Kerby Anderson

American presidents often confront this painful lesson: They may have political plans but those plans often crash into political reality. This week was supposed to be the final orderly withdrawal of US troops and civilians from Afghanistan. Next month, Congress was to pass the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. At least that was the plan.

It is too early to tell how the debacle in Afghanistan will affect the Biden administration’s legislative goals. What is happening in Afghanistan might be merely a distraction or might even derail the bill.

Republicans will remind members of Congress that spending lots of money doesn’t necessarily make things better in the world. Democrats will argue that we should have spent billions on roads and bridges instead of a war that was eventually lost to the Taliban.

I have seen some polling that shows most American voters know more about what is happening in Afghanistan than know there is even an infrastructure bill. I doubt that many voters will have much enthusiasm for a $1.2 trillion bill when most commentators are talking about the trillions of dollars spent on a failed war.

Polling also shows something else. President Biden’s approval ratings were already at their lowest point before the crisis in Afghanistan developed. It is reasonable to assume those numbers will drop even further.

Military leaders will tell you that “no plan survives first contact with the enemy.” Or if you want to use the most popular version by fighter Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” President Biden and the Democratic leaders in Congress are learning this painful lesson.