Last updated on August 18, 2020
Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.
Other than COVID-19, the 2020 Presidential election is the most popular current event. With Senator Sanders dropping out of the race, Vice President Biden is now the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party. With Biden as their leader, the Democrat’s main objective is to get Trump out of office.
From now to November, the Democrats have to make the case that Biden would be a better President than Trump. Campaign ads, attack ads, speeches, rallies, media interviews, and millions of dollars are used in the effort to bring Trump to his knees. Yet, in the sea of democratic presidential candidates, the question remains, were the Democrats smart in choosing Biden? But more importantly, can Biden come on top to beat Trump come election day?
In earlier articles, I believed Joe Biden should be the Democratic nominee. Not because I supported him or his campaign, but because he would be better for the political atmosphere if elected as the nominee.
If Sanders became the nominee, he would radically shift the democratic base. For the Democrats, he would not have been the best person to beat Trump considering he does not appeal to older voters or moderates.
That being said, Biden is the most logical choice for the Democratic nominee if the intention were to beat Trump. While I believe this to be true, Andrew Yang would have also been a viable candidate if he entered public office before he ran for President.
Biden has been in politics for the majority of his life. He served as a Delaware Senator from 1973 to 2009. In the 2008 election, Obama picked him to be his Vice President. One of the reasons Obama chose Biden was because Obama was criticized for lacking significant political experience because he was only a Senator for two years.
Therefore, he picked Biden to be his running mate because he was a Senior Senator at the time. When Obama won, Biden served as the Vice President for eight years.
However, his record is almost irrelevant to his campaign. While it is true that his record has given him tremendous name recognition and experience, Biden does not seem to utilize it to best of his abilities.
Simply put, the man is old.
While age is not always a controlling factor of a person’s capacity to lead, Biden’s constant gaffes have made him appear drastically disoriented and weak. His age seems to be impacting the way he speaks at speeches or when he argues at debates. If one were to watch a past video of him debating Paul Ryan in the 2012 Vice Presidential debate, he seemed meticulous, organized, and well-spoken.
Now, eight years later, he forgot the preamble of the Declaration of Independence and Obama’s name. This is vital for voters to take into consideration because oratory is often a necessity in leadership. The State of the Union, press conferences, addresses to the nation, general assemblies at the United Nations, and merely talking to the American citizen require extraordinary poise and oratory.
The Presidency also requires 24/7 vigilance. In the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK endured countless sleepless nights to find viable solutions. FDR spent years trying to maneuver through a World War. Reagan debated with economists in meetings and studied US intelligence on the USSR.
In times of crisis, the Presidency requires extreme mental fortitude. Whoever wins this November, has to deal with one of the greatest economic travesties in humanity. If Biden cannot spend the necessary time to fix the status quo, then his capabilities will be questioned in the election
Also, the Biden campaign must consider the fact that Trump is a ruthless debater. He has no restrictions and a total disregard for politeness. If motivated, he will throw personal jabs at Biden and humiliate him without any hesitation. This is not even speculation, he had already made fun of Biden’s gaffes at various rallies and tweets. Again, this will make Biden appear weak and dismantled.
Another key component is his VP choice. Usually, the spotlight is not on the Vice Presidential candidate, but this time it will be different. Biden has already pledged to choose a woman as his VP which narrows down his potential candidates.
His VP selection is important because Biden will be the oldest president to be sworn in and will most likely not seek a second term due to his age. The Biden campaign and the DNC must find a candidate who has political experience and can unite the nation.
Finally, the last thing that will hurt Biden’s campaign is the sexual assault allegations. This will be what destroys Biden unless the Democrats act quickly. Former Senate staffer Tara Reade has made headlines when she accused Biden of sexual assaulting her twenty-seven years ago. Joe Biden denied the allegation saying, “It never happened.”
While there is not any evidence that Biden did sexually assault her, this damages the campaign’s look. Biden has had a reputation of being overly “affectionate ” with women and female minors. Videos are resurfacing the internet of Biden sniffing women’s hair and giving awkward hugs. Again, while I do not know if Biden did sexually assault Ms. Reade, it does not help the already established relationship between Biden and women.
Therefore, does he have a chance? If he continues his campaign at the current rate and approach, then he does not. It depends on what Trump does in the next few months and what Biden is willing to do. If none of them prove they are worthy of the American vote, then voters will choose the least worse candidate. Which means it will be 2016 all over again.
Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.
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