading the Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapters 10-12 at minimum.
One of my favorite quotes: “Conservative voters will have to decide if their loyalty to the former president is worth risking this unique political opening.”
Strassel clearly articulated the reasons why Biden’s presidency has been a complete disaster and exhorted conservative voters to strongly consider the qualities that would make an effective candidate to run against him in 2024. She drew another correlation between Reagan (who succeeded Carter) and the ideal GOP candidate—a comparison which I can wholeheartedly get on board with. “Reagan didn’t win with anger, accusations, purity tests, or probes. He was the ultimate happy warrior who tempted the skeptical with the power of ideas, words, and humor, and who opened the tent to all comers. He demonstrated the principles of conservative governance by governing. He knew a divided Republican party—or an angry one—was a losing party” (from the Introduction).
While I found it to be very well written and informative, I wish it had been written to be more accessible to the average voter. I found this book hard to get through at times with all the jargon, details, and some assumed prior knowledge. To readers who may get bogged down with the specifics of policy, I would suggest reading the Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapters 10-12 at minimum.
One of my favorite quotes: “Conservative voters will have to decide if their loyalty to the former president is worth risking this unique political opening.”
July 27, 2023
This is a great book for a political junkie or just anyone who wants a deep dive into our crazy political world of 2022 and the Biden administration. Just how many ways can you ruin a country.
Many in the press started talking about a comparison of Biden to Jimmie Carter. This book points out how unfair this really is, to Jimmie Carter.
Kim is a very good writer. I read her often in the WSJ. She knows her politics and has a great way of making an argument. She walks through the different aspects of our politics. Including crime, the economy, energy policies, immigration and illegal immigration, the administrative state, the total war on fossil fuel… and more. In each Kim lays out the arguments and in each case shows how Biden is worse for our country than Jimmie Carter ever was.
This book is a keeper, but be sure to share it with others. The press is not covering this subject at all.
Many in the press started talking about a comparison of Biden to Jimmie Carter. This book points out how unfair this really is, to Jimmie Carter.
Kim is a very good writer. I read her often in the WSJ. She knows her politics and has a great way of making an argument. She walks through the different aspects of our politics. Including crime, the economy, energy policies, immigration and illegal immigration, the administrative state, the total war on fossil fuel… and more. In each Kim lays out the arguments and in each case shows how Biden is worse for our country than Jimmie Carter ever was.
This book is a keeper, but be sure to share it with others. The press is not covering this subject at all.
September 10, 2023
This is simply a fabulous book! Indeed, it is among the very best books that I have ever read!
Ms. Strassel is a top opinion columnist for the WSJ, so her prose is excellent, and she writes with aplomb, wit, and authority. Therefore, her book is both informative but yet fun to read.
The theme of "The Biden Malaise" is an in depth comparation of Jimmy Carter's four years in office versus Joe Biden's first several years in the White House. And she does a detailed and superb job of pointing out the almost countless similarities between the two administrations.
The bottom line is that everyone simply must-read Kim Strassel's new book. It will remind those who were alive during 1977 till 1981 about how bad things were, it will inform those who were not alive during Mr. Carter's single term in office about the total mess that he created, and it will clearly show everyone that Carter and Biden are political doppelgangers.
Ms. Strassel is a top opinion columnist for the WSJ, so her prose is excellent, and she writes with aplomb, wit, and authority. Therefore, her book is both informative but yet fun to read.
The theme of "The Biden Malaise" is an in depth comparation of Jimmy Carter's four years in office versus Joe Biden's first several years in the White House. And she does a detailed and superb job of pointing out the almost countless similarities between the two administrations.
The bottom line is that everyone simply must-read Kim Strassel's new book. It will remind those who were alive during 1977 till 1981 about how bad things were, it will inform those who were not alive during Mr. Carter's single term in office about the total mess that he created, and it will clearly show everyone that Carter and Biden are political doppelgangers.
