The WaPo's international affairs pundit David Ignatius makes some uncharacteristically interesting points in his column today:
"Biden’s next challenge, after the successful summits, is to pass key parts of his domestic legislative agenda over objections from Republicans who seem, weirdly, more antagonistic toward him than Putin. He should use the same tactics that worked in his trip abroad. Negotiate with his adversaries but remind them of his hard options. Be a pragmatic centrist, not bipartisan. Make them worry about the political dangers of obstruction.
An outside-in strategy would use Biden’s new strength on the international stage to challenge Republicans: When the whole world seems to be celebrating the fact that America is back, does the GOP really think it can remain in its own bubble of resentment and lies?
When Europe and Asia are uniting with Biden to contest Beijing’s agenda, do Republicans really want to appear, with their recalcitrance, as China’s best friends? And really, is the GOP so brain dead it imagines — after the obsequiousness of Donald Trump — it can criticize Biden as soft on Russia?" (our emphasis)
Not that the Dems will draw a contrast with themselves and the Russia-aligned, autocrat-loving Republican / Dear Leader cult of personality, or exploit the fact that the GQP has handed them a semi-tractor trailer sized opening. Of course the Dear Leader's cult is impervious to persuasion (and they love Putin), but there's always hope that independents, undecideds and wavering Republican suburbanites will wake up and smell the borscht that the Republicans are peddling.
