We know that Biden will use the opportunity to bash Trump for his authoritarian sympathies and for his vacuous ideas about policy. He will also do his best to set the record straight on the condition of the country in 2020, and how things have improved since then. But what about the future? Will we see a return of the FDR for the 21st century?
Probably not, for two reasons. First, it is highly unlikely that the election will deliver a solid Democratic majority in both houses of Congress, so the plausibility of an ambitious agenda is very limited. Second, Biden will want to portray himself as a genuine constitutional conservative, in contrast with the nihilistic Trump, in order to win over moderate swing voters. Proposing a far-reaching agenda that could lead to increased inflation and a confrontation with the Supreme Court does not further that objective.