Editorial: Biden visit to suburbs emphasizes role of local conversations in federal issues
It's doubtful President Joe Biden has ever found himself in a Randall Road traffic jam, and his presumed placement of the Naperville-Woodridge tornado as "just south of here" where he was speaking in Crystal Lake Wednesday may seem a bit of a geographic distortion. But his visit to the Chicago suburbs has value beyond the ability of his speech writers to work local references into his remarks.
For one thing, the appearance underscores that the suburbs, as they did in the 2020 election, represent the middle ground of America - the constituency both Biden and Republicans must reach out to, not simply to win politically, but to affect meaningful policy.
This is precisely because, in both major parties, the suburbs are dominated by common sense centrists. The moderates among us so often complain that our voices are being drowned out by the extremes of each party, but the desire of the president of the United States to come here to pitch signature pieces of legislation drives home a message that our voices do matter, that our voices are being heard - not just by Biden, but both parties.
And, his decision to send that message by visiting the only collar county he lost in the 2020 election emphasizes the point that our conversations regarding the major bills he came here to tout - the infrastructure spending plan known as the American Jobs Bill and the family spending proposal known as the American Family Act - need to be topics of general conversation, not one-way monologues underpinned merely by strength in partisan numbers.
In his half-hour address at McHenry County College, President Biden managed to celebrate nearly all the high points of his two massive spending programs - including upgrading and replacement of roads and bridges, universal access to the internet, expanded college access, investment in early childhood education and child care, expanded health care, clean energy and much more. In many cases - consider the Randall Road reference, for instance, as well as documenting infrastructure needs across the region - he could talk about his proposals in a direct suburban context. But whether he was addressing a specific road he's likely never seen or the general child-care needs of working parents anywhere, Biden's appearance also offers an opportunity to see the adage "all politics is local" in action.
The infrastructure bill and the family spending plan obviously are major issues for representatives of the federal government. But their impact - and their costs - will be felt at the most discrete local level. They need to be discussed not just by remote politicians in Washington but by individuals and families in Crystal Lake.
And Elgin. And Libertyville. And Arlington Heights and Naperville and Streamwood and Schaumburg and Grayslake and Glenview and every town in our suburbs.
We suspect President Biden has never really contemplated the complex commercial and transportation issues of the Randall Road corridor. But even a canned reference to the issue in a speech from a suburban lectern emphasizes that those of us in the suburbs who have personal experience with those issues - and hundreds of similar ones throughout our region - also have a personal stake in federal legislation involving them. That is not necessarily an endorsement of the president's approach; but it is a reminder that the issues he and others in Washington are raising have direct local impact requiring serious local reflection and discussion.