Jonathan Bernstein, Columnist

The Real Reason Biden Should Want to Be Like Harry Truman

If you can’t do anything about the polls, who wouldn’t aspire to symbolize the difference between contemporary public opinion and historical reputation?

April 20, 2022 at 11:41 AM UTC

By Jonathan Bernstein

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics. A former professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, he wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.

Popular in the eyes of history.
Photographer: Al Muto/AFP via Getty Images

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All unpopular presidents look to Harry Truman. President Joe Biden has more reason than most to do so.

Not just because Truman won a second term (actually, a first full term), despite being unpopular. Biden should look to Truman because Truman is also the president who symbolizes the difference between contemporary public opinion and historical reputation.