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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 18 January 2022
How's he doing? Americans weigh in on Biden's performance

By The Associated Press un- should've been a great
defined accomplishment. Get the
President Joe Biden took bulldozers and shovels roll-
office at a particularly po- ing and get to work. She
larized time in American adds: "The Build Back Bet-
history, so it's not surprising ter plan, I think there's too
that citizens are divided much in there that I don't
on his performance at the see the need for it, or I don't
one-year mark. know that the federal gov-
A Georgia history teacher ernment is the solution for
who voted for Biden would it."
give him a "C" grade, fault- ___
ing the president for not THE TRUMP VOTER WHO'S
pushing earlier to end the NOT IMPRESSED
filibuster in the Senate but Eric Ollarsaba says Biden's
supportive of his Build Back presidency has been "pret-
Better plan. ty bad." But the 33-year-old
A retired nurse in Iowa who Trump voter isn't surprised.
supported Pete Buttigieg "He's pretty much doing
in the Democratic primary exactly what I expected
says she's been impressed him to do," says Ollarsaba,
by the way Biden has up- a registered independent
held the dignity of the of- who lives in Phoenix and
fice. Russia, all at the same time, aisle," Uchimura says. "But I of the backlash to Biden's works at an online car re-
A registered independent and he doesn't seem to wish he would have recog- 2020 victory. tailer. "He's a career politi-
in Arizona who voted for care how he looks," Prich- nized earlier that this era of Biden's election win is still cian."
former President Donald ard says. "Because it's not bipartisanship seems to be unreal to many Americans, He is disappointed Biden
Trump says Biden's first year real good right now for him, pretty much on thin ice." she says. shut the Keystone XL oil
has been "pretty bad," cit- even though there's less ___ "And the absolute revolt pipeline, and he was ap-
ing the shutdown of the people dying than if Trump THE BIDEN VOTER WHO DE- that has come about since palled by the chaotic U.S.
Keystone XL oil pipeline were there." CRIES POLARIZATION absolutely goes directly military exit from Afghani-
and the chaotic Afghani- "Trump, turns out, only Lynn Manning-John, a to the school boards," she stan.
stan withdrawal. cared about how he school principal on a Na- says. "We're probably going to
Here's what else Americans looked," Prichard says. tive American reservation ___ be reliant on other coun-
have to say about the job ___ on the Nevada-Idaho bor- THE BIDEN VOTER WARY OF tries for energy, which I
Biden has done so far: THE TEACHER WHO GIVES der, is pleased with Biden's LIBERALS could potentially see lead-
THE TRUMP-TO-BIDEN VOTER BIDEN A 'C' GRADE first year in office but worries Patrick Sweeney voted for ing to another conflict, or
Craig Prichard believes Kai Uchimura, a high school his presidency has further Biden but has been dis- us involving ourselves in an-
Donald Trump should be history teacher who lives in polarized her community. appointed the president other war," Ollarsaba says.
in jail. But he's far from your Decatur, Georgia, voted At a Walmart in Elko Coun- hasn't pushed back more "I think we still needed a
typical anti-Trumper: He for Biden in 2020. He'd give ty, Nevada, a ranching re- against the left wing of the U.S. presence in Afghani-
voted for him in 2016. him a "C" grade so far. gion that heavily supported Democratic Party. stan. Not major military op-
But not in 2020. "No, sir," says Uchimura, 26, describes the former president, she's "I wish he would claim erations, but we still need a
the 65-year-old self-de- himself as leaning left on overheard customers com- and stake out the middle presence and I think that
scribed independent from most issues, though he is plain about how Biden's ground, and be more that, would make that region —
Des Moines, Iowa. not a registered Democrat. agenda has permeated 'This is what the Democrat- at least for the United States
Prichard is still angry at He says he supports Biden's "Trump country." ic Party represents,'" says — a little less dangerous."
Trump over the Jan. 6 social policy bill that re- "There is just a reluctance Sweeney, a 62-year-old re- The U.S. should not have
Capitol insurrection, say- mains stalled in Congress, to support the current presi- tired educator in a Phoenix had to rely on the Taliban's
ing he believes the former but thinks Democrats have dent," the 45-year-old inde- suburb who is not affiliated cooperation to evacuate
president caused it. But it done a poor job of explain- pendent voter says. "There's with a political party. Americans from Afghani-
was Trump's handling of ing its benefits. pushback towards any- "So much of the conversa- stan, he says. He worries
the coronavirus pandemic "That Build Back Better plan, thing that he puts forward, tion seems to get focused ceding influence there will
that led Prichard to vote for it seemed like no one knew even if it's good and com- on the extreme left wing allow terrorist groups to
Biden in 2020. what was in the bill except mon sense." She was espe- of the Democratic Party gain a foothold.
"Trump wanted to make it for the cost," he says. cially happy with Biden's and progressive positions," ___
look like COVID was going He also faults Biden for nomination of Deb Haa- Sweeney says. "I think he THE DEMOCRAT WHO PRE-
away," Prichard says. "That not pushing earlier to end land, a fellow Native Ameri- needs to be more front and FERRED MAYOR PETE
wasn't the way to take the filibuster in the Senate can, as interior secretary. center in countering that." Biden wasn't Kathleen
care of it." that requires 60 votes to The superintendent and five Sweeney is pleased with Paul's first pick. The 74-year-
Prichard, who for 40 years advance most legislation. out of seven school board the infrastructure bill Biden old retired nurse liked Pete
built farm machinery, Last week, for the first time, members in Elko County re- signed into law but wishes Buttigieg in the Democratic
worked construction and Biden directly advocated signed last year during pro- he'd stopped there instead primary.
eventually retired after a eliminating the filibuster in tests from parents' groups of pushing a massive in- "I thought Biden was sort
stint at a meatpacking order to debate and vote opposed to lesson plans crease in social service of 'Jokin' Joe,'" Paul says.
plant last year, says Biden on election and voting about equity and diversity spending. "He said things that were so
is "handling COVID as well rights legislation. in the parts of the county "I was enthusiastic about off-the-cuff when (Barack)
as he can" while juggling a "I know that when he was outside the Duck Valley In- the original infrastructure Obama was president. I
number of other issues. coming into office, he had dian Reservation. plan," Sweeney says. "I think thought, 'Can we really
"Biden, you can tell he's try- this message of trying to Manning-John sees the res- it's long overdue, and I was take this guy seriously?'"
ing to handle the pandem- unite the country and ex- ignations and the parents' really glad to see it, and Turns out, a bit to her sur-
ic, food prices, gas prices, tend a hand across the demands as an outgrowth I think that could've and prise, she can.q