August 29, 2023
I am familiar with Kimberley Strassel, both from reading one of her prior books as well as from FOX news/FOX business, where she is a contributor.
She is a great journalist and her writing is terrific.
In this book, she compares the Biden administration (along with all its faults) to the Carter presidency. The comparisons are spot-on, however, as bad as the Carter years were for all of us, this Biden administration is worse overall. We are all feeling the pain of inflation, gas prices, border crisis, social media overreach, and increased levels of crime across our United States. At least President Carter was a man of moral standards, which can certainly not be said of our current White House resident!!!!
Ms. Strassel does a great job in comparing the two administrations, as well as summarizing what the GOP needs to do to reverse course for our country.
Very well written.
She is a great journalist and her writing is terrific.
In this book, she compares the Biden administration (along with all its faults) to the Carter presidency. The comparisons are spot-on, however, as bad as the Carter years were for all of us, this Biden administration is worse overall. We are all feeling the pain of inflation, gas prices, border crisis, social media overreach, and increased levels of crime across our United States. At least President Carter was a man of moral standards, which can certainly not be said of our current White House resident!!!!
Ms. Strassel does a great job in comparing the two administrations, as well as summarizing what the GOP needs to do to reverse course for our country.
Very well written.
February 12, 2025
I meant to at least read this post election 2024, before 2025. However, I didn't get to it until after Trump's second inauguration. Most of the book is a comparison of Jimmy Carter's presidency and Biden's. Strassel points out there actually were some good things during Carter's term. Challenging to find anything good to say about Biden's. I could go into detail pointing out the similarities and contrasts, but that is what the book is for. The book ends with a section on what the Republican Party needs to do to capitalize off of Biden's failures, and why Trump 1.0 would not have been a good choice as the party's candidate for 2025. It seems like Trump and/or his people must have read this. Much of his platform seems lifted from Strassel's work. Some pro-Trumpers have been critical of the last chapter regarding his first term, but followers of constructive criticism usually become better people or better at their tasks. Some interesting points about Carter--during his term is when the Panama Canal was given back to Panama. Some of the progressive roots conservatives blame the Obama presidency for actually started under Carter's presidency. I encourage Democrats to read this as well--especially if you don't understand why Biden, and Harris couldn't defeat Trump--or probably anyone in the last election.
November 12, 2023
Strassel is a fine writer, I've enjoyed her columns in the WSJ for years and any reader is in for a treat. The argument that Biden is simular to Carter but worse will not be welcomed by progressives -- although I'd encourage them to read this book since it is less a screed then a polemic and therefore worthy of consideration. The book may be overlong. Still, I might use an excerpt in some of my classes to challenge students and provoke discussion.
January 14, 2024
Not my favorite book. She makes some great points in her comparison of Biden to carter but then she seems to become a Never Trumper even while giving him credit for his successes. That didn't work well for me
February 24, 2025
I like Kim Strassel so might be a bit biased. Excellent reminder of the Carter years and comparison with Biden. Spoiler alert , Biden is even worse. Note that this was written before Trump’s reelection.
July 26, 2023
Good reasons throughout the book why we need to replace Biden. Trump? Won’t win. We need a communicator like Reagan. I agree
August 1, 2023
This is a must read for presidential aspirants.
October 18, 2023
Kimberly Strassel is a incredibly talented and knowledgeable writer.
December 9, 2023
My fear is that we still have to endure another 13 months of this failed presidency. Hopefully, our country can be restored with someone not named Trump or Biden beginning in January 2025!
July 2, 2024
I expected this book to be a total waste of time. But, helped me think beyond my own bubble even though I disagree with 90% of the things she talked about.
October 30, 2023
I like the way the author compares Biden to Carter. I don’t like at the end of the book the author started to Trump bash. Because of the bashing, the book is NOT worth it. Don’t get this book. Rotten tomatoes 🍅.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews