Is President Joe Biden meeting the moment?

That’s the question driving the political zeitgeist as some of the loudest members of the Democratic Party vent their frustrations to major news outlets.

The gist of their complaints: Biden (and Democrats) need a vibe shift — fast. They want the president to reflect their anger and angst. They want him to project strength and that he has a plan for meaningful action. They want him to pick fights at the right time with the right opponents, messaging on themes that get reinforced time and again. 

And they feel all of this is missing from the White House right now.

Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter

Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook.
Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.