Poring through the latest round of polls showing President Biden’s approval regressing back near all-time lows, it’s worth presenting an alternative history, one in which he governed as he campaigned—a pragmatist offering a simple return to normalcy after the tumult of the Trump years. He’d rightly recognize himself as a bridge presidency, looking to reset our politics from the tribalism of the previous four years, without seeking ideological glory or a place in the history books.

Instead of passing a $1.9 trillion emergency stimulus when the economy was already heating up, imagine Biden sought half that amount and got some Republican buy-in for his efforts at the beginning of his presidency. Imagine that he decided against hastily withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan, maintaining the old status quo and avoiding the horrific humanitarian crisis that first submerged his approval ratings. Think about what would have happened if Biden championed the bipartisan infrastructure bill without holding it hostage to trillions in additional social spending that caused his own party to split asunder.