“What’s the best defense of the Biden administration’s performance to date?”

That is an MR reader request.  You could read this longish NYT piece by Ezra Klein, but his broader perspectives are somewhat different from mine.  My defense, no matter how good or bad it may be, is a little simpler:

1. Most other countries have inflation too.  Our inflation rate is somewhat better than the Western average.  Perhaps that difference is not to Biden’s credit, but he didn’t put us on the wrong side of that ledger either.

2. The American response to Russia’s war in Ukraine seems to have gone relatively well, all things considered?  This judgment could end up rapidly reversed, but so far we have achieved a mix of embarrassing Russia while avoiding direct troop involvement or “no fly” zones.

3. China has not (yet) invaded Taiwan.  Biden at least pretends to offer Taiwan stronger support than previous administrations had done.

4. #2 and #3 are perhaps 80% of the scorecard?

5. The Chips and Science Act at least puts some emphasis back on science, though so far it seems the proffered reforms aren’t nearly good enough.