Let’s be brutally honest here, that debate did not go how we hoped it might. Going into the night, Joe Biden’s primary objective was to reassure the American people that he is physically and psychologically capable of running the country for another four years. On that stage, the president’s performance left a lot to be desired. Trump unleashed an unending string of deranged lies and confirmed that he’s uniquely unsuited for the White House, but still Biden’s age is driving the news coverage.
A lot of Americans woke up on Friday morning feeling understandably anxious because they recognize just how much is at stake this election. Yes, Joe Biden might be getting up there in years but his opponent is quite literally promising a fascist revolution if he’s elected. Trump has vowed to finish the work of strangling our democracy that he started in his first term and only a fool would doubt his sincerity (at least about this one particular thing).
It’s still unclear how things will unfold from here. Biden insists that he’ll continue his campaign despite the chatter about him stepping aside to let another Democrat take on Trump. We’ll have a much better sense of the lay of the land in a few weeks. In the meantime, it’s important to recognize that the discourse swirling about his strengths as a candidate have nothing to do with his strengths as the president. The politics of winning elections are very different from the politics of governing. In the latter sphere, he has proven himself time and again to be more than up to the task.
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The undeniable reality getting lost in all of this post-debate catastrophizing is that Joe Biden is quite simply the most effective president we’ve had in our lifetimes. A quick glance at his ever-growing list of achievements proves his efficacy.
Somehow, despite the hyper-polarization and Congressional gridlock, Biden has managed to get the government to negotiate lower drug prices, devoted record funding to combatting climate change, capped insulin and inhaler costs, passed a gun safety bill, a historic infrastructure bill, veteran healthcare, and spearheaded a clean energy revolution that will bear fruit for generations to come. On top of that he’s presided over an economy in which 15 million jobs were added, the stock market hit a record high, and wages outpaced inflation.
In terms of policy, the contrast between Biden and Trump could not be sharper and ultimately that’s what matters most. Being president isn’t about vibes and it’s certainly not about how good you are at debating within a ninety minute window. It’s about consistently making decisions that benefit the American people and cultivate prosperity.
All of which is to say, if the choice in November is between Trump and Biden, which it seems likely to be, the choice is clear. You can vote for the convicted criminal who tried to overthrow our democracy and who will pass a federal abortion ban, attack access to contraception and IVF, gut climate protections, dismantle LGBT rights, and flood our streets with guns. Or, you can vote for the lifelong public servant who has this country’s best interests at heart even if he’s lost some pep in his step when it comes to delivering rhetorical haymakers. If you love this country like I do, the choice could not be any easier.
Stay focused, stay energized.
Brian
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