Biden is not Trump: Is that all & sufficient?
Lauren Martinchek, who publicly describes herself as a leftist on politics & policy, writes in her blog, “As fantastic as it would feel to have the current occupant of the White House out of power, it’s difficult to even know where to begin…why I’m not at all looking forward to the thought of Joe Biden as President.”
Once America’s youngest senator, Barack Obama’s right hand in office years, and the current Democratic nominee for the US quadrennial presidential elections due in November, Joe Biden is not the first choice of many, but rather a spared one because they want to make sure, Donald Trump is not elected again.
Stacey Mink, a political activist based in Maryland, says, “Many Americans who hate Donald Trump and believe he is destroying our country are reluctant to say what would happen because of their experience in 2016”.
“People who might be more conservative aren’t necessarily thinking about Biden being such a liberal, they are just thinking anybody but Trump”, adds Stephanie Shapiro, a former feature writer for The Baltimore Sun.
In the same vein, many think Trump’s failure in responding to situations lately are all adding merits to Biden. Under normal circumstances, Biden would have not had a chance and whatever that he stands for right now is being overshadowed by the chaos that Trump’s White House is creating.
In a conversation, Martinchek and Shapiro stress, given how Trump has handled both the pandemic and the (Black Lives Matter) protests, it’s no surprise that Biden has surged.
Upon being asked, if Biden would have responded to the deadly virus better, 54 year Mink jokes, “I would have done a better job than Trump.”
Further, The Economist writes, “His age, at times, has been painfully apparent on the campaign trail: his loquacity is less bounded, his stories meander without necessarily reaching their conclusion.”
Referring to the vote on war with Iraq, freelance writer Shapiro says, “He hasn’t always made the right decision but he was Obama’s vice president and that is pretty much in the memory of people.”
She adds, “He is fuzzy but he’s not Trump which is his main advantage.”
However, analysts and investors have viewed some of Biden’s policies as being potential negatives for stocks, while Trump has argued that “the stock market will drop down to nothing” if he is not re-elected.
The Maryland based activist, Mink says, “To make that argument is inhumane…the idea that the key to recovery is through financial markets is not the right one.”
So, in the end, what is it that Biden has to himself except being not Trump?
Shapiro emphasizes, “He is compassionate, cares about people, has a reputation of being empathetic, and wants everyone to be happy.”
While Mink affirms, “Biden, at the very least, is a decent person who knows how to run the government, as opposed to Trump who runs the government for his ego, himself, business and his business associates.”
Joe Biden maybe a father or an uncle figure, but people don’t actually seem to be enthusiastic about his platform or campaign.
To sum it up, a lot of it comes down to ‘Biden is not Trump,’ as few also put forth that he was not the strongest candidate, hinting at Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Well, there’s one more candidature to make you scratch your head. American rapper Kanye West is all planning to join the race to the White House.
With less than 100 days to November 3, it will be interesting to see who wins the elections to govern the biggest economy of the world.
And as Martinchek puts it, “As of right now, I think that his (Joe Biden) prospects for winning look good! Having said that, a lot can change between now and November.”
