President Biden lays out a progressive vision.

Follow this authorJennifer Rubin's opinions

After rattling off that list of domestic policy items, Biden declared: “My first 100 days in a second term will continue to be all about the working people of this nation.” Biden so far had not given much detail about a second term, and he still has many more details to explain. Nevertheless, his turn to progressive policy reflects recognition that Democrats must present a positive, pro-middle-class and hopeful agenda.

In an interview on “Morning Joe” last week, former White House chief of staff Ron Klain previewed a new emphasis on a progressive agenda highlighting the difference between “the man from Scranton” and “the man from Mar-a-Lago.” He also told New Republic columnist Greg Sargent in a separate interview that “economic populism that was successful in the 2020 campaign … needs to be brought back with more vigor.”

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Actual policy ideas are one way to reconnect with key parts of the Biden coalition — young people priced out of the housing market, working parents, hourly wage-earners and retirees, for example. Just as his student debt program provides real benefits to young voters, these second-term agenda items allow Democrats to highlight more positive action government can take for Americans. In essence, Biden is aiming to revive a tried-and-true contrast between the parties: Democrats as the party of the little guy, Republicans as the party of fat cats.

It was not too long ago that Republicans showed interest in presenting themselves as economic populists. Instead, they have continued down the road of tax cuts for the rich, undermining unions and opposition to programs that help ordinary Americans (e.g. student debt relief). The vision in Plan 2025 would involve cutting everything from regulation of worker safety to Head Start and rolling back the Inflation Reduction Act reduction limits on prescription drug prices. Polled individually, Trump’s policies are hugely unpopular.

Biden and fellow Democrats are betting they can remind traditional Democratic voters and independents alike why they do better financially with Democrats in power. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an acknowledged critic of Biden on some issues, sang from the same hymnal in an op-ed for the New York Times on Saturday:

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Biden has talked in the aggregate about jobs........

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