Ah, the relatively calm (before the storm) Clinton years.

That is fallacious logic.

Observing that Presidents do not have control over some issues for which they are commonly blamed (such as gasoline prices) is not the same as saying "the position [of President] isn't that important" in general.  That is a faulty generalization.  Presidents can't control the price of gasoline, but they do have a great many powers which enable them to undermine or eliminate democratic institutions if they so choose.   

It generates a clash when the sitting President appears to be helpless about important issues on his watch (Roe v. Wade, Supreme Court seats, border policy) and limits himself to tweeting about it while sitting in the Oval Office.

If you can't do anything, why should I keep voting for you? And maybe he's even technically right in some of the stuff (again, I believe *something* can be done about most issues while President but let's give the benefit of the doubt), but it's just not a good look.

But if the other guys can and do radical changes while in power, then your side is gonna be seen as ineffective, or worse, unwilling. (The old "nothing can be done without a super majority", but when Obama had it it "wasn't the right time")

Something similar is happening in my neighboring Argentina. Trump-like psycho Milei is executing radical changes for the worst with an overwhelming minority in congress and when his opposition was in power they always said they couldn't have anything major done even with majorities in both chambers.

It hurts to see the right wing as more effective and willing to impose their agenda, and it makes you wonder why. They're definitely not smarter or more cunning, in fact the guy is evidently mentally challenged.

But maybe, just maybe, the whole system benefits of some looney taking the blows of executing these measures that hurt the majority of the people while the "good guys" go "gee, I can't do anything to stop him".

  

A strong argument could be made that Mitch McConnell has been more cunning than his Democratic counterparts over the past ten years. His facilitation of the takeover of the SCOTUS and a large chunk of the judicial branch by partisan extremists required some luck (and some circumstances beyond his control, like the partisan lean of the Senate) but also displayed foresight and ruthlessness.  At this point, sadly, the best campaign promise Biden can offer is not "we'll fix the judicial branch" but "we will prevent it from getting worse." 

Agree. 

A similar thing is happening in Argentina too. While the President is out there in the media scandalizing people with outrageous statements and his general "colorful" personality, behind the scenes some old school conservatives and nefarious characters are actually seizing the opportunity to fulfill their right wing fantasies.

But the Left/Liberals have no antidote for this? Again, they seem hopelessly naive or worse. Almost like they're comfortable with the situation, and letting the other guys be "the bad guys".

Just as they say in sports, the team that wants it more is the one that takes the title home.